Evangelion Bullet Train Collaboration

The [Neon Genesis Evangelion] (/otapedia/anime/neon_genesis_evangelion/) 500-series bullet train made its debut in November 2015 and made its last trip in May 2018. The train was a themed rendition of the popular 500-series bullet train. It’s Evangelion theming was prevalent throughout both the exterior and interior of the train and was designed to resemble Evangelion Unit 01 piloted by Shinji Ikari. 500 TYPE EVA as it is referred to in it’s bullet train rendition. This attention to detail made it a fan favorite drawing visitors from around the world to the Sanyo Shinkansen line which the train operated on.

Design Features

The Evangelion bullet train was designed to mark the 20th anniversary of the airing of the first series of [Neon Genesis Evangelion] (/otapedia/anime/neon_genesis_evangelion/) in 1995. It also coincided with the 40-year anniversary of the Sanyo Shinkansen line which started operation in 1975.

The train featured a variety of iconic features:

The outward appearance of the train was designed to resemble [Evangelion Unit 01] (/otapedia/anime/neon_genesis_evangelion/unit_01) which meant it featured a bold purple, black, silver, and acid green color scheme. It also featured sharp geometric lines which made the train appear futuristic, which was a perfect compliment to the mecha-aesthetic.
The outward appearance also included features of the iconic 500-series bullet train including its striking nose of 15 meters allowing for an impressive top speed of 320km/h.
Inside, the train cars and seating were designed to imitate NERV hallways. The purple and green color scheme so prevalent on the outside of the train was also carried through into the cars’ interior.
Evangelion theming was present throughout including cut outs and decals of characters Ritsuko Akagi and Ryoji Kaji with cigarettes inside the smoking area.
Its most popular feature was found within the lead car which simulated an Evangelion unit cockpit, allowing lucky lottery winners to undertake an Angel attack drill.
Elaborate theming continued in other areas including staff uniforms and train tickets.

Public Reception

The Evangelion bullet train was an overwhelming success with fans not only in Japan but also around the globe. This caused the train to quickly become a tourist hotspot both domestically and internationally. Evangelion super fans hoped for the ultimate prize of a spot in the cockpit which was assigned by lottery when ordering through the train lines’ website, while others settled for the immersive theming.

It had only been intended for the train to be in operation for a year to commemorate the trainline and Neon Genesis’ respective anniversaries. However, the immense popularity of the bullet train resulted in 500 TYPE EVA being in operation for close to two-and-a-half years, over double its intended timespan.

Technical Information

500 TYPE EVA was a 500-series bullet train, comprised of 16 train cars and able to carry a maximum of 1324 passengers. The top speed of a 500-series is 320km/h and this was achieved with the help of a ‘long nose’ of 15m at the front of the train which helps reduce wind resistance. The Evangelion bullet train operated on the Sanyo Shinkansen line between Shin-Osaka and Hakata. 500 TYPE EVA served as the Kodama 730 which departed from Hakata at 6:36am and reached Shin-Osaka by 11:14 am, as well as Kodama 741 which departed from Shin-Osaka at 11:32am and returned to Hakata at 16:07pm.

Closing Ceremony

On Sunday May 13th the Evangelion bullet train start its final journey from Shin-Osaka to an audience of around 1,200 fans and local residents and arrived to Hakata to an audience of over 500 wellwishers. Ticket holders were treated to [Misato Katsurugi’s] (/otapedia/anime/neon_genesis_evangelion/misato_katsuragi) wine, and could hear announcements being made by [Kaworu Nagisa] (/otapedia/anime/neon_genesis_evangelion/kaworu_nagisa). Special ticket holders were also given access to the Eva cockpit to run the Angel attack mission for a final time.

Fans, commuters, and local residents were vocal in expressing their sadness regarding the end of the much-beloved bullet train, and at the time of the trains’ decommission were seeking the reinstatement of the service.

2018 Onwards

After its closing ceremony TYPE 500 EVA was immortalized in childrens’ science fiction mecha show ‘Shinkalion’. The origins of the collaboration were said to stem from a fan request from a young boy who wrote to Shinkalions’ staff commenting upon the similarities between the two series. [Hideaki Anno]
(/otapedia/anime/neon_genesis_evangelion/hideaki_anno), [Neon Genesis Evangelions’] (/otapedia/anime/neon_genesis_evangelion/) director welcomed the collaboration and the bullet train was featured as a cameo in a 2019 episode of the show. The episode featured the retired 500 TYPE Evangelion Unit 01 bullet train as a transforming mecha robot battling ‘King Shitoel’ a mascot a character based on the Angel ‘Sachiel’. The episode also featured the voice cast of the original series, Megumi Hayashibara, Yuko Miyamura, Megumi Ogata, and Junko Iwao.

The Evangelion bullet train also lives on as a toy with Tomy releasing a 500 TYPE EVA model train as part of their Shinkalion toy series which were released in 2018 to recognize the collaboration.

Links

[Japan Times] (https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2018/05/13/national/popular-evangelion-bullet-train-makes-final-run/)
[Japan Rail] (https://www.japan-rail-pass.com/japan-by-rail/travel-tips/evangelion-train)