Soul's Refrain
Single by Yoko Takahashi
"Soul's Refrain" (Japanese: 魂のルフラン, Hepburn: Tamashī no Rufuran) is a song performed by Japanese singer Yōko Takahashi. Toshiyuki Ōmori composed and arranged the song, while Neko Oikawa wrote the lyrics. King Records released it as a single on February 21, 1997, and the production team used it during the closing sequence of the animated film Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death and Rebirth (1997). Oikawa based the lyrics on the Neon Genesis Evangelion episode "Rei III", connecting Rei Ayanami's death and subsequent return through another clone with the concept of reincarnation.
"Soul's Refrain" reached number three on the Oricon Singles Chart and became one of the best-known songs associated with the Evangelion franchise. Critics praised its melody, Oikawa's lyrics, and the way its music and themes complement the world of the series. The song later appeared in Evangelion-themed pachinko machines and received numerous cover versions.
Background and recording
Japanese singer Yōko Takahashi performed "A Cruel Angel's Thesis", the opening theme of the Neon Genesis Evangelion television series, recording it before she knew the series' story or other details about the production. After the television series ended and plans for a theatrical film emerged, Takahashi was asked to perform its theme song, "Soul's Refrain". The production team initially planned the film Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death and Rebirth (1997) to conclude the series, with the segment Rebirth presenting an entirely new final story.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Soul's Refrain” is single by Yoko Takahashi. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Soul's, Refrain and Single, not as a finished interpretation.
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Vocabulary and entity names are the principal evidence signals here, because they determine the precision of every later search. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 16, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q11673601. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1997.
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This entry incorporates text from “Soul's Refrain” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.