Evangelion ANIMA Spin-Off Novel Series Launches as Audiobook

The official spin-off novel series 'Evangelion ANIMA' is now available as an audiobook. The first volume is currently streaming on Audible, with subsequent volumes scheduled for monthly release through October 2026.

The story, written by mechanical designer Ikuto Yamashita, presents an alternate timeline diverging three years after the 24th episode of the original 'Neon Genesis Evangelion' anime. It follows Shinji, Rei, and Asuka at age 17.

In a comment on the adaptation, author Ikuto Yamashita expressed initial doubt about whether his dense, technical prose would suit narration. He credited voice actress Saki Aiya's performance for shifting his perspective. Yamashita noted the challenge of accurately writing the Kansai dialect for the character Toji.

Voice actress Saki Aiya detailed her preparation, which involved repeatedly watching the original TV series to re-immerse herself in the world and characters. She researched vocal ranges and delivery to distinguish between multiple characters performed solo. Aiya stated the goal was to evoke the original voices without direct imitation, accounting for the characters' three-year age progression.

Aiya cited military terminology and complex sentence structures as particular recording challenges. She also found switching into Toji's Kansai dialect amidst predominantly standard Japanese dialogue more difficult than anticipated.

The five-volume 'Evangelion ANIMA' novel series was originally serialized from 2008 to 2013 and published in full from 2017 to 2019. The audiobook is narrated in Japanese.

Source: PR Times via 株式会社KADOKAWA