Netflix Alters Neon Genesis Evangelion's "Fly Me To The Moon," Makes Other Changes

One of June's biggest Netflix additions is the beloved anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion, marking a big get for anime devotees. The show had been difficult to track down in English in the West, but it's out now in its entirety on Netflix. However, it's not all good news, as the show is missing a key component, while another aspect of it has seemingly been changed in the localization process, and long-time fans of the series are calling foul.

The Netflix stream is missing some music cues, as well as the karaoke covers of the old standard "Fly Me To The Moon," which would play at the end of every episode. Some users have claimed that Netflix Japan has retained the covers, which could suggest that it's a music licensing issue. Either way, it's a memorable aspect of the original version of the show that's gone here.

Meanwhile, another Twitter user has shown purported side-by-side translations from the original that appear to censor a gay theme involving a key character. The sci-fi series focuses on adolescents who are uniquely suited to pilot giant mecha armor to defend humanity against the attacks of beasts known as Angels. It's rated TV-14, and is known for its heady themes surrounding violence, psychology, religion, and sexuality.

Netflix has the 26 original episodes of the series, as well as the two films, The End of Evangelion and Death & Rebirth. Evangelion was given a new theatrical version starting in 2007, as a trilogy of films that tell roughly the same story in a style that is meant to be more accessible. Those movies are not available on Netflix.