When the Eva pilots of Neon Genesis Evangelion first came into contact with Godzilla, the King of the Monsters and the anime mech enthusiasts met in a wild way. At Universal Studios Japan, an attraction was created that saw Shin Godzilla fighting against NERV’s finest in a way that many didn’t see coming. Once again, it appears as though these two universes are colliding in a brand new way. While this upcoming project isn’t exactly the “Shin Universe crossover” that many kaiju fans have been waiting to see, it’s one that is definitely worth giving a look if you are a fan of either franchise.
As mentioned earlier, the lizard king that took on the EVA units was of the “Shin” variety. If you’re unfamiliar with this take on the king of the monsters, Shin Godzilla was a new take on the kaiju from Evangelion creator Hideaki Anno. The live-action film was released in 2016 and brought Godzilla back to his villainous roots before he rampaged across a war-torn Japan in Godzilla Minus One. Sporting the most terrifying look to date for the kaiju king, Shin Godzilla is still considered to be one of the best movies in the lizard’s history, opening the doors for Shin Ultraman and Shin Kamen Rider respectively.
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Godzilla x Eva: The Game
Ironically enough, many franchises get some wild resurgence thanks to Japan’s love of Pachinko. The steel ball-packed arcade machines will typically be accompanied by videos and themes in some cases, which has apparently given Shin Godzilla and Neon Genesis Evangelion the chance to meet once again. On top of coming face-to-face, the universes will meet to take on the threat of Shin King Ghidorah, the twisted take on the classic kaiju who was a Universal Studios Japan exclusive for quite some time.
The Future of Shin
For promotional materials and merchandising, the heroes of the Shin Universe have been featured fighting side-by-side. These characters include Shin Godzilla, Shin Kamen Rider, Shin Ultraman, and the pilots of NERV, all of whom were created by director Hideaki Anno. Unfortunately, Anno hasn’t stated whether he’ll be working on creating new projects in the Shin Universe, leaving many to believe that we might never see the epic crossover that brings together all of these properties on the silver screen. This doesn’t mean that Anno is done with creating new projects, however.
Anno is returning to the anime world thanks to a new Space Battleship Yamato film that he is working on, sharing his love of the franchise in the past more times than we can count. This follows a previous statement that he would be taking a break from the entertainment world, proving that his work ethic is one that can’t keep him away from storytelling.
When it comes to Evangelion, no new projects have been confirmed at this point though Anno has hinted at the idea that a new anime story is in the works. On the kaiju front, Godzilla is set to return with a third Godzilla x Kong movie that is arriving from Legendary’s MonsterVerse. Ultraman recently had an original animated film on Netflix and Kamen Rider continues to release new series and movies in its fast-paced universe. Even if we don’t see the Shin Universe continue, we haven’t seen the last of these characters by any stretch of the imagination.
Want to stay updated on the Shin Universe and its potential future? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for the latest updates on all things Godzilla and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.
