TV

Fans Are Angry ‘Neon Genesis Evangelion’ On Netflix Is Missing A Song

Fans were upset to discover that 'Fly Me To The Moon' has been removed from the credits of Neon Genesis Evangelion on Netflix.

by Amanda Yeo  23 June 2019
Neon Genesis Evangelion on Netflix is missing Fly Me To The Moon

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On Friday, anime classic Neon Genesis Evangelion was made available to stream for the first time, allowing many to experience the confusion for the first time. However, to the disappointment of longtime fans, the series did not make it to the service unchanged.

Related
Neon Genesis Evangelion Is Coming To Netflix In Australia

Last November’s announcement that Neon Genesis Evangelion would be coming to Netflix was met by much enthusiasm from anime fans.

Previously, anyone who wanted to watch the psychological mind screw anime had to hunt it down on physical media.

Now, all 26 episodes of 1995’s Neon Genesis Evangelion would be easily streamable, along with sequel movies The End of Evangelion and Evangelion: Death (True)2.

Thus, upon its arrival on June 21, many people eagerly settled in for a weekend of giant mechs, psychological trauma, and trying to explain The End of Evangelion‘s severely messed up opening scene to their friends and family.

Unfortunately, fans were upset to discover that an integral part of the Neon Genesis experience has been removed from the Netflix offering. In the original series, a cover of ‘Fly Me To The Moon’ plays over the closing credits. On Netflix, it is replaced by a markedly less striking instrumental.

When I heard that the Netflix release of this anime classic was missing its iconic end credits song, I thought it was a joke. Removing ‘Fly Me To The Moon’ from Neon Genesis Evangelion seems almost as egregious as removing ‘A Cruel Angel’s Thesis’ from its opening, or ‘Komm, süsser Tod’ from The End of Evangelion.

For non-anime nerds, think ‘My Heart Will Go On’ and Titanic, ‘Unchained Melody’ and Ghost, or ‘Ghostbusters’ and Ghostbusters.

Fans consider Neon Genesis Evangelion‘s songs inextricably linked to the series. Finding ‘Fly Me To The Moon’ missing was jarring, and many have been quick to voice their displeasure.

Several viewers have also noted that Netflix’s tendency to minimise a show’s credits in preparation for the next episode undermines the emotional impact of the series, which deals with themes of religion, philosophy and trauma.

Many have speculated that the song’s absence is due to licencing issues, particularly as ‘Fly Me Too The Moon’ is reportedly still present in Netflix Japan’s version of Neon Genesis Evangelion. It’s just a shame that it couldn’t be included in the Australian release.