Long-Haired Rei Ayanami is Too Cute! Studio Khara, the Creators of "Evangelion," Cause a Stir with 20th Anniversary Illustration by Kazuya Tsurumaki

On the official X account of Studio Khara, it was announced that the company celebrated its 20th anniversary on May 17, 2026. The release of a commemorative, specially drawn illustration and a comment from the company's representative has become a hot topic.

In the post titled "Greetings on the 20th Anniversary of khara, Inc.," gratitude was expressed to the fans who have supported them so far. Released alongside the post were a newly drawn illustration by Kazuya Tsurumaki—an animation director, animator, and board member of the company—and a comment from Hideaki Anno, the President and Representative Director. The illustration charmingly depicts the long-haired Rei Ayanami (voiced by Megumi Hayashibara), who appeared toward the end of the "Rebuild of Evangelion" film series, looking up with a graduated beaker balanced on her head. In the image containing Anno's comment, he looked back on their 20-year journey, stating, "The company, which started in a single small room in a multi-tenant building in Nishi-Shinjuku with one president, one employee, and one advisor, has grown into a company that has its own studio, has created numerous works, and continues to create many works today." He also expressed his determination and gratitude as they look toward the upcoming 25th and 30th anniversaries.

Studio Khara is a video planning and production company founded by Hideaki Anno in 2006. Starting with its own independently planned and produced "Rebuild of Evangelion" series (a four-part film tetralogy), the company has been involved in the production and planning of numerous animation works and live-action films, continuing to garner enthusiastic support from fans worldwide as one of Japan's leading visual production studios.

In response to this monumental milestone, congratulatory messages flooded in from fans, with comments such as "Congratulations!", "Thank you for creating anime that the world can be proud of," and "I have always supported you and will continue to do so forever." Praise for the illustration also poured in, with fans saying, "It's so wonderful that the commemorative illustration is long-haired Rei-chan," and "Mr. Tsurumaki's long-haired Rei is incredibly cute... I love how she looks like she couldn't care less that her hair has grown so long."

Furthermore, voice actress Megumi Ogata, who played the protagonist Shinji Ikari in the series, also sent a warm message in the reply section, saying, "Congratulations on your 20th anniversary."

(C)khara