Wonder Festival 2020 [Evangelion] [Event Report]

Legendary figure convention Wonder Festival returned to Makuhari Messe on Dec. 6 for a very special event: Wonder Festival 2020 [Evangelion], or EVA WonFes! True to its name, it focused on figures and statues inspired by Hideaki Anno’s iconic Evangelion franchise.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was held on a smaller scale than previous events. The atmosphere was also a little different due to strict measures upheld to protect its attendees, but this certainly didn’t change the fans’ passion for Evangelion and amazing figures! Read on for a quick tour of EVA WonFes!

Attendees were greeted by yet another gorgeous official WonFes illustration by Kiyohiko Azuma.

Booths were spaced out this year as part of the event’s many measures against COVID-19 transmission.

The exhibits included an official Evangelion booth, where visitors could enjoy a PV for Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time (slated to open in Jan. 2021), as well as various product displays.

The Kaiyodo booth showcased a fantastic selection of previous Evangelion products, with reruns of garage kits also up for grabs.

Did you know that Evangelion is closely linked to the development of Japanese garage kits and Wonder Festival? In the late 1990s, Evangelion triggered a boom in garage kits for both fans and creators. These creators went on to inspire and compete with each other, a factor which led to better quality in the overall figure industry.

An Evangelion Unit-01 garage kit produced in 1997. Reruns limited to EVA WonFes were also up for sale.

Kaiyodo also displayed figures of characters from upcoming movie Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time. Arranged as a battle scene, it raised anticipation for the long-awaited end to the Rebuild of Evangelion series.

Kotobukiya was also at EVA WonFes with a booth illustrating its long history of creating quality Evangelion products.

A timeline at the Kotobukiya booth showing over 20 years of Evangelion figures.

A figure of Rei Ayanami produced in the 90s. This particular figure has been discontinued.

BANDAI SPIRITS, noted for brands like Ichiban Kuji and TAMASHII Nations, brought exhibits that spotlighted figures and plamodels for characters from the upcoming movie.

Of course, we can’t forget about the dealers who came to show off their amazing indie figures! A WonFes tradition, these items are generally available for sale to the public only on the day, with dealers receiving permission from the official franchise under these conditions. Like the industry section, there were fewer booths than past events, but that made it all the more easier for individual dealers to stand out with their unique creations.

A clear figure of Rei Ayanami. Created by Gaianotes.

Asuka looking confident on a motorbike. Created by Vispo.

Original tenugui towels with stamped designs. Created by Epiriri -Epic&Lyric-.

Lilith’s body. Created by Galaxy-koubou.

Adam, the First Angel… up for grabs for just 7000 yen! Only at WonFes. Note: Even if you eat Adam, you won’t be able to generate AT Fields. Created by KITTY-HAWK.

We hope you enjoyed this taste of EVA WonFes. Of course, you can never really get enough of Evangelion nor the stunning figures of WonFes, so check out our album below for even more photos of all the action!

Photography and article by Takemori S.