Evangelion creator Hideaki Anno shut down a popular fan theory regarding the origins of the mysterious Mari Makinami Illustrious.
SPOILERS FOR EVANGELION 3.0 + 1.01: THRICE UPON A TIME FOLLOW:
As reported and translated by Crunchyroll, the celebrated anime creator and director took part in a livestream hosted by Amazon's Prime Video service, which is the exclusive streaming home of the Rebuild of Evangelion film series. During the Q&A section of the event, Anno was asked about a popular fan theory that links the character of Mari to Anno's wife, Sugar, Sugar Rune manga creator Moyoco Anno. The theory is based off the series' finale, which sees Shinji creating a new reality that is free from Angels and Evangelions, as well as erases his connection to several of the series' other main characters, including Rei and Asuka. Shinji does end up with the mysterious Mari, a new character who was introduced to the series in the Rebuild movies and whose origins are never outright explained. The Evangelion series is often interpreted as a representation of Anno's own battle with depression, and fans have since assumed that Mari was inspired by Anno's wife, as the theory states Anno's relationship with her helped him escape his depression, just as Mari helps Shinji break free from Evangelion's constant cycle of destruction and rebirth.
#シンエヴァ1周年質問集#庵野さんからお返事
— エヴァンゲリオン公式 (@evangelion_co) March 8, 2022
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マリの人物像（アスカ他もですが）は鶴巻監督の手によるところが大きく、制作時の事実とは違います。
キャラクターやストーリーの解釈は観客の自由な楽しみですし、本作にもファンのフリーな知的な遊び場としての余地を持たせています。 https://t.co/Knj2CZt0Lv
#シンエヴァ1周年質問集#シンエヴァ1周年生特番#庵野さんからお返事
— エヴァンゲリオン公式 (@evangelion_co) March 8, 2022
Q：「そのひとが言うと、それが正解になってしまう非関係者なひと」のことをどう思っていますか？
A：迷惑、と思います。
In a transcript provided by Anno's production company, Studio Khara, the creator flat out denied that there's anything to the theory, and stated his desire for fans to stop spreading it. "We have seen various articles, videos, etc. that claim Mari was modeled after Anno's wife, but this merely only the assumption and speculation of a handful of people... At the time of production, this would have been impossible. Mari's personality (as well as Asuka and others) was created by director [Kazuya] Tsurumaki's hand [rather than Anno]," the transcript states, adding, "It's a bit of fun for the audience to interpret characters and storylines as they wish, and [Evangelion 3.0 + 1.0] is a playground of intellectual fan speculation. That being said, it is sad to see the staff and their families disparaged by baseless assumptions, so we will clearly deny that this is the case."
When asked later what he thought about various fan theories becoming widely accepted by the Evangelion community as facts, Anno flatly stated "I think it's annoying."
Anno is currently working on Shin Kamen Rider, a feature-length reboot of Toei's beloved tokusatsu (masked hero) franchise, which is scheduled to be released in 2023. The director has stated that he plans on working on live-action films for the time being and doesn't plan on returning to animation in the near future. As for Mari, Anno reportedly filled in voice actor Maaya Sakamoto on the character's backstory, but hasn't revealed those details publicly yet. He has stated that the Evangelion series may continue without him at the helm.
Evangelion 3.0 + 1.01 is available for streaming on Prime Video.
Source: Crunchyroll, Twitter (1, 2)
