Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death & Rebirth (新世紀エヴァンゲリオン 劇場版 シト新生), also romanized in Japan as Evangelion: Death and Evangelion: Rebirth, is a 1997 Japanese animated apocalyptic science fiction film. It is the first installment of the Neon Genesis Evangelion feature film project and consists of two parts. The project, whose overarching title translates literally to New Era Evangelion: The Movie, was released in response to the success of the TV series, and a strong demand by fans for an alternate ending. Its components have since been re-edited and re-released several times.
Plot
Evangelion:Death
The first section, Evangelion:Death, is a 're-cap,' editing together scenes from the first 24 episodes of Neon Genesis Evangelion in the form of a clip show, along with some additional animation created after the show's original broadcast. This includes scenes from the original show re-drawn shot-for-shot, entirely new shots augmenting existing sequences, and linking segments based around the premise of the four main characters playing Pachelbel's Canon as a string quartet. Some of the additional shots and re-drawn animation would later be re-edited into the extended, 'Home Video Versions' of episodes 21-24 included on the Japanese VHS/Laserdisc, and American and European Platinum Collection releases of the TV series, commonly known in the west as the "Director's Cut" versions, though there is no clear substantiation of director Hideaki Anno's role in these.