Visions of posthumanity: a posthumanist narrative study on Rebuild of Evangelion

Rebuild of Evangelion, the tetralogy of animated films created by Hideaki Anno, envisions and discusses the form and attributes of the posthuman in the near future, showing the inherent vitality of as the core feature, as well as the dynamic relationality in terms of geography and technology. The films critique the "Human Instrumentality Project" as a transhumanist ideal for its disembodied inclination, anthropocentric nature, and predatory dichotomy. Through the characterization and narratives of the films, the posthumanist values and ethics advocated by Rosi Braidotti are presented as Anno's key message, that is, in the era of posthumanism that has already come, we should establish a monistic materialistic attitude, highlight the inherent relationality, embeddedness, and transversality among all beings, and establish a posthuman ethics that advocates egalitarian care basing on universal vitality.