Race with Evangelion: An Inside Look at the 500 Type EVA Project

Text & Photos / －SanjiNoir－ Black Samurai Leisure Reads－
 
“Like a cruel angel’s thesis, become a legend, boy...” When this music plays, you might think the iconic mecha Unit-01 from the famous anime Neon Genesis Evangelion is about to go on a rampage? Actually, it's the Shinkansen that's about to speed off wildly. It's safe to say that the otaku spirit in Japan runs deep—from top to bottom. Here we introduce the Evangelion train that bursts onto the scene and races away—the 500 Type EVA of the Sanyo Shinkansen in Japan.

The reason behind this epic mash-up is that JR West’s Sanyo Shinkansen commemorated the 40th anniversary of the full line’s opening by collaborating with Neon Genesis Evangelion, which also celebrated its 20th anniversary that same year (what? Already 20 years!). Together, they transformed the Kodama 730 Shinkansen train, which runs between Shin-Osaka and Hakata, into a limited-edition 500 TYPE EVA train featuring a special paint job themed around the famous Evangelion mecha, Unit-01.
 
Although the exterior paint job is cool, most people have already seen plenty of that—so the focus is on the interior. Quick, hop aboard the 500 TYPE EVA train and see what it looks like inside.

In Car No. 2, aside from the painted seats and interior environment, you can spot the distinctive logo of NERV, the organization responsible for the Evangelions, popping up here and there. The interior color scheme follows that of Evangelion’s Unit-01, and even the window curtains hide a surprise when drawn. But the fun doesn’t stop there—the curtains also feature the Absolute Territory and an open A.T. Field.

Anime fans familiar with the series will recognize that orange octagon right away—pretty much making it look like the train is protected by an A.T. Field, perfect for parody. Speaking of parodies, nothing beats the moment when you pull down the curtain to see Commander Ikari—the hilariously classic entrance pose of Gendo Ikari, the bizarre father of the show’s protagonist Shinji Ikari. This is probably the biggest gag the creators threw at passengers.

Aside from the seats and the curtain designs, the use of floor patterns in Car No. 2 does a fantastic job of immersing you in the Evangelion atmosphere. That sums up Car No. 2—next, let’s head into Car No. 1 for a closer look.