Soul's Refrain

"Soul's Refrain" is the second major theme song for Neon Genesis Evangelion performed by Yoko Takahashi following the television series' opening theme "A Cruel Angel's Thesis".^[6][7] The song was born following discussions surrounding the creation of a theatrical film after the TV series finale.^[8]

During pre-production, it was undecided whether "Soul's Refrain" or another song, "Kokoro yo Genshi ni Modore" would be used in the film.^[9] "Soul's Refrain" was composed by Toshiyuki O'mori, while "Kokoro yo Genshi ni Modore" was composed by Hidetoshi Sato, though both tracks were arranged and produced by O'mori. He approached the task professionally, stating he would produce the highest quality possible for both tracks, regardless of which one was ultimately selected.^[9]

The lyrics for the song were penned by Neko Oikawa, who revealed that she wrote them after watching very little of the actual series—a process similar to her work on "A Cruel Angel's Thesis."^[10] At the time of development, the movie producer Toshimichi Otsuki provided Oikawa with a videotape including only one television episode—in which Rei Ayanami dies but then returns to life—^[11] and two demo tapes (for the tracks that would become "Soul's Refrain" and "Kokoro yo Genshi ni Modore"), as it had not yet been decided which would serve as the theme song.^[10] The instructions she received were simply to write whatever came to mind after watching the footage.^[10]

The lyrics for "Soul's Refrain" were not finished until the very day of the recording session.^[6][7] The lyrics were sent to the recording studio via fax, after which staff wrote them by hand onto the sheet music, and Takahashi then recorded the vocals for the track.^[6] Takahashi commented: "Everyone was pushing and struggling together to make the best possible work, so during that recording—with “Kokoro yo Genshi ni Modore” also being made at the same time—I approached it even more professionally than before, determined that whichever song was chosen, it would be ready."^[8] she did not find out which song had been chosen, and in which part the song would be played, until she watched the film in the theatre.^[8] Takahashi has stated that "Soul's Refrain" wassignificantly easier to sing than "A Cruel Angel's Thesis", attributing this to well-placed breath points that align naturally with the song's musical dynamics and variations in strength.^[7]

For writing the lyrics, Neko Oikawa commented that she took inspiration from the concept of reincarnation, the idea of dying and coming back to life.^[10][11] Oikawa commented that the opening line, "Watashi ni kaerinasai" (lit. 'Return to me'), was a slightly indirect phrasing of the more literal concept, "Return to the womb."^[10] When Takahashi first read the lyrics, she thought it was really bold and fresh, as the word “soul” itself at that time had a "slightly suspicious, eerie image" attached to it, as it was mostly only used in religious contexts.^[8][9] She noted that Oikawa's choice of the title, combining "soul" with "refrain," a term implying reincarnation or repetition, reflected the lyricist's sophistication.^[7] Takahashi has commented that "Soul's Refrain" also conveys a sense of "maternity" or motherly perspective.^[12] Oika commented that she initially considered using the English pronunciation of "refrain" (rifurein), but she found it sounded phonetically unpleasant and ill-suited to the syllable count, which eventually her to opt for the French pronunciation (rufuran).^[10]

The single for "Soul's Refrain" was released on 8-cm CD format on February 21, 1997, including the title track and "Kokoro yo Genshi ni Modore" as its B-side.^[5]

On May 24, 2006, the single was re-released on 12-cm CD format, this time as a split single alongside "Thanatos: If I Can't Be Yours" by Loren and Mash.^[13] On June 20, 2018, a remastered version of title track was re-released as a double A-side single alongside "A Cruel Angel's Thesis."^[14][15]

On February 21, 2026, "Soul's Refrain" was re-released as a limited edition LP record in commemoration of the 30th anniversary of Neon Genesis Evangelion.^[16][17]

In March 2026, a Dolby Atmos spatial audio mix of "Soul's Refrain" was released through Apple Music alongside a similar mix for "A Cruel Angel's Thesis", following a proposal by Takahashi herself.^[18] She attended the mixing sessions, approving the final version for the track after adjustments to balance the bass-driven orchestration and maintain the song's familiar groove and spatial distance cues across sections.^[18]

The song has been positively reviewed by critics. The website Gyafun Kōbō praised the song's lyrics, noting how they evoke grand, existential themes regarding human origin and purpose.^[19] Despite its fast tempo, the song was described as creating an "ambivalent" psychological state in the listener—balancing a "strange sense of reassurance" with an underlying "anxiety" prompted by Oikawa's esoteric and commanding lyrics.^[19]

Upon its release, "Soul's Refrain" debuted and peaked at number 3 on the Oricon charts,^[20] selling 141,880 copies on its first week.^[21] It charted for twenty-one weeks, with cumulative reported sales totaling 631,320 copies.^[21] As for physical copies of stand-alone releases, it remains Takahashi's best-selling single to date,^[22] followed by the 1995 release of "A Cruel Angel's Thesis" with 490,030 copies sold.^[21]

The single was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of Japan in March 1997.^[23] In July 2016, the title track received a triple platinum certification by the RIAJ for over 750,000 digital downloads.^[24]

"Soul's Refrain" has been deemed one of the most popular tracks associated with the Neon Genesis Evangelion franchise,^[6][25][26] as well as one of the most successful anime songs from the 1990s.^[27]

In the annual popularity poll of 1998 by the anime magazine Animage, "Soul's Refrain" ranked second in the anime song category, behind "Rondo-Revolution" by Masami Okui, with a vote difference of only 12 votes.^[28] In the "Heisei Anime Song Grand Prix" popularity poll held by Sony Music Entertainment Japan in 2019, "Soul's Refrain" received the Movie Theme Song Award for the 1989–1999 period.^[29]

"Soul's Refrain" has been covered extensively by numerous artists. Notable covers include the versions recorded by Megumi Hayashibara,^[30] Masami Okui,^[31] Shoko Nakagawa,^[32] Babymetal,^[33] and Miyavi.^[34]