Thanks to various life difficulties, I’ve spent this month in a state of immense spiritual turbulence, oscillating between euphoria and despair. As such, I’m in either the worst or the perfect frame of mind to digest news that Yoko Taro, director and scenario writer for NieR: Automata, is writing a new series of Neon Genesis Evangelion.

As reported by Crunchyroll, the show in question has just been announced at Evangelion’s 30th anniversary festivities. It’s a collaboration between Studio Khara and CloverWorks. Kazuya Tsurumaki, director of the Rebuild films and Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX, is leading the project alongside Toko Yatabe, assistant director on Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time. Taro isn’t the only Nier alumnus involved – NieR composer Keiichi Okabe is providing the music.

Truly, the Nier Automata guy doing an Evangelion show is a match made in… some kind of metaphysical realm. Do I really have to draw my breath in pain to explain why? I’ve just referenced Hamlet in that last sentence, which should give you a hint as to the psychic pressures involved. If you know, you know. If you don’t, please google it and skim past the Absolute Terror AI summary to read one of the thousands of wondering, tortured things written about either Nier or Evangelion.

Apart from anything else, I haven’t caught up on all the Evangelion released after the original 90s TV show. I’ve only gotten as far as the nightmare fuel that is Asuka vs the Mass Production Evas in The End of Evangelion. People who’ve watched the latest stuff: is it… more cheerful these days?

If you’ve come to this videogame website to read about videogames, not anime shows, rest assured that Taro is still pitching ‘em – they just keep getting cancelled.