Creator of the opening of Evangelion never saw the anime

Neon Genesis Evangelion's legendary opening theme, "A Cruel Angel's Thesis," continues to be one of the most important musical icons in anime history, as well as a favorite choice for karaoke in Japan. Despite its deep popularity, one of the song's authors recently revealed that after nearly three decades since its release, he has never seen the anime. The author in question, Neko Oikawa, responsible for the lyrics inspired by the philosophy behind Evangelion, surprised her followers by confessing it on her personal Twitter account.

Oikawa's post comes as a tribute to the 29th anniversary of the song's release, which was officially released on October 25, 1995. In her message, the author expressed her surprise at realizing the time that has passed since then and the impact of the song on Japanese popular culture: "Many people have heard it, covered it, it has become one of the most popular songs in karaoke, and, of course, Evangelion has been loved during all this time». At the end of his post, after thanking those who have enjoyed the song over the years, Oikawa added an apology that took his followers by surprise: "I haven't seen Evangelion yet. Sorry."

Creator of the opening of Evangelion never saw the anime

The unexpected confession generated an avalanche of responses, many of which came from fans who confessed that, like her, they have enjoyed the song without having seen the anime. Over the course of nearly three decades, A Cruel Angel's Thesis has managed to transcend its original context to become a unique piece, beloved by both those who know the work and those unfamiliar with Evangelion. Among the responses, some users shared nostalgic anecdotes about how the song was a fundamental part of their lives:

"That day of the first broadcast, I was shocked in front of the television. We came from a humble family, so I decided to rent the CD instead of buying it. That same weekend, my uncle took me to Nihonbashi and bought me the CD. Since then I listened to him every day. Recently, my uncle passed away, and these 29 years make me remember him."
"It's been 29 years now. Every time I go to karaoke, someone sings this song. It's a timeless piece!"
"I always sing it at karaoke."
"It's a song with wonderful lyrics and melody that I still hear to this day. The last sentence of your message made me laugh."
"John Williams also said he's never seen Star Wars, it seems to be a common thing among great masters!"
"Kenichi Matsuyama, who played a role in 'Tora ni Tsubasa,' avoided watching the drama during the broadcast so as not to be influenced by the performances of others. After the last episode, he shared his impressions of each episode in real-time, and he had a great response from the public. Maybe you could try something similar."
"Since they won't be doing Evangelion anymore, maybe now you could see it. Although, if you prefer not to, it can become a curious fact that it is passed from generation to generation".
"The first CD I ever bought was 'A Cruel Angel's Thesis'. Thank you for those special lyrics!"
"Congratulations on the 29th anniversary. Although I'm sure you're busy, Evangelion is a fantastic work, I hope you can see it one day."
"I also adore Tamashii no Rufuran. It's amazing that you wrote such profound lyrics without having seen the anime. My total admiration."
"Today I found out that there is a 'Neko' version. I didn't know it was sung by yourself, I was surprised!"
"Maybe not having seen Evangelion was what allowed you to write such profound lyrics."