To mark the 30th anniversary of Neon Genesis Evangelion, fans are flocking to the massive three-day event, "EVANGELION:30+; 30th ANNIVERSARY OF EVANGELION," running from February 21st to 23rd at Yokohama Arena. It's a true celebration for the fandom!
The event has drawn a huge crowd of fans, voice actors, and the production team. But on the first day, during a Q&A session, director Hideaki Anno dropped a bombshell! He revealed a hidden setting for Maya Ibuki during the 14-year time skip between "Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance" and "Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo." This revelation stunned fans and even became a trending topic on X!
▼ It even became a trending topic on X!
You might not remember Maya Ibuki as vividly as the main cast, but she's a senior staff member at NERV HQ. She's close with her senior, Ritsuko Akagi, and is responsible for operating the MAGI system, monitoring EVA status, managing the EVA systems, and protecting the pilots.
In both the original TV series and the New Theatrical Edition's "Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone" and "Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance," Maya Ibuki always came across as kind, humane, and incredibly gentle with her subordinates and the EVA pilots.
However, by "Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo" and "Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time," after Maya Ibuki joined the WILLE faction, her personality took a sharp turn. She became incredibly impatient with her subordinates and constantly expressed dissatisfaction with the quality of the available staff.
She even had a memorable line: "That's why I say young men are all like this!" (これだから若い男は). At the time, many fans were baffled, wondering what on earth happened to her during those 14 years to completely change her personality.
Turns out, an X user who attended the "EVANGELION:30+; 30th ANNIVERSARY OF EVANGELION" event on the 21st asked Anno about this very mystery. Anno then spilled the beans on a hidden detail from those 14 years: "Maya Ibuki actually dated a young man during that period... and then got dumped."
So, that iconic line, "That's why I say young men are all like this!" – now we know the heartbreaking reason why.
Netizens are also chiming in, saying they were always puzzled by Maya's personality shift, and that the reason is "surprisingly simple LOL." They're now clamoring for more, demanding that the "blank 14 years" between "2.0" and "3.0" is packed with untold stories! "Director Anno, when are you going to fill in all these gaps for the fans?!"
It just goes to show, Anno still knows exactly what fans are dying to know! The discussions over the remaining two days of the event have fans buzzing with anticipation, feeling like more shocking revelations could drop at any moment. We'll have to wait and see what other juicy tidbits get unveiled!