Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone

Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone matters as a polished reintroduction to one of anime’s most influential science fiction settings. This 2007 film revisits the early foundations of Evangelion through a focused theatrical format, pairing giant-robot combat with military tension, urban disaster, and an uneasy coming-of-age perspective. Its world is built around Tokyo-3, a city under threat from mysterious Angels, but the film’s strongest pull comes from the contrast between immense public danger and the private uncertainty of its young characters.

At roughly 100 minutes, the movie offers a concentrated experience that balances spectacle with psychological unease. Eva Unit 01 and the other machines provide the expected scale of a mecha film, while the restrained atmosphere, tragic implications, and emotionally guarded relationships give each confrontation additional weight. The result is action that feels consequential rather than merely decorative, with science fiction ideas expressed through mood as much as explanation.

This is an approachable entry for viewers curious about Evangelion, especially those who prefer a visually polished movie to a longer television commitment. Familiarity with the wider story is not required to appreciate its central setup, its stark post-apocalyptic design, or its blend of real-robot military procedure and super-robot grandeur. Viewers should still expect moderate mature material, including nudity, tragedy, and a deliberately unresolved emotional tone.

Fifteen years after the catastrophic Second Impact, Japan’s surviving population is concentrated around Tokyo-3, a fortified city repeatedly threatened by mysterious giant beings known as Angels. Shinji Ikari, a withdrawn boy who has spent more than eight years apart from his father, is summoned to the headquarters of NERV, the special organization charged with defending humanity. There, his father presents him with an unexpected role: piloting Evangelion Unit 01, a giant biomechanical weapon built to confront the Angel attacks.

Thrown into a military operation with little preparation, Shinji must face both the physical danger of combat and the emotional strain of being treated as a crucial part of NERV’s defenses. He is partnered with Rei Ayanami, the reserved pilot of Evangelion Unit 00, whose connection to the organization and to the battles remains difficult for him to understand. As the Angels continue their assaults on Tokyo-3, Shinji struggles with fear, isolation, and the burden of meeting expectations imposed by his father and the people relying on the Evas. The film follows his early adjustment to this harsh new life while establishing the uneasy human relationships and unanswered questions surrounding NERV’s war.

Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone is a 2007 Japanese animated science-fiction action film written and chiefly directed by Hideaki Anno. It adapts the premise and central characters of the Neon Genesis Evangelion television anime for a theatrical production, while standing as a distinct film rather than an episode of that series. The story again follows Shinji Ikari after the Second Impact, as he is brought to NERV and assigned to pilot Eva Unit 01 alongside Rei Ayanami against the Angels. The film retains the original series voice cast, including Megumi Ogata as Shinji, Megumi Hayashibara as Rei, and Kotono Mitsuishi as Misato Katsuragi.

The film first reached Japanese theaters on September 1, 2007, in the version titled Evangelion: 1.0. Its release history includes a revised 1.01 edition issued on DVD on April 25, 2008. That home-video version made minor adjustments and refinements to the picture, editing, and sound, and was accompanied by Explanation of Evangelion 1.0. This distinction between the theatrical 1.0 release and the later 1.01 edition is part of the work's documented presentation history. As the opening entry in the Rebuild of Evangelion tetralogy, the film establishes a new theatrical treatment of material originating in the television series while preserving its core setting, characters, and conflict.

Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone is the opening film in the Rebuild of Evangelion tetralogy. It is an anime movie and a later theatrical interpretation based on the Neon Genesis Evangelion television series, rather than the original series itself. As the first entry in this film cycle, it establishes the Rebuild version of the setting, characters, and conflict in a feature-length format.

The film follows Shinji Ikari as he is brought to NERV and asked to pilot Eva Unit 01 against the Angels, alongside Rei Ayanami in Eva Unit 00. Its place in the franchise is therefore that of a beginning and adaptation, not a side story or continuation of an earlier Rebuild movie. The listed 1.0 edition is the original 2007 theatrical release; 1.01 is a later home-video version with adjustments to presentation, editing, and sound, rather than a separate work. This page refers specifically to the movie entry and its 1.0 release identity.