Evangelion Kaibunsho
Translated by Bochan_bird
Introduction and notes from the translator:
In February 1997, an anonymous document circulated through Japanese anime bulletin boards and internet chat rooms. This nearly 40KB text-only document written under the pseudonym "Hiiro Yui", a self-professed "[anime] industry dropout", claimed to expose various behind-the-scenes secrets surrounding the Evangelion TV airing, Director Anno, Okada Toshio (Gainax founding member), and other Gainax/Eva related matters that had thus far circulated only as rumors among industry people and otaku "in the know". This document, which came to be known as the Evangelion kaibunsho*, quickly disappeared from the bulletin boards and chat rooms, but copies had been made and the document was also posted anonymously to several prominent Eva-related websites, so it saw widespread exposure. The "Eva boom" now past, most of these websites no longer exist, and the document can currently be found only at a few forgotten web pages and mirror sites. (Links to the complete original Japanese text and English translations of relevant parts can be found below.)
It is important to note that although this document was the first to openly state much of the information, it was not the original source of the rumors, and while some minor errors can be found (i.e. Anno's roles in "Nadia" production), much of the information corroborates with other sources. Some sections are irrelevant or uninteresting, others typical of a rant, and the overall tone tends to be that of a personal grudge against Director Anno, Toshio Okada and the anime industry in general. However, for reasons of accuracy and completeness these parts have been left uncensored and intact. We apologize if these sections offend readers, and ask that readers instead keep in mind the fact that this document claiming to expose insider(?) information circulated widely through Japanese fan circles for a period of time.
* Kaibunsho = Lit.: Mysterious/subversive/defamatory document. Generally an insider expose written for reasons of spite, a grudge or other resentment, but also sometimes out of a desire to expose the truth and/or draw attention to an injustice.
CONTENTS:
BACKGROUND | READ THE KAIBUNSHO | ORIGINAL JAPANESE DOCUMENT