It has been announced that kabuki actor Kichitaro Uemura will play Shinji Ikari in "Kabuki Symphony No. 100 Evangelion ," the first collaboration between the popular anime series " Evangelion " and the traditional performing art of kabuki. Uemura has garnered attention for his appearances in "Final Fantasy X" and " Touken Ranbu: Moon, Touken Engi," and is known as the hope of the kabuki world. It has also been announced that Sakon Onoe, also known as the prince of the kabuki world, will play Kaworu Nagisa.
Uemura commented, "I would like to offer my heartfelt congratulations on the 30th anniversary of the Evangelion series. I am truly honored to be able to play the role of Shinji, a character who captivates so many people and is so human that they can empathize with him, at this important milestone event. I am also very excited to be involved in this first-ever collaboration between Evangelion and Kabuki! I will do my best together with Sakon, who will be playing Nagisa Kaworu, to deliver new excitement through Kabuki."
The production staff has also been announced. Kazuhisa Tobe, who has attracted attention for his new Kabuki productions that blend the classical and the contemporary, will be the scriptwriter and director, Kanjuro Fujima, who has worked on and created a wide range of Kabuki productions from classic to new, will be the choreographer, and Fumihiko Yamada, who is active as a Gagaku musician at the Imperial Court, will be in charge of the music. Tobe commented, "It will be a once-in-a-lifetime performance that weaves together Kabuki dance, an orchestra of traditional Japanese music (Kabuki music), and video."
"Kabuki Symphony No. 100 Evangelion" is a joint project and production with Shochiku. It will be unveiled at the "Evangelion AREA" on February 23, 2026, the final day of "EVANGELION: 30+; 30th ANNIVERSARY OF EVANGELION (Eva Fest)," an event commemorating the 30th anniversary of the "Evangelion" series. Eva Fest will be held at Yokohama Arena (Kohoku Ward, Yokohama) from February 21 to 23, 2026.
The "Evangelion" series began airing on October 4, 1995 with the TV anime "Neon Genesis Evangelion," and celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2025.
