Neon Genesis Evangelion Marathon of All 26 Episodes Comes to ABEMA on October 4
By scheduling the marathon on the exact date the series first aired in 1995, ABEMA is using an anniversary as the hook for a full free binge, not a partial or paid catalog run.
Key Facts
- ABEMA will air all 26 episodes of Neon Genesis Evangelion free in a marathon starting at noon on October 4, 2026.
- The Neon Genesis Evangelion marathon airs twice: from noon on October 4 and again from 11:00 AM on October 5, 2026.
- All 26 episodes of Neon Genesis Evangelion remain free to view on ABEMA for one week after the broadcast.
- The marathon is tied to the anniversary of Neon Genesis Evangelion's first broadcast on October 4, 1995.
- Hideaki Anno directed Neon Genesis Evangelion, with Megumi Ogata, Megumi Hayashibara, and Yuko Miyamura voicing Shinji, Rei, and Asuka.
Reporting from 2 sources: Denfaminicogamer, Anime Anime.
ABEMA will air a free marathon of all 26 episodes of the TV anime Neon Genesis Evangelion across two consecutive days, starting at noon on October 4 and again at 11:00 AM on October 5, both 2026. The broadcast runs on the Anime SPECIAL Channel and coincides with the anniversary of the series' first broadcast on October 4, 1995. The first marathon runs from noon on October 4 to 1:00 AM the following day; the second runs from 11:00 AM on October 5 to midnight. Every episode from the first to the final one airs free, and all 26 episodes stay available for free viewing for one week after the broadcast. Hideaki Anno directed the series, which is set in Third New Tokyo City in the year 2015 and follows Shinji Ikari, Rei Ayanami, and Asuka Langley Soryu as they pilot Evangelion units against enemies called Angels. Megumi Ogata plays Shinji, Megumi Hayashibara plays Rei, and Yuko Miyamura plays Asuka.
The ABEMA press release carries the copyright line "(C) khara / Project Eva." The marathon runs on the Anime SPECIAL Channel, and ABEMA published a program URL for the October 4 slot.
The original 1995 broadcast ran on TV Tokyo. ABEMA describes the series as drawing major attention for its innovative visual expression and causing a social phenomenon at the time of broadcast, and notes that it remains highly popular as a work that had a major impact on the history of Japanese anime.
The press release lists Kotono Mitsuishi as Misato Katsuragi and Yuriko Yamaguchi as Ritsuko Akagi alongside the three leads. It frames the series as three boys and girls who pilot the "Multipurpose Humanoid Decisive Weapon Evangelion" and confront a harsh fate and their own inner conflicts, and asks what the Angels are and what fate awaits the boys and humanity.
ABEMA announced the marathon on October 2, 2026 at 8:00 PM, two days before the first broadcast.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 2 cited sources below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.
Sources
- Denfaminicogamer 【無料】『新世紀エヴァンゲリオン』全26話がABEMAで10月4日から一挙放送！初回放送記念日に『エヴァ』をイッキ見しよう
- Anime Anime 「新世紀エヴァンゲリオン」全26話がABEMAで無料一挙放送！初回放送記念日の10月4日から2日連続