Shūketsu no Sono e

"Shūketsu no Sono e" marked the first time Hayashibra contributed a theme song to the Evangelion franchise under her real name, as opposed to character songs. Initially, Hayashibara expressed hesitation about getting involved, as she viewed these works as the domain of Yoko Takahashi ("A Cruel Angel's Thesis"),^[4] and felt there might be little room for her as a voice actress to contribute vocally to such an established world.^[5] However, she agreed to participate after learning that Takahashi's songs would also be featured in the machines and feeling she could offer something meaningful.^[4] Hayashibara described the creation process as a deliberate shift from "performing" an Evangelion character to "singing" as herself, while still embedding deep personal and thematic meaning into the work.

During the creation of the lyrics, Hayashibara faced significant creative difficulties in finding ideas,^[6][5] until she decided to shift her perspective by imagining herself becoming Evangelion Unit 01 itself; at that moment, she commented that words suddenly began "descending from above."^[6]

The release of the single was initially scheduled for March 11, 2009;^[3] however, due the rollout of CR Neon Genesis Evangelion: The Beginning of the End being rescheduled for early April, the release date was then postponed to April 22, 2009, to coincide with the machine promotion.^[7]

As a B-side, the single includes an alternative version of "Shūketsu no Sono e" performed by Hayashibara as the character Rei Ayanami.^[8] Both versions of the song were subsequently included on the studio album Choice released July 2010.^[9]

The lyrics of "Shūketsu no Sono e" incorporate the thoughts and emotions of three key figures of Evangelion: Rei Ayanami, Yui Ikari, and Unit 01.^[5] When coming up with the lyrics, Hayashibara wanted to a convey a maternal embrace that envelops a loved one (the "beloved child") despite changes in form, while avoiding excessive overt tenderness or affection.^[5] Instead, they emphasize the series' core theme of "fusion," transcending individual boundaries to become one—a reference to the Instrumentality Project of Evangelion—, encouraging the listener to overcome timid hesitation and move forward.^[5] They also contain philosophical and religious allusions.^[9] Lines referencing the finite life of flowers evoke Christian notions of finality after death, contrasting with the notion of "endless" dreams, which alludes to concepts of reincarnation found in Hinduism and related beliefs. The recurring question "where do the tears return to"—with "tears" used metonymically for life—asks about the destination of human existence, framed around the image of a crying figure (implied to be Rei Ayanami) at the moment of death. Hayashibara explained that the "garden" in the title symbolically evokes the Garden of Eden, while the overall atmosphere mixes apparent chaos with an underlying search for meaning.^[9] She aimed to evoke a sense of Japanese religious sensibility blended with universal spiritual motifs, incorporating imagery such as church bells, temple bells, and prayers from various traditions to represent a chaotic yet divine presence—something she felt was encapsulated within Unit 01.^[9]

CD Journal gave a positive review on the song, commenting: "The dramatic, choir-like chorus in the opening immediately draws the listener in on this single. The soaring, emotionally uplifting vocals race forward, evoking a sense of homage to “A Cruel Angel’s Thesis”."^[8] Animate Times named it one of their top-recommended Evangelion theme songs. They praised Hayashibara's "powerful vocals" on it, and commented: "The track leaves a strong impression with its high-speed, driving melody combined with choruses reminiscent of religious hymns."^[10]

"Shūketsu no Sono e" debuted and peaked at number 7 on the Oricon charts,^[11] selling 14,865 copies on its first week.^[12] The single had a long-charting record, appearing on the weekly charts for twenty-four weeks in total, with reported sales amounting to 43,588 copies.^[12]

In 2009, the song appeared at number 1 on Recochoku Annual Ranking of downloaded tracks in the Anime/Game category.^[13] In May 2009, it was certified Gold after surpassing 100,000 digital downloads.^[14] In June 2010, it was certified Platinum after exceeding 250,000 digital downloads, and in January 2015, it was received the Double Platinum certification after surpassing 500,000 digital downloads.^[14]

In a 2010 survey by Recochoku, "Shūketsu no Sono e" appeared third on the ranking of all-time favorite Evangelion songs, following "A Cruel Angel's Thesis" and "Soul's Refrain."^[15] In a 2026 survey by Minna no Ranking, the song appeared at number 7 among the most popular Evangelion songs.^[16] In a 2022 survey by NetLab, the song also appeared at number 5 of the most popular Megumi Hayashibara songs.^[17]

The song has been covered by various artists, including Dizzi Mystica feat. Maki,^[18] Reiko Nakanishi,^[19] and Miyabi.^[20]

Credits adapted from the liner notes of the CD single.^[22]