Yoko Takahashi Releases "EVANGELION ETERNALLY" CD Single in May

The anime story may have reached its conclusion, but the songs of Evangelion will continue. Japanese singer Yoko Takahashi, best known for her Evangelion theme song work, will release her 30th CD single "EVANGELION ETERNALLY" on May 10.

CM spot:

Her connection with the Eva franchise goes back 28 years, when her 11th single song "Zankoku na Tenshi no Thesis / A Cruel Angel's Thesis" was used as the opening theme for the 1995-1996 TV anime Neon Genesis Evangelion. It became one of the most well-known songs of her career, and she has sung various pieces for the franchise since then.

Her first new single in four years features "Tsumi to Batsu Inorazaru Mono yo" (Crime and Punishment, Those who don't pray). It has been used as the promotional song for Shin Japan Heroes Universe, a collaboration project of the four "Shin" films in which Hideaki Anno participates: Shin Godzilla, Shin Evangelion (Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time), Shin Ultraman, and Shin Kamen Rider.

The single also includes two of FIELDS' Evangleion-themed pachinko machine theme songs — "Final Call" and "Teardrops of hope" — as well as a newly-recorded song version of "what if?," which was originally composed by Shiro Sagisu for the 2021 feature film Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time.

The CD jacket illustration is drawn by the Evangelion mechanic designer Ikuto Yamashita: