• C2E2 Press Release

The EVA EXTRA issues seem to be each taking their cover from whatever trailer debuted earlier that month. (Lazy as we are, we didn’t cover the first issue in a news blurb, so here’s the cover of that.) According to the official movie site, we still have one issue to go, to be released in the second half of June. Odds are, its cover will come from a third trailer that will help supply a final burst of hype for the film. And, it seems like there’s a pretty good chance that the new song will make its debut there.

Check out the Eva Emergency Blog link for some sketches in EVA EXTRA 2 by assistant director Kazuya Tsurumaki. (The first volume featured Asuka, so the blogger rather reasonably speculates that we’ll get Mari in the third.) By the way: Anybody with a copy of these EVA EXTRA things, post some high-res scans somewhere. Please?

Sources:

• Eva Emergency News
• EVANGELION.CO.JP

Evangelion New Theatrical Edition: Breakup Original Soundtrack SPECIAL EDITION (Tentative Title)
Planned Album Contents
Disc 1: Approx. 30 pieces of BGM used in the actual film
Disc 2: Approx. 30 pieces of BGM, full length version or otherwise
Music: Shiro Sagisu
First Pressing: Comes in box
Scheduled to include a 20-page booklet
KICA-983～4
Price: 3,300 円 (pre-tax)（2 discs）

The regular version will go on sale concurrently.

Evangelion New Theatrical Edition: Breakup Original Soundtrack
Includes Disc 1 from the “Special Edition”
Music: Shiro Sagisu
Scheduled to include a 12-page booklet
KICA-985
Price: 2,800 円 (pre-tax)

The distinction being made between BGM as “used in the actual film” and “full length versions” is … interesting. The only other time I’ve seen “full length version” has been in the context of opening and ending songs — both the TV edits and the full length recordings are typically released to album. Why would they bother releasing pared-down versions of the BGM, though, especially when all the tracks at “full length*” don’t exceed the space on one disc? (Obvious cynical answers aside.) Strange……

* “…or otherwise”. Not entirely sure what the 他 in フルサイズバージョン他 is meant to imply.

Source: EVANGELION.CO.JP

• Trailer #2, Super-Low Quality Version

As stated, the quality is quite poor, so don’t expect much. Some of the cuts described by Minna no Eva Fan are nicely visible (including the bizarre “Clock Angel”), along with some that weren’t: see the ongoing “checklist” of cuts in the trailer.

The second theatrical trailer opened in 120 Japanese cinemas, as well. Foreigners can expect the usual wait to be able to see it officially online (though low-quality camera recordings will probably appear in a matter of days). The Minna no Eva Fan blog reported on the content. Rather than introduce the anticipated new vocal number, the trailer is said to utilize a choral-styled BGM with an “intense melody”. The visuals include:

• Opens with a pristine (i.e. not red) ocean with coral
• Tokyo-3? Mirror-like panels lining up one by one.
• A tiny doll in the darkness
• Shinji lying down and going to sleep
• Asuka sleeping

• Basketball being shot through a hoop (at dusk)
• Shinji and Rei by a glass aquarium, with ?blue ocean behind them. Rei is talking about something as fish pass in front of her. The blogger suggests a connection to “International Environmental Corporation – Sea Of Japan Ecosystem Conservation Organization” from the keyword poster.
• Asuka in plugsuit
• ?Rei “soaking in orange water”
• Gendo standing in front of the ?case containing Adam
• Part of an Angel against a blue sky, compared to the hands of a clock in motion, with a Sachiel-like face on the first hand. [Probably the "Stilt Angel".]
• Eva-03 and Eva-01 fighting.
• What looks like an Angel, seen in the sky for a fleeting instant beyond a building. [Sahaquiel, maybe...?]
• The “Tunnel Angel”
• Various shots of Eva-02 using the S-Type Aerial Recon Equipment. These cuts, especially the “dynamic landing”, were considered very impressive.
• Eva-01 dashing into the foreground
• Mari with a cell phone
• Kaji at the ?melon patch, with a pink towel around his neck.
• Rei in her uniform facing a man (whose face is concealed); presently, she looks up at him with a surprised look on her face. There seems to be a faint haze rising up between them.
• Shinji in the mist, slowly standing up.
• A strategy conference room, like the one from Operation Yashima.
• Piloting shots of Mari (wearing visor), Shinji, and Asuka
• Etc.

Sources:

• Khara Homepage
• Minna no Eva Fan

Although Eva-05 (closeup) is partially obscured and “grayed out” in the images available thus far, they provide additional insight into her design. Our first glimpse of Eva-05 from the preview in 1.0 established that there was something very strange about her arms, and, here, it seems to be because they are almost completely missing! The stubs that remain probably act as receptacles for interchangeable weapons (such as the giant lance-like objects seen in the preview) — so expect the Revoltech figure to include an assortment. Even more peculiarly, instead of the usual human-style legs, the Eva seems to have four mechanical appendages that terminate in wheel bases. “What has Science done?!?”

It’s going to be very strange seeing this Eva in action……

• Minna no Eva Fan 
• Revoltech Express
• Eva-05 @ EvaGeeks Wiki

Yoshiyuki Sadamoto is coming out with a third book devoted exclusively to his works, Carmine, to be released on 3/25/09. It will compile over 100 of the illustrations released since his 2nd book, Der Mond, from such works as Neon Genesis Evangelion (of course!), FLCL, Diebuster, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, and .hack. The Limited Release is priced at a rather steep 13000 yen (about $133 US), but includes five bonuses: a deluxe outer case; a CD-ROM; two large-format stick posters of Rei and Asuka; Sadamoto’s table talk with Hideaki Anno, Mamoru Hosoda, and Kazuya Tsurumaki; and two archival-quality genga (animation key frame drawing) reproductions. Published by Kadokawa Shoten, 160 pages total, and B4 size (the same as Der Mond).

EDIT: Apologies for the error about Carmine “compiling Alpha and Der Mond“; I’m not entirely sure how I arrived at this conclusion, but I have been tarred and feathered accordingly. Also, the aforementioned “genga” are apparently not “genga” as I’ve come to understand them, but just two finished illustrations from the book printed on card stock…

• Eva Store
• CD Japan
• Amazon.co.jp
• Review @ Eva Kinkyuu News (Japanese)

According to a flyer packed with newly-released volumes of the Shinji Ikari Raising Project and Gakuen Datenroku manga,  the Evangelion manga will pick up in July ’09, in the debut issue of Kadokawa Shoten’s new magazine Young Ace. The manga had previously been serialized, since its inception in 1994,  in Kadokawa Shoten’s Shounen Ace. Watch for it!

Source: Eva Kinkyuu News by way of Anime News Network

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