Tributes to Neon Genesis Evangelion in other Anime and Manga
This is the list of confirmed references to Evangelion from other anime and manga. These are either confirmed by authoritative sources or are obvious references. This is a work in progress.
801 T.T.S. Airbats (青空少女隊)
In 801 T.T.S. Airbats, an OVA that was released from 1994 to 1996, an Evangelion poster can be seen on the wall of Takuya Isurugi's bedroom.
A.I. Love You (ＡＩが止まらない)
A romantic comedy manga series by Ken Akamatsu, A.I. Love You has a panel from volume 8, chapter 53, where the protagonist's sister, Yayoi, mentions that the subterranean section of the house looks like Nerv.
Baka to Test to Shokanju (バカとテストと召喚獣)
Advanced placement into a school of higher grade proof-reading is determined by the results of the Promotion Test strictly for class type. Ranging from A class with the best facilities anyone can offer all the way down to F Class which is composed of low dining tables, rotten tatami mats and other worn out facilities. Students can change classes by competing using the Examination Summons Battle system or ESB. Students summon characters with their equivalent test mark scores and use them to compete with other classes.
- About 85% of episode 8 is a running Evangelion reference. Everything from Nerv HQ, Berserk Evas, Instrumentality, and various lines from the original show are present in this episode.
Barakamon (ばらかもん)
A 12 episode anime series from the 2014 Summer season about a calligrapher named Handa Seishu who was exiled to a small island because he punched a famous calligrapher. In episode 6, Handa's friend since middle school, Kawafuji, visits him and was describing how much of a handful Handa was. He mentions that when Handa gets depressed, he walls himself off and we see an AT-Field.
Binbogami ga! (貧乏神が！)
In Binbogami ga!, or The God Of Poverty is! or Good Luck Girl!, a show about Momiji, a poverty god, who attempts to take away the happiness energy surrounded by the other main character, Sakura, in episode 4, there's a Lance of Longinus that makes an appearance in the background:
The main character lifts a bathtub like Asuka/Unit-02 in End of Evangelion.
Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai (僕は友達が少ない)
Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai is a harem-ish school romance/comedy that started airing in October 2011 which features a boy main character that recently transferred schools. One of the girls, Rika Shiguma, one of the love interests, is a fujoshi and likes doujins featuring mecha and sex. In episode 4, she's describing one of these doujins that features a Gundam ZZ and Evangelion Unit-02.
Rika then starts to imagine scenes from her doujin:
Burn Up W/Excess (バーンナップ W/EXCESS)
Burn Up W, a 4 episode OVA release starting in April of 1996. Although it was released the same year the Evangelion TV Series was aired, in episode 2, Nanvel produces a robot named "El Heggunte'" which is very obviously a reference to Evangelion Unit-01. There is a sequence of Nanvel's display with a timer and text scrolling by. The text is the episode list of the Evangelion TV Series. In the second half of episode 8 of Burn Up Excess, the follow-up TV series, Rio Kinezono and Lilica Ebett perform a synchronized somersault and double kick like Eva-01 and Eva-02 do in Episode 08. Also in the second half of episode 8, a giant transvestite performs a rush and somersault mimicking Eva-01 in Episode 02 against Sachiel.
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Carnival Phantasm (カーニバル・ファンタズム)
Carnival Phantasm is a 12 episode OVA that consist of parodies of popular Type-Moon characters from series like Tsukihime and Fate/Stay Night. In episode 12, Shiki is holding a bunch of movie tickets and one of them has a picture of Mari Makinami in her plugsuit.
Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai! (中二病でも恋がしたい!)
Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai! is a series consisting of 2 seasons, 1 movie, and 2 OVAs that encompasses a romantic comedy surrounding characters dealing with their chuunibyou tendencies.
In episode 3 of season 1, Dekomori exclaims that she is "of the same age as the Second Children and Third Children" when they are at Togashi's house.
During episode 5 of season 1, in response to Rikka's announcement of an emergency, Dekomori says, "don't tell me it's a Blood Type Blue!"
During episode 9 of season 1, Dekomori exclaims that they have "Synchronization Rate 100%" as she is synced with Rikka on the swingset.
During episode 10 of season 1, after the opening plays, Dekomori is humming Contre Les Agressions, the music that plays during Unit-01's first launch in Rebuild of Evangelion.
In episode 9 of season 2, a scene of Rikka's delusions includes various tributes and shout-outs to mecha shows, including Evangelion, Gurren Lagann, and Gundam.
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In the same scene as above, the show makes a shout-out to the entry plugs of Evangelion.
Desert Punk (砂ぼうず)
Desert Punk focuses on the adventures of a desert handyman called Kanta Mizuno, nicknamed Desert Punk (Sunabōzu), due to his seemingly incredible feats of skill and daring while on the job. Throughout the series, he acquires an apprentice and makes a few friends as well as enemies.
- In ep. 14, during one of Taiko's (Kanta's apprentice) daydreams of being a top-notch, super-beautiful Handyman, she is seen being surrounded by bandits and Kanta all congratulating her with applause like that seen in Episode 26'.
Elf ban Kakyuusei (エルフ版 下級生)
Elf ban Kakyuusei is a 4 episode OVA that was released in November of 1997 and based on a dating sim. In episode 4, during a scene in a theatre, several characters from Evangelion are clearly depicted sitting in the theatre.
Gear Fighter Dendoh (GEAR戦士 電童)
Gear Fighter Dendoh is a lesser-known mecha series by the Gundam SEED director Mitsuo Fukuda. The show makes numerous humorous references to older mecha shows, and two of its episodes are largely dedicated for parodying Evangelion.
Episode 14 of Gear Fighter Dendoh is practically Evangelion's Episode 6 on super robot crack. When the Gulfer aliens use a swarm of tiny machine beasts to sap all electricity from Earth's power plants, GEAR HQ must devise an alternate way to recharge their battery-powered giant robot. Their ingenious solution is to harness together a huge number of small stand-alone power sources, including gasoline-powered generators, car and motorcycle engines, bicycle dynamos and even batteries from household appliances and children's toys. The ludicrous recharging operation becomes a race against time as a huge, slowly-crawling machine beast (looking vaguely like a cross-breed between Ramiel and Matarael) begins to home in on Dendoh's location in the mountains. In the ensuing beam sniping match Dendoh's Final Attack pushes back the machine beast's beam, destroying the invader. The episode ends with a public service announcement urging viewers to save electricity.
In Super Robot Wars MX, the series roster of which includes both Evangelion and Dendoh, their respective episode scenarios are combined and Operation Yashima is powered by people pedaling bicycles. (See Deranged's walkthrough on Gamefaqs.)
Dendoh's episode 18 is another, less inventive medley of Evangelion spoofs. Gulfer emperor's pet, Ragoh, has infected Dendoh's Data Weapons with a deadly computer virus, which is now slowly taking over their bodies. Scientists at the GEAR base desperately try to counterhack the virus (mimicking Evangelion's Episode 13), but when their attempts prove unsuccesful, the Dendoh pilots are sent to retrieve a sample of Ragoh's body from the bottom of the Japan Trench so that a vaccine could be based on it. The descent to the bottom of the Trench mimics Evangelion's Episode 10, and the subsequent battle against a marine-adapted machine beast recycles imagery from Episode 08.
| Gear Fighter Dendoh | ||
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Genshiken (げんしけん)
In the Genshiken manga by Shimoku Kio, which started in December of 2002, one of the short Omake strips has Ohno Kanako, an avid cosplayer, dressed up as Asuka.
In the second season of the Genshiken anime, near the end of episode 2 you can see 2 stacks of doujin on a table. The one on the right features Asuka and Rei in bikinis on the cover and Asuka is holding a beach ball that looks like Leliel.
In volume 1, chapter 3, of the manga, a panel of "Best Selling Fan-zines" (or Doujinshi), you can see one of them being an Asuka doujin.
In volume 7, chapter 39, of the manga, when Ohno's 2 friends Susanna Hopkins from the States come to visit, one of her friends, Sue, introduces herself by saying "Anta Baka", a saying made popular by Asuka. The reference is made even more evident in episode 10 of the second season TV series where she even mimics the way Asuka says it. (Sue's outfit - a dress andd two hair-ties - also somewhat resembles Asuka's outfit when she first appeared in "Asuka Strikes!" using that phrase.) Ohno then tells her she can't just say stuff like that and that she's lucky Madarame (the person she says it to) understands that it's a parody (of Evangelion).
Chapter 83 of the manga is titled "The Life Instrumentality Project", after the "Human Instrumentality Project" of Evangelion.
In the Genshiken, Second Season TV series which depicts the second generation of the club, during one of the extras at the end of episode 3, Kenjiro Hato, a cross dresser, is attempting to put on a costume at a coplay cafe that looks like Asuka's plugsuit (but censored).
Gintama (銀魂)
Gintama is an action/comedy/parody show that started airing in April 2006.
Parody of Gendo Pose in episode 43.
A.T. Field mentioned in episode 122
Oiwa's 'Hora-hora-hora' punches on Gintoki in episode 133 causes a cross-shaped explosion parodying explosions in Evangelion.
There was a parody of Evangelion's Episode 26 in episode 150.
In episode 151, the barber says that, for a samurai, wearing a helmet causes baldness so everybody in society cuts their hair into a topknot so everybody will be the same. Gintoki responds by saying "What the hell is that about? The Human Instrumentality Project?"
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Episode 158 had a few parodies of Evangelion.
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In episode 162, an A.T. Field appears.
In the Popularity Poll Arc, everybody received a rank based on a popularity poll conduced in JUMP magazine. Some characters were disasstisfied with their number and started to kill or discredit higher ranked characters to raise their number. A group of main girls, Tsukuyo, Tae, Kagura, Sarutobi Ayame, and Kyuubei created a group called Diamond Perfume, parodying the Japanese band Perfume. By creating the group, they all gained the same ranking as the highest ranked person. Doing this, they attempted to make other high ranking characters join their group. When they cornered Gintoki and Shinpachi in episode 184, they said they can all be first place together. Gintoki responds with a joke about about the similarity to this idea and Instrumentality.
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In episode 190, Gintoki urinates on a cat grave and turns into a cat. He and his friends who also turned into animals join up with the stray cats of the city. The first picture is Otose saying that it isn't cats that should be neutered, it should be humans. Shinpachi replies with the statement seen in the picture, referencing the Human Instrumentality Project. In the other two pictures, there is a reference to the synchronization ratio of Eva pilots.
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In episode 240, Gintoki controls puppets to go on dates for him. The puppets are labeled with units parodying the Unit names of Evangelions
Also in episode 240, Tae bites into the Unit 01 puppet parodying when Unit 01 eats Zeruel in Episode 19. The sound made during the scene is similar to the sound Unit 01 makes during Berserker Mode in Episode 19. Tae's red eyes are similar to Unit 01's eyes in Evangelion 2.0 when it is in Berserker Mode.
In the 6th season of Gintama, episode 254, an explanation of how Kin-san, the Odd-jobs new leader, was "created" starts with a "Gintoki Shogouki".
This is, I believe, the cover of vol. 70 of the Gintama manga. It depicts Gintoki (the main character) on top of a monster (I think an alien?) from the series, that is apparently wearing Unit 01 armor.
GJ-bu (GJ部)
In episode 2, Megumi Amatsuka interrupts Shion and Kyoro and suggests to play a game of "Twister". On the box, you can see the likenesses of Asuka, Rei, and Mari.
Great Teacher Onizuka (グレート・ティーチャー・オニヅカ)
Great Teacher Onizuka is a show that first aired in June of 1999 and based on a manga series that started in February of 1997. Evangelion is probably the second-most referenced anime in GTO after Gundam, and only some of the spoofs are illustrated here.
- In the manga, when Onizuka walks through Yoshikawa's room, you can see several posters of Rei and Asuka hanging on the walls.
- In the manga, after winning the swimming contest against Mr. Fukuroda, he says that he'll use the winnings to buy Evangelion trading cards.
- In volume 11 of the manga, when Miyabi was setup with an S&M crowd, there is a Seele mask on one of the S&M implements against the wall. Onizuka also occasionally sports a red scarf that has the seven-eyed mask.
- In volume 14 of the manga, when Miyabi came to school after dying her hair blue, Onizuka hugs her and tells her how big of a Rei Ayanami fan he is, believing that Miyabi dyed her hair to look like Rei.
- In episode 12 of the anime, Teshigawara Suguru, the devious Math teacher, wears a white glove on his right hand that looks very similar to the ones that Gendo Ikari wears, and can be seen pushing his glasses up several times in this episode.
- See also: Yoshikawa's sand pyramid.
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Gundam Evolve (ガンダムEVOLVE)
Gundam Evolve (2001-2003) is a series of 15 animated short films, taking place in various timelines across the sprawling franchise. Although many of these films are built around more or less ununsual "what if" scenarios, Evolve 9 is arguably the most bizarre entry in the series.
This Zeta Gundam spin-off features Amuro Ray and a person who may or may not be Shin Matsunaga, baffling Buddhist and Illuminati references, Newtype hax shenanigans and a whole slew of apparently very intentional Evangelion shout-outs. These include a Karaba base commander who looks suspiciously like Gendo, a Systema Sephiroticum shaped chart that is briefly visible on one of the base monitors, cross-shaped light effects and an octahedron-shaped beam-spitting psycommu mobile weapon that resembles Ramiel (in its un-transformed mode). Furthermore, there's also some Newtype mind rape, with a female pilot inside a red mobile suit being at the receiving end.
| Gundam Evolve 9 | ||
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Hackadoll the Animation (ハッカドール)
The beginning of episode 3 of Hackadoll is essentially a Neon Genesis Evangelion tribute, opening with a meeting with the Seele council and including the hacking of the 3 "Magi". Some scenes even go as far as making it appear as it was shot in 4:3 aspect ratio.
Haiyore! Nyaruko-san (這いよれ! ニャル子さん)
A set of very short stories about the life of Nyaruko, contains a scene in the 4th story on an elevator that mimics the elevator scene between Asuka and Rei from Episode 22.
In episode 1 of the anime, Nyaruko's pose mirrors that of Misato Katsuragi drinking a beer in Episode 2.
In episode 4 of the anime, This pose is referencing to Gendo Pose.
In episode 8 of the anime, this scene is a parody of a common scenario in anime and manga and such, wherein characters will crash into each other at a corner due to being in a hurry and not watching out for other people. If one of characters is a girl, she will typically fall down and her skirt or dress will be flipped up such that the guy accidentally sees her underwear. Characters running to school with toast in their mouths due to being late is also a common occurrence. The true origin of this scenario is unknown, however one well known occurrence of it is in Episode 26 of Neon Genesis Evangelion, wherein nearly the exact same scenario as above occurs between Shinji Ikari and Rei Ayanami. On a related note, the bread falling between Nyaruko's legs is a pun because in Japanese "bread" is pronounced "pan" (ぱん) and "underwear" is pronounced "pantsu" (ぱんつ).
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In this scene of episode 10 of the anime, the Japanese dialogue is "Tsuitsui zankoku na tenshi no beeze wo shite shimatta no desu" (ついつい残酷な天使のベーゼをしてしまったのです). This is referencing the song "Zankoku na Tenshi no Teeze" (残酷な天使のテーゼ), or "Cruel Angel's Thesis."
Also in episode 10, the barrier that Nyaruko projects in this scene resembles the Absolute Terror Field, also called A.T. Field.
Hayate the Combat Butler (ハヤテのごとく！)
Hayate no Gotoku, or Hayate the Combat Butler, is a show that started in April of 2007. This show contains so many parodies and references to other anime, TV shows, and games, that it is nearly impossible to catch them all.
- A Nerv logo look-alike can be seen in one of the baths:
- In episode 01, Hayate's boss does the Gendo pose
- In episode 03, Hayate appears to be impaled with multiple Lances.
- In episode 05, Hayate recites Shinji's "I mustn't run away" mantra.
- During episode 10 with an extended parody of the game "Dragon Quest", the head of Giant Rei/Lilith popped out of the enemy everyone was fighting, as well as the right arm of Evangelion Unit-00 falling from the sky.
- In episode 18, a character named Schmidt is seen in what looks like Evangelion Unit-01's cockpit and he appears to be wearing the headset of Asuka.
- There is a sequence that parodies the first launch of Evangelion Unit-01 in episode 21. A giant nursing robot (which looks alarmingly like Snoopy) goes berserk.
- Hayate sits on a rock and talks like Kaworu in episode 22.
- In episode 25, after Nagi is abducted, a Mecha comes to fight Hayate that looks somewhat like a strange SD version of Evangelion Unit-01, and displays a cross-shaped explosion after it is destroyed.
- In episode 34, during a scene in the school festival that suspiciously looks like Comiket, there's a girl holding a sign wearing a teal colored plugsuit.
- In episode 36, Klaus, the old Sanzenin Family butler, is sulking in a corner repeating "I mustn't run away" over and over again, with a Lance in his back that looks remarkably like the Spear of Longinus. When Hayate approaches him, an A.T. Field appears, which Maria the maid immediately responds with "An A.T. Field. It's a barrier made by the soul." Following that, Hayate tells Nagi "Right now, he might be getting consumed by the Dirac Sea" in reference to Klaus, in which she responds "Then get a forced salvage operation going or something!" Later in the episode, Klaus is seen sulking in a corner with the Lance in him again.
- In episode 38, Himegami returns wearing a one-eyed mask. Klaus repermands him by saying "And what is that mask? Is it from that? That strange white crucified thing? Then hold a spear, too!"
- In episode 39, Hayate and the school's superintendent are talking in the battle arena and the superintendent summons a treasure among butlers. It is delivered through the floor by a large mecha that emerges from the ground using an Eva lift. A golden snake head then appears and its eye glows like Evangelion Unit-01 and roars like going berserk. Following that, Himegami blocks a beam attack with a cube that looks like Ramiel.
- In episode 40, while Hayate and Nagi are on a bicycle, Hayate mentions to Nagi about coming up with a new Instrumentality Project while trucks pass them in the background with parody Nerv emblems. Also in this episode, several ocean waves shots were used to segway between scenes, a possible homage to the many times it was used in Evangelion.
- In episode 43, Nagi is seen in the eva launch sequence.
- In episode 46, while Saki does a short monologue a Seele monolith (Seele 01) appears in front of her.
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Continuing with Hayate no Gotoku!! season 2, there are also several references.
- In the OVA, which is episode 00, the narrerator, Wakamoto, says: "Meanwhile, a girl stood in front of the mansion in thought, much like a boy forced to sit in a giant robot."
- In episode 2, Sister is seen on the hand of her robot, which looks like Evangelion Unit-01.
- In episode 8, Nagi is holding her new kitten saying: "Like showing the entire series of Mobile Suit, Multipurpose Humanoid War Machine,[....]" which is a reference to what Ritsuko described the Evas as to Shinji in the first episode.
- In episode 12, the title is "Cruel Big Foolish Guy's Thesis," harking to the OP of the show. As a matter of fact, later in the episode Hinagiku is forced to sing the song "Cruel Angel's Thesis" at her birthday party. The scenery during her singing is also a parody of the OP of the show as well.
| Hayate no Gotoku!! season 2 | ||
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A 3rd season of Hayate aired in the Fall of 2012, and the references kept coming. In episode 5, a masked theft came in to rob a restuarant wearing the purple 7-eyed mask that Lilith had in the TV series:
History's Strongest Disciple Kenichi (史上最強の弟子ケンイチ)
In the History's Strongest Disciple Kenichi manga, Volume 25, Chapter 1, Battle 218: For The Sake Of Getting Stronger, Kozo Ukita is seen hunched over repeating I mustn't run away over and over again, a catch phrase made popular by Shinji in Evangelion.
I Can't Understand What My Husband Is Saying (旦那が何を言っているかわからない件)
In this short gag anime about a pretty office lady who's married to an otaku, there's a lot of references to pop culture and other anime. In episode 10, while discussing naming children & not naming them after pop culture, Hajime (the otaku husband) does a Gendo Pose and utters the line about naming their child "Shinji" if it's a boy and "Rei" if it's a girl. Then he notes that his wife's name is "Kaoru"; she is shown perched on a stone angel against a setting sun like Kaoru Nagisa in the original TV series.
In episode 13, the last episode of the first season, Hajime thinking that his wife may be pregnant goes to buy a pregnancy test and is seen by his friends. News apparently travelled very fast and there was a round of "Congratulations" done in the same way as the end of the Evangelion TV series (episode 26).
Ikki Tousen (一騎当千)
In the second season of Ikki Tousen (Dragon Destiny), the mid-episode eyecatch in episode 8 featured Gakushin Bunken in Rei's plugsuit as well as the interface headsets.
Joshiraku (じょしらく)
In the Joshiraku OVA included in volume 5 of the DVD, while Kukuru Anrakutei mentions the decline of the anime inducstry, a silhouette of Rei Ayanami in her plugsuit is in the background.
Jungle wa Itsumo Hare nochi Guu (ジャングルはいつもハレのちグゥ)
The surreal, comical, and occasionally serious series focuses on the story of a 10-year-old jungle boy named Haré and his misadventures with Guu, a liminal being who usually presents herself as a young girl.
- A character in Guu's stomach, Hiroko Yamada ("Angry Yamada"), is seen sitting in a chair under a spotlight in season 1: episode 8, similar to those seen in Evangelion's TV ending.
- Guu is seen in season 3: episode 7 with a Sachiel face on her shirt.
Kanokon (かのこん)
Kanokon is an ecchi fanservice show that started airing in April of 2008. In the 3rd episode, Nozomu Ezomori purposely runs into Kouta Oyamada by running around a corner with toast in her mouth shouting "Ahhh, I'm late, I'm late, I'm late..." similar to Rei in the alternate universe scene from Episode 26.
Love Hina (ラブ ひな)
In the Love Hina manga, Keitaro was following Naru around when she stops at a Cosplay Cafe, he imagines her wearing Asuka's red plugsuit.
In Volume 8, after an especially pathetic speech by Keitaro, Naru exclaims: "Hey, who told you to go all Shinji on me?!"
Lucky Star (らき☆すた)
The cover of the Vol 11 Lucky Star Character Song CD, featuring Soujirou and Kanata (Hirokazu Hiramatsu and Sumi Shimamoto), shows Soujirou standing in front of a wooden cabinet that's seen in the TV series. However, unlike in the series, you can see Asuka and Rei figurines sitting on it behind Soujirou's left shoulder.
Macademi Wasshoi (まかでみWAっしょい！)
A show about a magic academy that aired in the Fall of 2008, had a short sequence that parodied Evangelion in episode 5. Within the command center, Eitarou Sakuma (as Gendo) sits in the typical pose with Eneus as Fuyutsuki while mayhem breaks out all over the command center, clammoring about "The 4th defense line has been penetrated!" and the like. He then declares that The Evangelist has been resurrected, followed by screams that "The tragedy is going to be repeated!".
Maria+Holic (まりあ†ほりっく)
A comedy that aired at the start of 2009, Maria+Holic features an all girl's school and yuri. Near the end of episode 6, Honoka is missing her underwear from the infirmary and when Kanako (main character, she likes girls) is accused, Maria puts up an A.T. Field to protect herself, either against Kanako's pervertedness or against the inevitable blood pouring out of her nose from a nosebleed.
Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (涼宮ハルヒの憂鬱)
Season 1 had a brief reference during broadcast episode 7 in an assortment of books. "Emangelivion Storyboards Volume One" can be seen on the spine of the first-to-last subtitled book.
During the second season of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, in episode 16 (combined, or episode 6 of only the second season) during the Endless Summer arc, Kyon mentions "Now I know how Zero-gouki felt after being hit by a beam." after coming back from the part-time job. In episode 11 of the second season, Kyon asks a question to Haruhi concerning Mikuru's outfit. Also in episode 13 in the second season (episode 23 in 2009 Renewal), Kyon is filming Yuki and Mikuru wrestling on the ground and says "Target in the center" like Shinji does in the beginning of Episode 03.
Miami Guns (マイアミ☆ガンズ)
In episode 7, Yao reverts to a primitive state after her father takes her money and priviledges away, and is being monitored from a control room. She goes berserk and punches the glass that separates her and her father and Kaken. Kaken orders the warm water to be turned on to contain the berserk Yao. This entire sequence mimicks Eva-00's activation test in the beginning of Episode 05. Also, in the opening animation there is a quick shot of Yao's father behind his desk wearing white gloves in a Gendo Pose. This shot is also re-used occasionally in the show itself.
| Miami Guns | ||
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Minipato (ミニパト)
The short Patlabor parody OAV Minipato (2002) spoofs the many tropes of the mecha genre by making references to various other mecha anime, including Evangelion. In Episode 2 one of the alternative Patlabor designs, translated as "Large quantity style" in the offcial subs, is based on a Mass Production Evangelion.
MM! (えむえむっ！)
In the 2nd opening for the TV series MM! (2010), Manage Domyoji is onscreen with what looks like an plugsuited Asuka figurine in the background.
Nisekoi (ニセコイ)
Nisekoi homages the design of NERV doors and elevators, and Marika's father (voiced by Fumihiko Tachiki) does a Gendo pose in episode 15. [1].
Nisemonogatari (偽物語)
In episode one, there is a parody of Shinji and Rei's conversation in Episode 6.
Oreimo (俺の妹がこんなに可愛いわけがない)
In Oreimo (Ore no Imouto ga Konnani Kawaii Wake ga Nai), or "My Little Sister Can't Be This Cute", episode 2 of the first season includes a brief mention of Evangelion by Kirino
Oreshura (俺修羅)
In the 6th episode of Oreshura, Masuzu Natsukawa reads off Eita Kidou's four angels from his notebook, and the first is "Ayanami Asuka" while images of Asuka appear beside her, including the Interface Headsets. The notebook even includes Asuka's signature "Anta Baka".
Otaku no Musume-san (おたくの娘さん)
This scene in Volume 10 is a parody of Episode 26.
Outbreak Company (アウトブレイク・カンパニー)
The anime series where the main protagonist, Kanou Shinichi, a thoroughbred otaku, lands a job as a "moe missionary" in a fantasy world. At the beginning of the first episode, we see a few panning shots of Kanou's room and you can see a figure of Asuka Shikinami Langley, complete with an eyepatch.
Pani Poni Dash! (ぱにぽにだっしゅ！)
Pani Poni Dash! is a gag anime that aired in July of 2005. As the show constantly references other anime (and other works of popular culture), it also contains numerous Evangelion parodies. To list just a few:
- In the super robot parody sequence in episode 12, Rebecca plays the role of a base commander in a Gendo Pose.
- In episode 18, one of the explosions following a bomb-defusal training gone wrong resembles the awakening of Eva-01 in The End of Evangelion.
- In episode 19, Akane Serizawa is seen holding a miniature Spear of Longinus. In the same episode, Ichijo's character design undergoes a brief Rei-ish (or Yui-ish, if you prefer) transformation.
- In episode 21, a giant Himeko is holding Serizawa (dressed up as Rebecca) in a similar fashion as Eva-01 holds Kaworu Nagisa during the long single still shot in Episode 24. Immediately following, Rei Tachibana makes an Evangelion-themed appearance as a Betamax Seele monolith.
- Episode 20 features fig leaf shaped split screens and random Evangelion cosplay.
- Episode 25 is another mecha parody episode. The alien captain's human form alternates briefly between the standard Jean-Luc Picard and Keel Lorenz .
- The crew of Pani Poni X is trapped in a series of fake worlds, resembling Evangelion's TV-ending version of Instrumentality. After breaking free, their mech is transformed into what looks like a hybrid of Eva-01 and Diana A from Mazinger Z.
- And finally in episode 26, there are a number of minor references.
| Pani Poni Dash! | ||
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The more recent OVA had a few references as well. The last two images (left to right) were in a sequence that resembled when Shinji sees Eva-01's eye in the building windows. Right after the "hand eye" is shown to Becky, she screams just like Shinji did.
| Pani Poni Dash! OVA | |
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Ping Pong (ピンポン)
An 11 episode Noitamina TV series that features two childhood friends and the sport of ping pong. In the last episode during a flashback, one of the two friends, "Hoshino", has his math test posted in the classroom. He received a score of "0" because instead of solving the problems, he covered his test with Evangelion related doodles.
Robotics;Notes
Akiho Senomiya adopts a Gendo pose in episode 8; Subaru calls her out on it by name.[2]
Rurouni Kenshin (るろうに剣心)
According to the author of the Rurouni Kenshin manga, Nobuhiro Watsuki, the visual design of Yukishiro Tomoe ended up being like Rei Ayanami and Honjo Kamatari's face was based on Yui Ikari.
Sayonara Zetsubo Sensei (さよなら絶望先生)
- In episode 2, there's a shot of UCC Coffee cans with Gendo on them.
- In episode 9, there is a short eye-catch that appears after Itoshiki Nozomu says to name 7 mistakes in life. The second mistake listed in the eye-catch is "'Getting hooked on Eva while failing to get into college'".
- From the second season, Zoku Sayonara Zetsubo Sensei, in episode 11, there is a shot of Kaere Kimura on Lilith's cross with a Spear of Longinus through her chest.
- Also from the second season, in episode 12, Evangelion Unit-01 appears briefly on the TV set. Later in the episode, Kafuka goes on to describe Hirumi Fujiyoshi's long history of "counter currents" including: "Studying Greek mythology because of Saint Seiya", "Listening to classical music because of Eva", "Reading the bible because of Eva", "Dabbling in psychology because of Eva". The ending of this short sequence has an eye catch that says "キモチ ワルイ" (kimochi warui), the last line from the End of Evangelion. Following that, we see the classroom and a Sachiel mask in the background (lower right) followed by a quick shot of Kaere Kimura changing in a locker room with an Angel designation.
| Sayonara Zetsubo Sensei | ||
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- In episode 4 of the second season, using the text from an ancient civilization to find a weapon capable of defeating the alien invaders, Chiri Kitsu gets turned into a giant and fights the onslaught of giant robots. She defeats them in a similar manner as Asuka and Evangelion Unit-02 defeats the Mass Production Evangelions in the first half of End of Evangelion.
- Chiri, like Asuka, shouts Erster! (German for "First") after destroying the first enemy, and continues as she destroys the others.
- Chiri then takes out a Proper Sword, which looks very similar to Eva-02's Progressive Knife, and continues the onslaught against the enemy robots, where she kicks 2 of them in a similar manner as Asuka and Eva-02 kicks 2 of the VTOLs before the Mass Production Evangelions arrive.
| Chiri's fight in episode 4 | ||
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In the third season, called Zan Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei:
- During episode 2, Chiri is talking about Harumi's glasses also being "restraints"
- Also during episode 2, there is a mention of the production of "Quickening", which is a possible reference to the 3rd Evangelion movie.
- There is a screen of text about different kinds of "moe" with a crudely drawn Asuka.
- Harumi is seen drawing comics, you can see a Nerv mug on her table and a "Secrets of Eva" book on her bookshelf.
- Also in episode 2, Harumi is seen reading yaoi manga with what vaguely looks like Shinji and Kaworu on the cover. The manga is titled "ShinKawo".
- At the beginning of episode 9, there's a "Congradulations" sequence mimicking the sequence at the end of Episode 26 when everyone is congradulating Shinji. Youtube link
- Also in episode 9, there's a scene with "Complaints about Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei" and one of them is to "make an anime more interesting than Eva"
- Also in episode 9, the Nerv mug makes another appearance.
- An "Evangelion Movie" sign can be seen in episode 9.
- In episode 10, there's a list and one of the items is "How many newly-timely Eva gags we can make"
- Also in episode 10, Chiri mentions that Evangelion 2.0, You can (not) advance, is getting rave reviews.
- In episode 13, Nami is asked if she saw the new Evangelion movie yet.
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Seto no Hanayome (瀬戸の花嫁)
Seto no Hanayome is a series that aired in April of 2007. In episode 16, Rei and Asuka can be seen in the crowd in the school's hallway wearing the school's uniforms.
Sgt. Frog (ケロロ軍曹)
Sgt. Frog aka Keroro Gunsou (anime and manga) has too many Evangelion references to possibly list them all, so a few will have to do:
- In Vol. Eleven of the Manga, there is a sequence in which Corporal Giroro revives like Eva-02 in EOE.
- In both the anime and the manga, Sgt. Keroro has been known to dress up like a Seele Monolith.
- In episode 9, Saguro invades the Hinata house, an "Emergency" alarm goes off (a copy of the one from Evangelion), followed by an A.T. Field blocking the front door, followed by Saguro breaking in and descending down a long tube (just like Kaworu did with Eva-02 in Episode 24), culminating in the introduction of the Kululu character; Harold Ancell says Kaworu's original seiyuu (Ishida Akira) reprised his role
- In one episode, the Keron Force tries to conquor Earth by making everyone lethargic with "May Disease", which seems to be the Japanese equivalent of Spring Fever. This somehow escalates into a Third Impact-style disaster.
- In another episode, there is a tribute to the "congratulations" scene.
| Sgt. Frog | ||
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Shimoneta: A Boring World where the Concept of Dirty Jokes Doesn't Exist (下ネタという概念が存在しない退屈な世界)
Shimoneta: A Boring World where the Concept of Dirty Jokes Doesn't Exist, a 12-episode TV series (based on the Light Novels of the same name) from 2015, features a robotic character named "Tsukimigusa", who is assigned by one character (Anna Nishikinomiya)'s father to protect her. We find out that Tsukimigusa is really a boy in girl's clothing. When asked if he has no identity due to being forced to cross-dress, he says "My identity is following Mr. Matsutake's orders. If he orders me to be a boy, I will be a boy. If he orders me to be a girl, I will be a girl."
In fact, he has 5 objectives given to guide his actions:
1. Any information that could taint boys or intelligence from a government organization is to be kept secret.
2. Entrance to Miss Anna's personal room, bath and any place where she undresses is prohibited.
3. Taking Provision #2 into account... Whenever lewd actions are taking place, never leave Miss Anna's side.
4. Protect Miss Anna's eyes from anything lewd.
5. Taking Provision 1, 2, 3, and 4 into account... Prioritize Miss Anna's orders and actions above all other orders.
These are explicitly compared to Asimov's 3 Laws of Robotics. All this, in addition to his single-minded focus on protecting Anna, should be enough to cement his position as a Rei expy. Not only that, but the man who trained him, Mr. Matsutake, is quite obviously an intentional Gendo clone. Not only did he train a Rei expy to follow his orders without question, but he also has been manipulating the events of the show behind the scenes in order to achieve his plans.
Shinryaku! Ika Musume (侵略！イカ娘)
Shinryaku! Ika Musume, a 12 episode TV series from 2010, has a quick shot of the 3 M.I.T. scientists attempting to protect themselves from the wrath of Chizuru after they made the store disappear in episode 9. One of the scientists is wielding a clear pane of glass (or something) with an A.T. Field painted on it.
Shirobako
Shirobako is a TV series from 2014-2015 about a group of people who went from an animation club in school to work for a big animation studio. At the end of episode 11, Aoi Miyamori, one of the main characters and a production assistant, went looking for animators that could draw key frames for a scene with horses. She ends up at another animation studio where they play a joke on her and send her to meet the director of "Neon Generation Avangaldon".
They didn't think she'd actually run off to meet the director, and Aoi drives to meet the director, "Kanno Mitsuaki" at his house. Along with being a spitting image of Hideaki Anno, he also asks Aoi if she'd ever watched "Ava" back in 1995, and she replies that she'd only seen the new theatrical releases on DVD but not the entirety of the original TV series.
Slayers (スレイヤーズ)
In the Slayers manga, there is a frame where you can clearly see Misato, Asuka, Shinji, and Rei in the background.
Slayers Try, is a sequel to Slayers Next and Slayers that aired starting in April of 1997. In episode 17, there is a scene where Kerel is sitting atop a rock, mimicking the scene in the beginning of Episode 24 where Kaworu is humming atop of a broken statue looking over a lake. Also, Kerel is played by Kaworu's seiyuu, Akira Ishida, taking a break from his regular Slayers character, Xellos.
Slayers Evolution-R, a sequel to Slayers Revolution, has a scene in episode 13 where Xelloss invokes a sheild that looks similar to an AT-Field.
| The Slayers | ||
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Softenni (そふてにっ)
Softenni, an ecchi gag anime from 2011 about a tennis club, featured a couple of Evangelion tributes. In episode 3, when everyone was on their way to the public baths, they ride down a long escalator with the Prelude of Bach's Cello Suite No.1 playing in the background (the piece that Shinji plays on his cello) followed by a conversation between Kurusu and Kotone about Kotone's father, which was then followed by a slap. This sequence is almost identical to Shinji and Rei riding down the escalator in Episode 05 and Rei slapping Shinji for not having faith in his father.
In episode 8 of Softenni, as the club faces Misaki Shidou's tennis trials, Kurusu throws a daifuku to the other side of the first trial, a moving conveyor belt with moving hurdles, so that Chitose (the busty green haired girl) would go berserk over it, all the while, Ode to Joy from Beethoven's 9th symphony is playing in the background. This is similar to Episode 19 when Evangelion Unit-01 goes berserk while fighting Zeruel.
Sword Art Online(ソードアート・オンライン )
Season 1 Episode 22 of SAO (The Grand Quest) takes place in the ALFheim arc of the show. Kirito, in his quest to rescue Asuna from Sugou must ascend the World Tree, which involves a gauntlet of high level enemies. On his first attempt at this battle, Kirito manages to make it through the first wave of enemies before being overwhelmed by archers. As he tries to reach the top of the arena before he dies to the flurry of arrows, he is impaled by one of the guardian knights' swords.This is likely a reference to Asuka's death in End of Evangelion: Death and Rebirth, where she fights the Mass Produced Eva Series, she dies is a similar fashion, after being impaled by one of the Mass Produced Eva's mock lances. Kirito tries with his final breath to get past the throng, he reaches his arm out towards the light of the exit above him, and then is impaled by several more swords. The timing of impact of the weapons in both scenes achieves similar dramatic effects.
Sword Art Online 2(ソードアート・オンライン II)
Sword Art Online 2 is the sequel of the same name featuring virtual reality like MMO worlds. In episode 8, Kirito and Sinon, the two main characters of this season, were in an elevator on their way to a tournament. The elevator ride is long and they remain motionless, in the same positions as Rei and Asuka from Episode 22 and Evangelion 2.0.
Train Man: Densha Otoko (電車男 ～ネット発、各駅停車のラブ・ストーリー～)
In the Train Man manga, in chapter 19, page 5, when Densha Otoko is cleaning his room he finds a mecha figure that looks remarkably like an Evangelion along with the logo (which says Gangelion).
Watamote (ワタモテ)
Watamote, or "No Matter How I Look at It, It’s You Guys' Fault I’m Not Popular!", has a couple of Evangelion references in episode 9. In the beginning of the episode, Tomoko's phone is depicted like a Seele monolith:
Later in the episode, when Tomoko's mom is trying to get her to do chores, she gets mad and the scene cuts to a shot that sort of resembles to Evangelion Unit-01 after the Sachiel fight with Tomoko's mom standing atop a pyramid, but they really are the "God Warriors" from Miyazaki's "Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind".
Welcome to NHK (NHKにようこそ！)
The Welcome to NHK manga, which started its publication run in June 2004, features an antisocial, unemployed, uneducated main protagonist who fears going outside and a girl that tries to help him. In chapter 5 of the manga, a page with Satou and Misaki, Evangelion Unit-01 has a cameo.
Also, in Chapter 37, the title page shows the characters dressed in plugsuits and the first 3 pages has Satou playing an Evangelion pachinko game.
| "Welcome to NHK, Chapter 37" | |||
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Zettai Karen Children (絶対可憐チルドレン)
In episode 7 of Zettai Karen Children, Kaoru Akashi, a 10 year old with telekinetic powers, unleashes a psychic shield that looks similar to an A.T. Field.
In episode 16, a laptop depicting Seel with a Sound Only designation on a laptop
In episode 26, during a "dream" sequence, Minamoto is on a rooftop talking with an adult version of Kaoru, with a gun pointed at her. She starts a sentence with "I...", then the rest of her dialogue is muted. Afterwards, Minamoto fires his gun and she is struck by the bullet and flies backwards. This is similar to the exchange between Gendo and Ritsuko during the End of Evangelion where Gendo's line is similarly muted and Ritsuko takes a bullet and flies backwards.
Zone of the Enders
Some visual details in the two Zone of the Enders anime appear to be Evangelion homages. The titular AI mecha of Dolores, i has a female personality (at least partly based on memory imprints) and a nasty propensity for going berserk. Especially the scene in episode 18 where berserk Dolores brutally mauls her downed opponent seems to borrow heavily from the Bardiel fight. Episode 22 has another Bardiel reference, when the orbital frame Hathor extends its arm to an unnatural length to grab Dolores's head.
In the prequel OAV Idolo, Dolores Hayes, the human whose memories would be imprinted into Dolores the mecha, is shown wearing a Greek cross pendant similar to that of Misato's.
| "Zone of the Enders" | ||
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