Daily Tunes: A Cruel Angel's Thesis

Today's throwback Thursday Daily Tune is from a collab I did with @BJeanMusik (on YouTube) in 2018. You can find the entire video plus some other collabs we did together on her Youtube Channel.

"A Cruel Angel's Thesis" (in Japanese: "Zankoku na Tenshi no Tēze," 残酷な天使のテーゼ) is the legendary opening theme for Neon Genesis Evangelion, which premiered in 1995. Performed by Yoko Takahashi, this J-pop song, with its catchy melody and the anime’s surreal opening visuals, has become an anime classic. It was composed by Hidetoshi Satō, with lyrics by Neko Oikawa and arranged by Toshiyuki Ōmori. The creation process was unconventional—director Hideaki Anno wanted classical music (Borodin’s Polovtsian Dances), but producers at TV Tokyo insisted on an original pop track. Oikawa, with little exposure to the series, wrote the philosophical lyrics in two hours after skimming a proposal and fast-forwarding through two unfinished episodes, taking the title from a manga. Takahashi recorded it with minimal context, meeting Anno on the day of recording, where he had her drop a male chorus to emphasize "maternal affection," tying into the show’s themes.
The single dropped on October 25, 1995, via King Records’ Starchild label, paired with either "Tsuki no Meikyū" ("Moon’s Labyrinth") or "Fly Me to the Moon." It peaked at number 17 on Japan’s Oricon charts, appearing 61 times, and has since featured in soundtracks like Neon Genesis Evangelion I (1995), Neon Genesis Evangelion II (1996), and Evangelion Finally (2020). Instrumental versions appeared in the finale, and it’s been re-released, including a 2009 take for Evangelion: 2.0 and covers by voice actors like Megumi Hayashibara. The lyrics, starting with "Like a cruel angel, young boy, become a legend" ("Zankoku na tenshi no yō ni, shōnen yo, shinwa ni nare," 残酷な天使のよう に、少年よ、神話になれ), mix hope and tension, hinting at Evangelion’s themes of destiny and struggle, with a cryptic chant adding mystery.
Culturally, it’s a juggernaut, topping polls like the Anime Grand Prix and thriving in karaoke. Its popularity spiked with the Rebuild of Evangelion films (2007-2021) and a 2025 Goddess of Victory: NIKKE tie-in. Though its tone clashes with the series’ darkness, "A Cruel Angel’s Thesis" embodies Evangelion’s duality—uplifting yet deep—making it an unforgettable anthem for fans globally.