The mecha psychodrama “Neon Genesis Evangelion” turned 30 years old in 2025, and to mark the occasion, the ceremony “EVANGELION:30+” was held in Japan. The event is where the headline-grabbing announcement of a new “Evangelion” anime came down — but there was another part of this story you could only witness live at the event.

Studio Khara (founded by “Evangelion” creator Hideaki Anno and current owner of the “Evangelion” franchise) had announced the anniversary event would screen a 13-minute short film starring one of the series’ most beloved characters: Asuka Langley Soryu, the brash redheaded pilot of Evangelion Unit-02. Now that the event has come and gone, it’s been confirmed (via Oricon News) the Asuka short will not be released digitally or screened elsewhere.

Recordings of the screened short have found their way online, of course, but Khara has cracked down and threatened legal action against distributors. Though release plans can change, it’s not looking too good for any “Evangelion” fans who want to experience this short in prime condition.

If Khara holds to keeping the short as an event-exclusive, it wouldn’t be the first piece of lost “Evangelion” media. Funimation’s original English dub of the third “Rebuild of Evangelion” film was scrapped and redone, ultimately leading to the company never dubbing the finale, “Evangelion: 3.0 + 1.0: Thrice Upon A Time.”

This is an extra disappointing decision because the short is a perfect footnote for Asuka’s character. The short, which doesn’t bother setting up a fourth wall, sees Asuka Langley Soryu from the original “Evangelion” series (the chapter that concluded with 1997’s “The End of Evangelion”) meeting the renamed Asuka Shikinami Langley from the “Rebuild” series. (Asuka’s voice actress, Yuko Miyamura, reprises her role as both Soryu and Shikinami.)

Asuka is the character who was changed the most from original to “Rebuild,” with an entirely new backstory. (She’s a “Shikinami series” clone in “Rebuild,” rather than the orphaned daughter of a scientist who helped build EVA Unit-02.)

Her different name reflects that Shikinami isn’t really the same character as Soryu, who was last seen in the concluding scene of “The End of Evangelion.” A disoriented Shinji tried to strangle Asuka, but stopped and sobbed when she caressed his cheek. Asuka’s response? “Disgusting.”

The short opens with Asuka Soryu (in her school uniform) and Shikinami (in her red EVA plugsuit) standing on a stage, comparing all their different traumas, as their western-styled theme “Asuka Strikes!” plays. Soryu says now that baka Shinji’s journey is over, she wants to become the hero of “Evangelion” and get her happy ending.

Shikinami says Soryu should try the “Shinji Ikari” method — “Sleep. Then open your eyes in a close-up, and the story changes.” The short is using self-parody, noting a common type of dramatic shot in “Evangelion.” The series often employs repetitive montage editing, too, as happens here: There’s a repeated shot of Soryu lying in bed as Shikinami turns off a nightlight, then Soryu awakes (close-up and all) in a new iteration of her story. None of them satisfy her, so she keeps calling cut and the scene resets.

Soryu first goes back to “Evangelion” episode 2. This time, Asuka swoops in with Unit-02 to defeat the attacking Angel instead of Shinji in Unit-01… until Unit-02’s knife accidentally stabs Unit-01 and destroys them all.

From there, the short teases Asuka and Shinji getting together; some painted still frames even show the two being married and having a daughter.

One of the realities is (to Asuka’s embarrassment) a romcom. When Shinji tumbles down a cliff, Asuka calls cut and looks worried, showing she does care. Another recreates the ending of the second “Rebuild” film with a twist— this time, Shinji saves Asuka, not Rei Ayanami, from the Tenth Angel.

The last possibility Asuka sees is a train station (mirroring the ending of the final “Rebuild” film). Shinji, smiling, steps off a train and gives her his hand. Asuka smiles back but declines, saying she’s realized she can find her own happiness.

In adolescence, you have to find your own identity and the children of “Evangelion” struggle with that. Asuka’s identity is undermined by strong self-doubt. This short’s conceit, her looking through different possibilities and being dissatisfied, reflects that. Haunted by her mother’s death, Asuka dedicates herself to being the greatest EVA pilot and relies on validation from others. That’s what frustrates her about Shinji’s passivity.

“Evangelion” explores relationships through the Hedgehog’s Dilemma, the psychological idea that the closer we grow to people, the more we hurt each other. Shinji wants uncomplicated affection on his own terms, without needing to be vulnerable himself. So, he could never be there for Asuka, who rages in “Evangelion” episode 22: “You won’t do anything! You won’t help me! You won’t even hold me! You’re no one!”

This short resolves that conflict: Shinji reaches out to Asuka, while she realizes she can find inner validation. Despite how dark “Evangelion” can get, all the endings conclude with Shinji choosing to live in spite of his own flaws and the world’s. This short allows Asuka to make that decision too. 

If there’s one person who’d hate Asuka’s starring role being buried like this, it’s Miss Langley Soryu herself.