As an update to the Ritsuko Akagi “Cool Girl” Figure post from earlier, the Misato and Asuka CG figures made an appearance at the Takara Tomy Doll Show. The Asuka CG was previously released in March and the Misato CG will be released in June.

The Misato CG Figure is sold at 17,640円 (including tax) and is 1/6 scale. It includes interchangeable wrist replacements, a pallet rifle, an H & K USP gun, sunglasses, a pendant cross, and a stand.

The Asuka CG Figure is also 1/6 scale but it costs 18,690円 with tax. It comes with a headset (including the interface headsets), a fancy looking handgun, a holster, interchangeable wrist replacements, and a stand.

• Takara Tomy: Misato, Asuka, Ritsuko
• Amazon: Misato, Asuka
• Amiami: Misato, Asuka
• Takara Tomy Cool Girl Website
• Moeyo Blog

The 2009 Animotion Film Festival in Bonn, Germany, that runs from July 31st to August 2nd, will be screening the new Evangelion 2.0 movie, You (Can) Not Advance, just one month after the premiere in Japan with English subtitles. If this works out, people in Europe may be the first to experience the new movie in theatres outside of Japan.

• Animotion anouncement (German)
• Affenheim Theater Blog

Evangelion UCC Coffee is back for the 2.0 movie. Just like for the 1.0 movie, UCC Coffee cans decorated with Evangelion characters are sold with special barcodes affixed to the cans that can be scanned by mobile phones. Once scanned, you’ll receive one of 12 mobile phone wallpapers and a chance to win a limited edition Asuka figure from UCC Coffee (1000 figures total) as well as one of five Puchi Eva UCC Coffee figures. The Puchi Eva figures feature Asuka in her yellow sundress, Rei, Shinji, and Kaworu in their school uniforms as well as a secret figure rumored to be the new character Mari Makinami. If so, this would be the first time outside of the Puchi Eva Nintendo DS game we see an SD version of Mari.

• UCC Coffee Evangelion Cans (mobile phones only)
• UCC Coffee Website
• Eva Emergency News Blog

Update: 5/19: Official UCC/Eva 2.0 website accessable from regular browsers.

A page has appeared on EVANGELION.CO.JP announcing the release date for the next movie’s soundtrack — July 8th — along with providing basic details on the album itself. Well, albums, technically. A translation of the main contents (hopefully no major inaccuracies):

Evangelion New Theatrical Edition: Breakup Original Soundtrack SPECIAL EDITION (Tentative Title)
Planned Album Contents
Disc 1: Approx. 30 pieces of BGM used in the actual film
Disc 2: Approx. 30 pieces of BGM, full length version or otherwise
Music: Shiro Sagisu
First Pressing: Comes in box
Scheduled to include a 20-page booklet
KICA-983～4
Price: 3,300 円 (pre-tax)（2 discs）

The regular version will go on sale concurrently.

Evangelion New Theatrical Edition: Breakup Original Soundtrack
Includes Disc 1 from the “Special Edition”
Music: Shiro Sagisu
Scheduled to include a 12-page booklet
KICA-985
Price: 2,800 円 (pre-tax)

Read the rest of this entry »

Similar to the Rei and Shinji Real Action Heroes (RAH) figures set to be released on August 31, 2009, an Asuka Langley Shikinami figure will also be released, although in November. The merchandise site Amiami has the figure priced at 12,980円 for their store although the retail price is 17,640円.

Links:
Amiami website (Japanese)

It’s only within a day or so of the trailer’s debut in theaters, and already a low-quality camera recording has been posted to YouTube. The user, oddly, took it down within 10 minutes, so thanks to user klasnic for making an AVI for us.

• Trailer #2, Super-Low Quality Version

As stated, the quality is quite poor, so don’t expect much. Some of the cuts described by Minna no Eva Fan are nicely visible (including the bizarre “Clock Angel”), along with some that weren’t: see the ongoing “checklist” of cuts in the trailer.

The second official theatrical poster/flier was unveiled today at Khara’s homepage and numerous other websites. It makes the visually bold move of using a storyboard-quality sketch (by Kazuya Tsurumaki) of a berserk Eva-01 on red, with nothing else but the movie’s two titles and the release date. The reverse side of the flier version uses a scenic photograph of a tree’s branches and foliage. It appears to have the same text as the first flier’s reverse side, but adds the staff and cast listing (both available on the home page, here and here).

The second theatrical trailer opened in 120 Japanese cinemas, as well. Foreigners can expect the usual wait to be able to see it officially online (though low-quality camera recordings will probably appear in a matter of days). The Minna no Eva Fan blog reported on the content. Rather than introduce the anticipated new vocal number, the trailer is said to utilize a choral-styled BGM with an “intense melody”. The visuals include:

• Opens with a pristine (i.e. not red) ocean with coral
• Tokyo-3? Mirror-like panels lining up one by one.
• A tiny doll in the darkness
• Shinji lying down and going to sleep
• Asuka sleeping

Read the rest of this entry »

The Sadamoto illustration donning the third round of Evangelion 2.0 tickets appeared today, showing the new character, Mari Illustrious Makinami. She wears the plugsuit previously seen in the first theatrical trailer, and, with the helmet off, provides confirmation for her long-suspected role as the pilot of Evangelion Unit-05. Also, not surprisingly, the “secret” Be@rbrick mobile phone keychain character is Mari in a plugsuit. The Be@rbrick keychains are sold along with the Evangelion 2.0 Advance tickets in selected stores.

That the plugsuited character in the first trailer is Mari is also confirmed on the “Characters” page newly added to the official Eva 2.0 website. (Oddly, Ryoji Kaji is not yet listed.)

Source: MyCom (Mainichi Communications)
Alternate: Khara Homepage

A few days ago, an image appeared on the internet of what looks like the “mystery” Evangelion Unit-05 Revoltech figure that is to appear in the Evangelion 2.0 Movie. At first, there was no information about the image and the URL in the watermark in the image seemed to be a Chinese video game site. Taking a closer look, you can see how it fits pretty accurately the outline in the Revoltech Express image depicting a “mystery” figure that looked like a freaky Evangelion. The detail of the figure makes it seem legit and not a fan made model, with the patented Revoltech ball joints. An official announcement will probably be made at the Shizouka Hobby Show on May 14th. More to come when updates become available.

Update (4/22)
The June issue of the Figure Oh magazine has features on the Revoltech Eva 01, 02, 03, and the new 05 figures, confirming the images that appeared on the internet a few days ago.

  

• Eva Emergency News post
• Revoltech Express
• Rakuten

After much speculation, Mari’s full name has finally been revealed. EVA-EXTRA 01 magazine will announce her name as Mari Illustrious Makinami. Like other characters, she takes her name from two World War II naval vessels; the HMS Illustrious and the Japanese destroyer Makinami (written with different kanji). The magazine is also expected to confirm that Yuko Miyamura will reprise her role as Asuka and that her surname has been changed to Shikinami. 

The last bit of news from EVA-EXTRA 01 is that Mari will be voiced by veteran seiyuu and vocalist Maaya Sakamoto. Sakamoto is no stranger to GAINAX anime, providing the voice of Lal’C in Top wo Nerae! 2. 

• Anime News Network