Neon Genesis Evangelion carries a particular weight throughout its story, one that is pronounced like a warning that the world could end at any second. Hideaki Anno's inspired directing is a big reason for this, but it can't be understated how integral the music by Shiro Sagisu is in defining the franchise these many years later.

Fans of Evangelion may expect a particular kind of sound from the composer, one that he continues to deliver quite well to this day, but Sagisu's range is not something that gets enough inspection or praise. Since his start in anime during the mid-80s, Sagisu has explored poppy and metal jams with as adept a hand as his more moody, romantic, or tragic orchestral masterworks that have become associated with him.

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What Is Evangelion's Sound?

Neon Genesis Evangelion Third Impact

Many soundtracks are products of their time and the dominant styles used to convey broad emotions, but even by 90s standards, Eva's music is heavily characterized by a classical feel. Not simply because many of the series' biggest moments are accompanied by elaborate orchestral pieces, but because Eva wears its inspirations on its sleeve.

Consider the track "Angel Attack", with its loud and alarm-like horns and persistent piano tempo that signals the approach of some monster much the same way as the Jaws theme. It harkens back to the classic monster movies and Tokusatsu series that inspired Evangelion to begin with, such as Ultraman or Kamen Rider.

But Evangelion was known for its lighter moments as well - seldom as they came the longer the show went along - where Sagisu explored the cheerful distractions from the world's end. The ever-present orchestra is teamed with a mix of instrumental backing that feels like Sagisu experimenting with as many genres and instruments as possible.

A Timeless Sound

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There are certain sounds that are timeless much in the same way that certain genres and tropes are timeless. They can be updated to reflect more modern styles, but just because something is recognizably dated doesn't mean it loses that appeal. Sagisu's music doesn't define Eva because it is dated, but because it plays up the heightened romance and tragedy of its proceedings with a gravity that orchestral music is capable of tapping into well.

Even before Evangelion, Sagisu's work on the divisive Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water similarly employed a grand orchestra to give its world-spanning adventure story the weight it needed. Sagisu's music is often a roller-coaster of emotion, sometimes so sad that it elicits contemplation, and other times so delightful that it makes one grin widely, sometimes in the same song.

Nadia and Evangelion were both directed by Anno, and he clearly enjoyed working with Sagisu, as they have continued to work together to this day. Between Anno's hunger to rebuild and redefine classics in the modern day and Sagisu's skill at using timeless compositions to bridge the works to new audiences, they are a force to be reckoned with.

After Evangelion's initial end in 1997, they worked together soon after on His and Her Circumstances, the score of which feels like an extended cut of Eva's happier tracks. It's a blessing that relishes in quirky, diverse, and fun tracks perfect for a story of young love. Its music would eventually become recycled as well.

The track listed above from Evangelion 2.22, "Des Cordes:opus1" is just a recycled and slightly altered take on "Peace Reigns in the Land" from His and Her Circumstances. Not only is this a funny callback, but it's also something of a trend whenever Anno and Sagisu work together on something. In 2016's Shin Godzilla, several iterations of "Decisive Battle" are used in reference to Evangelion.

Bleach and Beyond

Fans of Evangelion and its music may have been surprised to learn that Sagisu was the composer for Bleach if they weren't already a fan of the popular shonen series. Over the long run of the show and its several movies, it's certainly where Sagisu's style begins to shift to adapt to more modern styles.

There is a lot more experimentation with electronic and rock genres, which dates the series squarely to the early 2000s. But equally integral to the identity of Bleach is the edginess of its dramatic orchestra which at times echoes Sagisu's past but otherwise is a completely different sound from what fans of Eva might be used to.

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Sagisu is at his most identifiable when working with artists like Anno but divorced from a property like Eva, his range is among the most diverse and hard to pin down of any acclaimed artist. But comparing his other work to Evangelion - arguably his best - it's easier to see what projects helped evolve his style.

The electronic motifs and foreboding choir of soundtracks like Black Bullet feel incredibly reminiscent of the heavy metal electric choir heard in the later Evangelion Rebuilds. 3.33's climax was Evangelion at its most operatic yet, but also its most apocalyptic and metal, and the music reflects it with a modern sensibility compared to the equally terrifying but far more traditional End of Evangelion from 1997.

And in 2018, Sagisu once again contributed the music to a revival of an old legend, this time with SSSS Gridman. He treats audiences to grand and heroic melodies but creates recurring motifs that are morphed into different genres and presented through different cultural lenses. This is especially true with Gridman's spinoff/sequel, SSSS Dynazenon.

The main theme of 2021's Dynazenon is "All This Time," a vocal track that is remixed into acoustic, rock, metal, EDM, tropical, and orchestral versions throughout the soundtrack. As his career has gone on, Sagisu has broadened his scope so much that to define his style runs the risk of oversimplifying him.

A Word From The Man Himself

In an interview with Milan Records, Sagisu talked about his work on the live-action Attack on Titan films, for which he composed the music for. He described the kind of music he created for the films as "Metal-Opera" which couldn't be a more apt description of his blending of orchestra, choir, and rock elements. The most compelling takeaway, however, was his response to the question "what role does music play in a film according to you?"

It is about sharing the same stream of time with particular music cues and scenes in the theatre... Fundamentally we human beings may need some music cues for our real life too. Anyone can be a protagonist of a film when they play music in their heads, don’t you think?

As a fan of Evangelion, Sagisu's music registers so effectively because his music fits the media so perfectly. Without the visual element or the investment that accompanies (or results from) the music, perhaps it's hard to feel the same love for Sagisu's other music from shows and films we have not seen.

Sagisu's greatest skills lie in his versatility and his way of blending music within a scene to exemplify the drama and therefore enhance the sound in return. The result is a sound that is unforgettable, even if you might not always trace it back to him on a first listen. Coming soon, Sagisu will not only return to compose Bleach's final arc, but also the next chapter in Trigger's Gridman Universe. It's safe to say that the man is far from finished.

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Source: Milan Records