Criterion Channel is giving anime fans another reason to revisit one of the medium’s biggest, messiest, most discussed classics. According to Anime News Network, the service will add the original Neon Genesis Evangelion TV anime, Evangelion: Death (True)², and The End of Evangelion on September 1.
That is not a small library drop, bro. Evangelion is one of those series that never really leaves the conversation. Even if you have never watched all of it, you have probably seen the impact everywhere: mecha shows, psychological anime, character archetypes, memes, merchandise, collabs, and endless arguments about what the ending means.
GKIDS licensed the 1995 television anime and the two films in 2020. The company also recently screened the films in cinemas on July 21 and 22, giving fans another chance to experience the heavier, more cinematic side of Evangelion outside a normal home-watch setup.
Why this is a big deal
Evangelion’s history outside Japan has been weirdly complicated. The original anime and its films are widely regarded as some of the most important works in anime history, but for a long time they were difficult to access in North America. ADV Films’ final release of the TV series was the “Platinum Edition” DVD run in 2004 and 2005, before the company eventually shut down in 2009.
Netflix later began streaming the 1995 TV anime in June 2019, which helped bring the series back into mainstream anime conversation for a newer generation of viewers.
Now, with Criterion Channel picking it up, Evangelion is being positioned even more clearly as not just a beloved anime franchise, but a serious piece of screen culture. Criterion’s brand is usually associated with cinema history, restoration, and curated film discovery, so seeing Evangelion sit in that space makes sense. This is the kind of title that anime fans have treated like “required reading” for decades.
The wider Evangelion timeline
The franchise did not stop with the original series and films. Evangelion has expanded into spin-offs, merchandise, and collaborations, while creator and director Hideaki Anno later founded Studio Khara in 2006.
Anno and Khara went on to build the Rebuild of Evangelion film series, a four-part reinterpretation of the original story. It began with Evangelion 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone in 2007, followed by Evangelion 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance in 2009 and Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo in 2012.
The final film, Evangelion: 3.0+1.01: Thrice Upon A Time, opened in Japan on March 8, 2021 and ranked first during its opening weekend. It later passed 10 billion yen at the Japanese box office. A revised 3.0+1.01 version began showing in June 2021 with minor animation changes, though the story itself remained the same. The movie launched worldwide on Amazon Prime Video in August 2021, and GKIDS with Fathom Events screened it in Japanese with English subtitles in U.S. theaters in December 2022.
A new Evangelion anime short also premiered at the “Evangelion:30+;” festival on February 21 and officially began streaming on March 8.
Why Malaysia and SEA fans should care
Analysis: This does not mean the source has confirmed any Malaysia or SEA availability for Criterion Channel or these specific titles. No local launch, pricing, or regional streaming details were stated.
But culturally, this still matters for anime fans here. Evangelion is one of those shows that keeps coming up whenever people talk about “must-watch” anime, classic mecha, or stories that go completely off the emotional deep end. Any move that keeps the original series and films visible, curated, and discussed helps newer fans understand why this franchise still has such a strong hold on anime culture.
Criterion Channel has also been adding more anime since August 2025. Its recent anime additions include Gunbuster: The Movie, the first season of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, Gatchaman The Movie, and the K-ON! film.
Basically: Evangelion entering Criterion’s anime lineup is another reminder that anime history is film history too. And honestly, for a series this influential, that recognition feels overdue.