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Yoko Takahashi Anime NYC Interview: Neon Genesis Evangelion

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Published

3 weeks ago

October 7, 2025

Nir Regev

Interview: Neon Genesis Evangelion singer Yoko Takahashi spoke to The Natural Aristocrat® at Anime NYC 2025 on how she feels the music industry has changed since her debut in 1991.

This Yoko Takahashi interview was conducted in a press room with multiple journalists at Anime NYC 2025 at Javits Center.

THE NATURAL ARISTOCRAT (NIR REGEV): Hi Yoko, how do you feel the music industry has changed since when you first started in 1991?

YOKO TAKAHASHI: When I had my debut in 1991, it was right after the bubble burst. The economy burst and at that time the music landscape was very unstable. And over the past 30 years that unstableness has still kind of remained hidden throughout.

It has still kind of lingered there. And that has been the realm in which I’ve been working up through my whole career.

THE NATURAL ARISTOCRAT: What song has been the most challenging in your career to perform?

YOKO TAKAHASHI: I have to admit that out of all the songs that I’ve sung the most and I still don’t feel great at would be “A Cruel Angel’s Thesis”.

Yoko Takahashi on her work being part of pop culture globally:

YOKO TAKAHASHI: I think one of the reasons is Neon Genesis Evangelion itself is so great. It’s great on so many different levels!

The story, the actors, the music, everything about the piece in and of itself is such a high quality. That’s part of the reason that it’s endured for so long. My life has really been impacted by Evangelion.

Yoko Takahashi on people watching Neon Genesis Evangelion again during the COVID pandemic:

YOKO TAKAHASHI: One thought I had during the corona pandemic was everybody being kind of stuck at home. You couldn’t leave. It was a moment in time where people could go back and rewatch the anime series over again or watch it for the first time.

And one of the things that I find so interesting about anime is at the point that you are watching it for the first time, it becomes new again. It becomes of that moment again.

When Evangelion was on Netflix, it really expanded the age range of the fan base because there were so many people who were getting to experience it for the first time. And a younger audience as well at that.

In Japan the series is so beloved, it’s broadcasted over and over again on Japanese tv. And that’s even expanded the audience base in Japan to be even younger!

So it’s really interesting that, when you watch anime for the first time, it becomes a thing of the now, of the moment. And that’s something that I definitely feel is a recent phenomenon.

Yoko Takahashi on working with R & B singer and producer Toshinobu “Toshi” Kubota before her 1991 debut:

YOKO TAKAHASHI: One of the first gigs I got in the music industry was actually being a background singer for Toshi. And for those who don’t know him, he’s really the first person to sing funk music in Japanese.

Being a backup singer for him was a really fun learning experience for me as a young singer! One thing he said to me that inspired me was that, ‘Background singers aren’t background singers because they’re worse than the main performer, they actually have to be better than the main performer!’

He gave me a sense of having a very high level of professionalism in my singing ability at that age. He gave me a fresh perspective as I was just starting out my professional career as a young singer.

I was in a chorus group for 10 years as a young girl. And a lot of the training that I learned during that time, I still use to this day as an adult.

Yoko Takahashi on advice to younger musicians:

YOKO TAKAHASHI: I had always studied music from a young age and was actually in an amateur band. That’s how I got my audition offer, from being one of Kubota’s background singers. And that kind of kickstarted my career into the music industry.

But I often get asked a lot by younger artists, ‘How do I become a singer?’ Or ‘How do I get my start in the industry?’ And for me, I really polished my skills as a background stinger and as a studio musician.

So even the things that you’re not good at or weaker at, by doing them repeatedly, you get better and better and better at those things. You don’t wanna just focus on doing the skills that you’re actually good at.

You really wanna spend your time focusing on polishing the parts of you that aren’t as good as what you’re known for. So you know, it’s a job, singing is a job so you really can’t say no to anything.

And that’s how you actually get results in the industry is to be polishing your skills and becoming good at the things that you are weaker at.

Yoko Takahashi on why “A Cruel Angel’s Thesis” maintaining popularity:

YOKO TAKAHASHI: It brings me joy! I actually really wanna know the secret behind it as well. In karaoke in Japan, it is a song that really gets everybody together and brings them together. So I think that’s also part of the reason of its enduring popularity!

Yoko Takahashi on “A Cruel Angel’s Thesis” covers:

YOKO TAKAHASHI: I’m not really a part of that. My permission is not sought out when people do original covers of the songs. So I’m not quite up to speed on all the different artists who have done covers of “A Cruel Angel’s Thesis”.

Part of the reason that I haven’t heard many covers of the song is because there’s never really been an official release of a cover of “A Cruel Angels Thesis”.

Everything that you’ve probably heard that’s a cover of that song is something that the fans have just done of their own accord. Including in all the other languages.

Yoko Takahashi on Brazil tour potential:

YOKO TAKAHASHI: So actually 20 years ago I did a show in São Paulo. And as you may know, there are many second generation or third generation Japanese actually living in Brazil. There were a lot of people there who knew Japanese.

I felt the connection between Japan and Brazil was very deep in that moment. So now my show has taken on a new style and with the backup dancers as well. So I would love to bring my new show to perform in South America or Brazil!

Yoko Takahashi on songs from her catalog she’d like more listens to:

YOKO TAKAHASHI: A song of mine that’s actually kind of a hit, perhaps you’ve heard of it, “Soul’s Refrain”. It’s very popular but not quite as popular “A Cruel Angel’s Thesis”. So if I had to pick one song that I would like the fans to listen to even more, it would be “Souls Refrain”!

Yoko Takahashi on favorite activity when visiting New York City:

YOKO TAKAHASHI: Seeing shows on and off Broadway!

Yoko Takahashi on collaborating with producer Toshiyuki Omori:

YOKO TAKAHASHI: I actually knew him before my debut! He was a famous composer and also a studio musician. So I knew him from even before my debut. And actually through him and his connections, that’s how I got the Evangelion gig.

And we have had such a great musical connection throughout all the years. Actually at one point, I was a part of his talent agency and he was actually even kind of like the role of of Best Man at my younger brother’s wedding.

So he really feels almost like a family relative to me. And he’s very much like my sensei, my great teacher in my life. But also he’s someone that I feel comfortable where I can say how I feel around him. And so we’ve had this long career together.

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