It's been a couple months since Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time hit theaters in Japan. As the conclusion to not only the Rebuild of Evangelion quadrilogy but also the entire beloved franchise it had a lot to live up to. Critic reviews seem to be pretty positive, but fan reaction is a mixed bag, to say the least. 

A post on the official Evangelion website states that the studio has seen an influx of hatemail and death threats since the release of the movie. Even worse than that time they tried to stop lewds! What makes it so divisive? I can't say; I'm still waiting for the western release and I don't wanna spoil the plot for myself, but what I do know is it'd be nigh-impossible to cap off a 25-year series in a way that pleases everyone.

The post says:

"Thank you for your support of the Rebuild of Evangelion.

We have confirmed cases of slander, threats, and suggestions of criminal activity against individuals related to the film, as well as distorted misconstructions of the film’s content and articles and other media related to it.

This film was a collaborative production created by many staff members, principally at Studio Khara. Our company, in regards to created fiction, sincerely accepts the perceptions, reactions, feelings and opinions related to it.

However, damaging the dignity of people related to the production, making slanderous or threatening remarks against them, or suggesting criminal activity based on individual interpretation and inferences of the film, or it not meeting personal expectations, are things we strongly object to, regardless of circumstances.

Furthermore, in cases of statements which clearly constitute criminal defamation, intimidation, or death threats, we will contact the police if the comments originate from inside Japan, and even for statements originating from overseas we will report the statements to each country’s respective investigative agencies and pursue legal action, including seeking monetary compensation for damages."

That's right, Khara will inform the police even if they recieve threats from outside Japan. It fucking sucks to hear that they even have to spell this out to people, but considering the tragic Kyoto Animation arson attack two years ago was preceded by death threats, you can't blame them for wanting to be careful. Fiction can affect people in deep and strange ways that feel surreal at the best of times, but no one should get so emotional they become a danger to themselves or others for the sake of a movie.

What do you guys think? Is Khara going overboard or do the fans need to calm down and reel it in? Drop your thoughts below!