Neon Genesis Evangelion 30th Anniversary Short Film Explained: Asuka’s Ending, Alternate Timelines, and What It Means

The big anniversary celebration for Neon Genesis Evangelion has officially kicked off at Yokohama Arena, and one of the most talked-about reveals is a brand-new short film centered on Asuka Langley Soryu.

Before we go any further: this article contains full spoilers based on early descriptions from the event. If you’d rather wait to see the short yourself (whenever it finally releases online), now’s your chance to back out.

For everyone else, let’s dive in.

A Story About Two Asukas

The short film focuses almost entirely on Asuka — but interestingly, it features two versions of her.

We see both the original Asuka and the Rebuild timeline version, Asuka Shikinami Langley, sharing the stage together.

They appear in a theatrical setup with microphones, Asuka’s theme music playing, and a slightly comedic tone. The two versions talk, joke, and reflect on their lives. At one point, Soryu bluntly says she wants a happier ending, since her original one didn’t exactly feel great from her perspective.

That’s when things get interesting.

Revisiting Alternate Realities

Shikinami begins guiding Soryu through different “what if” scenarios — remix versions of familiar Evangelion moments.

Some of these alternate scenes reportedly include:

• Fighting alongside Shinji Ikari against an Angel
• Being launched dramatically as an Eva pilot
• Going on a date with Shinji (which ends with her pushing him off a cliff for laughs)

Playing shogi against Kozo Fuyutsuki

Each scenario plays out like a glimpse into a different universe. Soryu watches from her bed and keeps rejecting them, asking for something else.

Shikinami reveals each new world by turning off the light and saying goodnight, almost like flipping channels in a dream.

The “Perfect Future” That Isn’t Chosen

Eventually, Soryu asks for a world that truly belongs to her.

She suddenly finds herself on a train platform in a nostalgic 90s-style anime setting. Across the tracks stand Misato Katsuragi and Ryoji Kaji. Then a train arrives.

Shinji steps off and holds out his hand.

What follows is a montage of a possible future:

• Dating
• Marriage
• A child together
• A quiet life that looks peaceful and complete

When we return to the platform, Asuka smiles. She’s clearly moved by what she saw.

But she still turns it down.

Not out of bitterness — out of self-acceptance. She chooses herself.

A Musical Finale and Classic Evangelion Themes

The ending shifts back to a stage setting. Characters appear playing instruments, echoing the musical imagery from Death & Rebirth and the introspective tone of Evangelion’s original ending.

The message is clear: acceptance, identity, and emotional closure.

It’s very much in line with the themes explored across the franchise, including the more hopeful tone seen in Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time.

Why This Ending Works for Asuka

If you think about it, most major Evangelion characters eventually received some form of emotional resolution.

• Shinji gets his self-acceptance moment in the original ending
• Later entries give him a more peaceful future
• Other characters also receive some kind of closure

Asuka, though, never really had a clean emotional conclusion.

This short film seems designed to give her that final piece — not through romance or tragedy, but through confidence in who she already is.

It’s a surprisingly gentle ending for one of anime’s most intense characters.

The Tone: More Comedy Sketch Than Apocalypse

Interestingly, the short isn’t a giant action spectacle. It leans more toward humor and self-reflection.

And honestly, that feels very Evangelion.

The franchise has always zigged when fans expected it to zag. It rarely gives audiences what they think they want — but it usually delivers what the story needs.

This short seems to follow that tradition.

About Those Leaked Images

A few leaked stills from the short have surfaced online, mostly showing the “future with Shinji” sequence.

They reportedly depict:

• Shinji and Asuka dressed for work on a date
• Their wedding
• The birth of their child
• A family scene with their daughter

The art style looks sketch-like and soft, almost dreamlike. It’s unclear if these moments are fully animated or partially illustrated, but visually they seem emotional and intimate.

Still, the key detail is that Asuka rejects this future. Not because it’s bad — but because she doesn’t need it to feel whole.

That’s a strong character choice.

Will We Ever Get to Watch It?

Right now, the short is only screening at the anniversary event in Japan. There’s no official word on a global release.

It could arrive online in a year… or several… or maybe not at all.

Given the effort behind the project, it would be surprising if it stayed locked away forever. Fans around the world clearly want to see it.

Final Thoughts

If the description is accurate, this short film feels like a small but meaningful epilogue for Asuka and possibly the Evangelion story as a whole.

It’s not explosive.

It’s not tragic.

It’s just quietly satisfying.

And for Evangelion, that might be the most fitting ending of all.