Previously, at the event EVANGELION: 30+; 30th ANNIVERSARY OF EVANGELION, a short anime series was released celebrating the 30th anniversary of Neon Genesis Evangelion. After the screening, the camera-recorded footage of this exclusive short anime has started surfacing online.
Fans around the globe started sharing the pirated version of this film on social media platforms. Studio Khara, the production behind the short anime, has started sending copyright strikes to the users who were posting it in unauthorized manner. But after some time, the HD Quality (not camera-recorded) video of this short anime has started surfacing online. It was even subtitled in English unofficially.
It seemed that Studio Khara had also sent the original 15-minute short anime file in 4K quality mistakenly, along with the copyright emails. One X user has highlighted it and shared it in his official X account about this matter:
This matter got viral on social media, and Studio Khara has responded to this issue on their official website and apologised for such activity:
khara, inc. has been working to remove illegally recorded footage of the short animation “EVANGELION 30th Anniversary Special Screening,” which was screened at the EVANGELION:30+ ; festival (held February 21–23, 2026) celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Evangelion series.
This animation was prepared exclusively for screening at the event venue, and unauthorized filming and public distribution had been strictly prohibited. However, following incidents in which some attendees ignored these rules and recorded the screening and uploaded the footage illegally, we have been submitting takedown requests for infringing posts on social media since the evening of February 21.
During the process of submitting takedown requests to X, information included in our report to demonstrate ownership of the video’s copyright was disclosed to the account that had posted the unauthorized recording due to the platform’s reporting system. As a result, official data that should never have been provided outside the company became temporarily accessible from external sources. The individual who had uploaded the illegally recorded footage downloaded the data and subsequently spread the official footage across social media platforms, including X, in the early morning of Saturday, March 7, 2026.
Upon discovering the situation, we immediately deleted the exposed data. This incident resulted from human error during the reporting process and from an insufficient understanding of X’s takedown request system. khara, inc. takes the matter extremely seriously and is currently taking urgent steps to address the situation and bring it under control.
We regret any concern this situation may have caused.
We sincerely apologize to all parties involved and to everyone who has supported the Evangelion series for the concern and inconvenience this incident has caused.
We also sincerely apologize to everyone who attended the event for the distress and inconvenience caused by this situation.We are treating this matter with the utmost seriousness and are currently confirming the facts and conducting a thorough investigation into the cause of the incident, while also considering measures to prevent recurrence.
Moving forward, we will continue to work closely with relevant parties and take appropriate action.We appreciate your understanding.
Studio Khara
Studio Khara has uploaded this 30th Anniversary Anime Short film on their official YouTube channel:
About Neon Genesis Evangelion
Neon Genesis Evangelion is a Japanese anime franchise created by Hideaki Anno and produced by GAINAX, first broadcast in 1995. Set in a post-apocalyptic world threatened by mysterious beings known as Angels, the series follows a group of teenage pilots tasked with operating biomechanical weapons called Evangelions, humanity’s last defense against extinction.
Beyond its mecha action, Evangelion is widely recognized for its psychological depth, exploring themes such as identity, trauma, depression, isolation, and human connection. Its unconventional storytelling, religious symbolism, and philosophical undertones significantly reshaped the anime industry and influenced generations of creators.
Following the original TV series and its controversial ending, the franchise expanded through multiple films, including The End of Evangelion (1997). In 2007, Anno rebooted the property with the Rebuild of Evangelion film series produced by Studio Khara including: Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone, 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance, 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo, and the concluding film Shin Evangelion (2021).
The release of Shin Evangelion marked the definitive conclusion of the main saga and became the franchise’s most commercially successful entry, surpassing ¥10 billion at the Japanese box office. Nearly three decades after its debut, Neon Genesis Evangelion remains one of the most influential and culturally significant anime franchises of all time.
This series is getting a new anime adaptation by Studio Khara and Cloverworks. This new anime series was announced in 2026.
Source: Official Website
