A Cruel Angel's Thesis

"A Cruel Angel's Thesis"[lower-alpha 1] (残酷な天使のテーゼ, Zankoku na tenshi no tēze) is the opening theme song of the 1995 television anime series, Neon Genesis Evangelion, originally performed by Yoko Takahashi.

"A Cruel Angel's Thesis"
Original anime edition cover of "Zankoku na tenshi no tēze"/"Fly Me to the Moon"
Single by Yoko Takahashi
from the album Neon Genesis Evangelion
ReleasedOctober 25, 1995 (1995-10-25)
Recorded1995
GenreJ-pop, anime, funk
Length4:05
LabelStarchild
Songwriter(s)Neko Oikawa (Lyrics)
Hidetoshi Satō (Composition)
Toshiyuki Ōmori (Arrangement)
Yoko Takahashi singles chronology
"Moonlight Epicurian"
(1994)		 "A Cruel Angel's Thesis"
(1995)		 "Meguriai"
(1996)

Background

According to the liner notes to the album Refrain of Evangelion, director Hideaki Anno had originally wanted to use a piece of classical music as the opening,[lower-alpha 2] but due to concern that this might confuse the anime viewership, a decision was made to use a more upbeat J-pop song instead.[1]

Lyricist Oikawa Neko, commissioned to write the song, recalled that she completed "Zankoku na tenshi no tēze" in 2 hours by browsing the idea proposal for the anime and watching incomplete clips of the first two unaired episodes in fast mode. She had been given specific instructions by the producer to make the wording sophisticated and "philosophical". She reveals she got inspiration for the title from the manga A Cruel God Reigns.[2][3]

The production for the song was handled by Toshimichi Ōtsuki of the King Records label. The original song included a male chorus, which was cut at director Hideaki Anno's request in order to "emphasize maternal affection".[1]

Two instrumental versions of the song, arranged by series composer Shirō Sagisu are played in the finale episode, "Take care of yourself." These are "The Heady Feeling of Freedom" and "Good, or Don't Be", scored for violin, piano, and guitar. "The Heady Feeling of Freedom" is a somber and reflective piece for bowed strings and guitar, while "Good, or Don't Be" is played to a light piano and guitar tone. Both are considerably different in feel from the more hard driving original. A similar, but sparser, version can also be heard during the intermission between the two parts of Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death & Rebirth.

In 2009, the original vocalist Takahashi recorded a new single, which included a remake of both this song and "Fly Me to the Moon", the series ending theme, to tie in with the theatrical release of the second Rebuild of Evangelion film.

In June 2018, King Records released a new HD music video of the song on YouTube.[4]

Reception

In a survey by TV Asahi that was used to determine the results of a list of the 100 unforgettable anime theme songs, "A Cruel Angel's Thesis" made it to #55.[5] In a later survey on a similar program on TV Asahi, it was included as the #18 song amongst anime released during the 1990s.[6]

In 2011, the song won first place in JASRAC's annual awards for "its continued royalties from online sales, pachinko and pachislo (pachinko parlor slot machine) games, karaoke, and other venues in 2010—fifteen years after its debut."[7] The song was in the top 10 karaoke selections in 2009, 2010, and 2011.[8]

Oricon ranking

All of the songs have ranked in the top 25 of the Oricon Weekly Charts after they had been released. The original version of the single (paired with another song by Takahashi) stayed on the charts for 22 weeks, peaking at #27.[9] However, the version paired with Claire's rendition of "Fly Me to the Moon" remained on the charts for 61 weeks after its release, and peaked at #17.[10] When this version of the single was re-released in 2003, it remained on the charts for 41 weeks, peaking at #9.[11] Takahashi's "2009 VERSION" release stayed on the charts for 14 weeks, peaking at #22.[12]

Over the years, the song has become a hit on digital download stores. In February 2014, it received a Million certification from the Recording Industry Association of Japan, for more than a million copies sold through cellphone and PC download platforms.[13]

Ashinoko Skyline musical road

The Ashinoko Skyline, a private toll road in the city of Hakone plays the song when driven over at a constant speed.[14] The music is created from the vehicle's tires due to specially built tarmac surface.[15]

Releases
Original version
October 25, 1995 (1995-10-25);[16] All tracks performed by Yoko Takahashi.
Track listing
No.TitleLyricsMusicArrangementLength
1."Zankoku na tenshi no tēze"Neko OikawaHidetoshi SatōToshiyuki Ōmori4:03
2."Tsuki no Meikyū (月の迷宮, "Labyrinth of the Moon")"   5:42
3."Zankoku na tenshi no tēze (Original Karaoke)" SatōŌmori4:03
4."Tsuki no meikyū (Original Karaoke)"   5:42
"Zankoku na Tenshi no Tēze/Fly Me to the Moon"
October 25, 1995 (1995-10-25)[17]
Track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)ArtistLength
1."Zankoku na tenshi no tēze"
  • Neko Oikawa
  • Hidetoshi Satō
  • Toshiyuki Ōmori
Yoko Takahashi4:03
2."FLY ME TO THE MOON"Bart HowardCLAIRE4:31
"Zankoku na Tenshi no Tēze/Fly Me to the Moon" (10th Anniversary Renewal)
March 26, 2003 (2003-03-26).[18] All tracks performed by Yoko Takahashi, except where noted.
Track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)ArtistLength
1."Zankoku na Tenshi no tēze"
  • Neko Oikawa
  • Hidetoshi Satō
  • Toshiyuki Ōmori
 4:03
2."FLY ME TO THE MOON"Bart HowardCLAIRE4:32
3."Zankoku na tenshi no tēze (OFF VOCAL version)"
  • Satō
  • Ōmori
 4:03
4."FLY ME TO THE MOON (OFF VOCAL version)"HowardCLAIRE4:32
5."Zankoku na Tenshi no tēze" (Director's edit version)"
  • Oikawa
  • Satō
  • Ōmori
 4:03
"Zankoku na Tenshi no Tēze 2009 VERSION"
May 13, 2009 (2009-05-13);[19] All tracks performed by Yoko Takahashi.
Track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Zankoku na tenshi no tēze 2009 VERSION"
  • Neko Oikawa
  • Hidetoshi Satō
  • Toshiyuki Ōmori
4:26
2."FLY ME TO THE MOON 2009 VERSION"Bart Howard4:32
3."One Little Wish" 5:00
4."Zankoku na tenshi no tēze 2009 VERSION (off vocal)"
  • Satō
  • Ōmori
4:26
5."FLY ME TO THE MOON 2009 VERSION (off vocal)"Howard4:32
6."One Little Wish (off vocal)" 5:01
"Zankoku na Tenshi no Tēze/Tamashī no Rufuran"
June 20, 2018 (2018-06-20)
Track listing
No.TitleLyricsMusicArrangementLength
1."Zankoku na Tenshi no Tēze"Neko OikawaHidetoshi SatōToshiyuki Ōmori4:07
2."Tamashī no Rufuran"   5:14
3."Zankoku na Tenshi no Tēze Off Vocal Ver." SatōŌmori4:06
4."Tamashī no Rufuran Off Vocal Ver."   5:09
"Zankoku na Tenshi no Tēze Matsuri Spirit"
July 24, 2019 (2019-07-24)

All music is composed by Hidetoshi Satō. All tracks are arranged by Toshiyuki Ōmori.

Track listing
No.TitleLyricsLength
1."Zankoku na Tenshi no Tēze Matsuri Spirit"Neko Oikawa4:36
2."Zankoku na Tenshi no Tēze Matsuri Spirit Off Vocal Ver." 5:14

Additional versions

Since the song's initial release, many artists have covered the song. Heavy metal cover bands Animetal and EIZO Japan included the track on their albums Animetal Marathon V and EIZO Japan 2 respectively.[20] Versions by cast members Megumi Hayashibara (Rei Ayanami), Yūko Miyamura (Asuka Langley Soryu), Kotono Mitsuishi (Misato Katsuragi), and Megumi Ogata (Shinji Ikari) exist on various soundtracks and solo albums from the voice actors. Masami Okui included a cover on her cover album Masami Kobushi, and otaku tarento Shoko Nakagawa has a cover version on her first anime theme cover album Shoko-tan Cover: Anison ni Koi o Shite. A trance remix is included on the Exit Trance album Exit Trance Presents R25 Speed Anime Trance Best 2, sung by "MAKI".[21] m.o.v.e also has a cover version of the song in their album anim.o.v.e 02 .

Dancemania

Several dance cover remixes have appeared on the Dancemania compilations.

  • Shihori version
    • Dancemania Summer Story 2008[22]
    • Wa-euro Beef[23]
    • Best of Wa-euro Best[24]
    • Dancemania Summer Story 2009 (Techno Mix)[25]
  • Nuts versions have appeared on the Speed series.
  • Mint version
  • Diana Gross (a.k.a. Beef Supreme (a.k.a. Grunkle Peebes) version
    • Hime Trance 3 (Club Mix)[32]

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Japan (RIAJ)[33]
1995 single (Physical) 		Gold 200,000^
Japan (RIAJ)[34]
1995 double A-side single (Physical) 		Platinum 490,000[35]
Japan
2003 single (Physical) 		— 13,000[35]
Japan
2009 single (Physical) 		— 18,000[35]
Japan (RIAJ)[36]
Ringtone 		Million 1,000,000*
Japan (RIAJ)[37] Million 1,000,000*
Japan (RIAJ)[38]
2009 version Full-length Ringtone 		Gold 100,000*
Japan (RIAJ)[39]
Director's Edit version 		Gold 100,000*

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone

See also

Explanatory notes
  1. The title here does not mean "thesis paper about or by cruel angels", but closer to "cruel proposition concerning angels". Japanese "These" (テーゼ, tēze) is a borrowing of a German philosophical term for a thesis statement.[lower-alpha 3] The terms "thesis" vs. "antithesis" are integral to Hegelian dialectic.[lower-alpha 4]
  2. Music from Borodin's Polovetsian Dances.
  3. "tēze" テーゼ. Kotobank. Retrieved 2018-04-05.
  4. Ogawa, Hitoshi (2011), Sukkiri wakaru! Chōyaku tetsugaku yōgo jiten すっきりわかる! 超訳「哲学用語」事典, PHP, p. (58), ISBN 9784569676739

References
  1. Refrain of Evangelion OST Booklet, 2003.
  2. Kinoshita, Megumi (2016-12-28). "Zankoku na tenshi no tēze kashi, shinwa ni nare wa tōsho kyōki ni nare datta: sakushika Oikawa Neko san" 「残酷な天使のテーゼ」歌詞、「神話になれ」は当初「凶器になれ」だった…作詞家・及川眠子さん. Sankei West.
  3. Kinoshita, Megumi (2016-08-26). "Zankoku na tenshi no sakushi Oikawa Neko, Eva de no mōke wa 6 oku en!? : sakushi no ura jijō wo sekirara ni kataru" 「残酷な天使のテーゼ」の作詞・及川眠子、『エヴァ』での儲けは6億円!?　作詞の裏事情を赤裸々に語る!!. Livedoor.
  4. Ashcraft, Brian. "Neon Genesis Evangelion Theme Gets An Official HD Music Video". Kotaku. Retrieved 24 June 2018.
  5. "忘れられないアニメソングベスト100 シネマでぽん！Ｓ cinema-game-toy/ウェブリブログ". Retrieved 2010-04-26.
  6. "決定！これが日本のベスト". Retrieved 2010-04-26.
  7. "Songs From Evangelion, Other Anime Win JASRAC Awards - News". Anime News Network. 2012-02-07. Retrieved 2012-02-11.
  8. "Evangelion's "Cruel Angel's Thesis" Tops Anime Karaoke Charts". Crunchyroll.com. 2011-12-14. Retrieved 2012-02-11.
  9. "高橋洋子-リリース-ORICON STYLE ミュージック". Retrieved 2010-04-26.
  10. "高橋洋子，ＣＬＡＩＲＥ-リリース-ORICON STYLE ミュージック". Retrieved 2010-04-26.
  11. "高橋洋子，ＣＬＡＩＲＥ-リリース-ORICON STYLE ミュージック". Retrieved 2010-04-26.
  12. "高橋洋子-リリース-ORICON STYLE ミュージック". Retrieved 2010-04-26.
  13. 有料音楽配信認定 2014年1 [Certified paid music distribution: January 2014] (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. February 20, 2014. Retrieved January 27, 2018.
  14. "Hear the Evangelion theme song as you drive over Hakone's Ashinoko Skyline "musical road"". Retrieved 13 March 2017.
  15. "Cayman GTS in Japan". Evo Magazine: 115. March 2016.
  16. 残酷な天使のテーゼ (in Japanese). Jbook. Retrieved 2012-02-13.
  17. 残酷な天使のテーゼ (in Japanese). Jbook. Retrieved 2012-02-13.
  18. 残酷な天使のテーゼ／ＦＬＹ ＭＥ ＴＯ ＴＨＥ ＭＯＯＮ (in Japanese). Jbook. Retrieved 13 February 2012.
  19. 残酷な天使のテーゼ２００９ ＶＥＲＳＩＯＮ (in Japanese). Jbook. Retrieved 13 February 2012.
  20. "Discography". Archived from the original on 14 April 2010. Retrieved 26 April 2010.
  21. "EXIT TUNES / QWCE-00057 EXIT TRANCE PRESENTS R25 SPEED アニメトランス BEST2". Retrieved 2010-04-26.
  22. EMI Music Japan, Dancemania Summer Story 2008 Archived 2010-11-13 at the Wayback Machine (in Japanese)
  23. EMI Music Japan, Wa-euro Best (in Japanese)
  24. EMI Music Japan, Best of Wa-euro Best (in Japanese)
  25. EMI Music Japan, Dancemania Summer Story 2009 (in Japanese)
  26. Discogs, Anime Speed
  27. Discogs, Anime Speed Newtype Edition
  28. EMI Music Japan, Happy Speed (in Japanese)
  29. Discogs, Himetra Speed
  30. EMI Music Japan, Himetra best (in Japanese)
  31. EMI Music Japan, Himetra Anime*Mix (in Japanese)
  32. Discogs, Hime Trance 3
  33. "Japanese single certifications – 高橋 洋子 – 残酷な天使のテーゼ" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Select 1997年5月 on the drop-down menu
  34. "Japanese single certifications – 高橋洋子・CLAIRE – 残酷な天使のテーゼ／FLY ME TO THE MOON" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Select 1997年4月 on the drop-down menu
  35. "オリコンランキング情報サービス「you大樹」" [Oricon Ranking Information Service 'You Taiju']. Oricon. Retrieved March 26, 2018.
  36. "Japanese single digital certifications – 高橋 洋子 – 残酷な天使のテーゼ" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Select 2010年6月 on the drop-down menu
  37. "Japanese single digital certifications – 高橋 洋子 – 残酷な天使のテーゼ" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Select 2014年1月 on the drop-down menu
  38. "Japanese single digital certifications – 高橋 洋子 – 残酷な天使のテーゼ 2009VERSION" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Select 2011年5月 on the drop-down menu
  39. "Japanese single digital certifications – 高橋 洋子 – 残酷な天使のテーゼ （Directors Edit Version）" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Select 2014年5月 on the drop-down menu
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