Evangelion Comes to McDonald’s for the First Time

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Summary

  • McDonald’s in Japan collabs with Evangelion for the first time, offering unique transforming figures.
  • Collaboration includes a McDonald’s Evangelion Value Set with lottery sales through the app.
  • Next stage of collaboration promises themed menu items to convey the world of Evangelion through deliciousness.

As someone who has been following the evolution of anime and fast food culture for over three decades, I must say that the recent collaboration between McDonald’s Japan and Neon Genesis Evangelion is nothing short of a dream come true! Growing up, I never thought I would see these two iconic entities merge, but here we are.

McDonald’s Japan has a history of partnering with anime and related productions, offering everything from themed commercials, menu items inspired by anime, toy giveaways, and more. It appears that there is no end to the creative ways McDonald’s employs to appeal to otaku fans. Following collaborations with numerous well-known series, it comes as a shock that the fast food chain has only now teamed up with one of the most renowned – Neon Genesis Evangelion, which we will refer to as Evangelion hereafter.

For the first time, McDonald’s is partnering with the popular anime series Evangelion. This unique collaboration offers exclusive transforming action figures that aren’t found in any standard Evangelion collection, along with a special sneak peek video. The news was initially teased on the McDonald’s official social media platform (previously Twitter) earlier this week, and was later confirmed by the company on Thursday.

McDonald’s x Evangelion

Two Recognizable Franchises Come Together

1995 saw the debut of Neon Genesis Evangelion, a series that, with almost three decades under its belt, continues to be a cultural powerhouse in Japan. Its influence extends beyond just anime, seeping into various aspects of everyday life in Japanese society. Ranging from collaborative food and beverages, pop-up events, museum exhibits, merchandise, and numerous other outlets, this iconic show maintains its grip on Japanese pop culture.

In a similar vein, much like McDonald’s, the brand is instantly recognizable worldwide due to its consistent menu and iconic logo – the “golden arches.” Similarly, Evangelion’s unique typography is also easily identifiable for many. This is why when McDonald’s posted an image of the Japanese characters for ‘preview’ on their X page, using the font of Evangelion, many people immediately understood that a new announcement was coming.

Two days after, on Thursday, the details of the collaboration between McDonald’s and Evangelion were finally unveiled. Not only did they showcase the partnership, but they also shared a sneak peek video. This video offers a glimpse into what fans can anticipate from the collaboration, and interestingly enough, it features the original voice actors reprising their roles. In less than 24 hours, the post garnered approximately 125,000 likes, 40,000 shares, and more than 1,000 comments.

What is in the McDonald’s x Evangelion Collaboration?

Anime Figures as You’ve Never Seen Them Before

In Japan, the collaboration with Evangelion at McDonald’s highlights three figurines that can transform. Over the past three decades, Evangelion has manufactured numerous anime figures, making it probable for dedicated fans to amass a vast collection of cherished characters. However, it is unlikely they have any figures quite like these, as these are truly distinctive. In the McDonald’s Evangelion Value Set, you can purchase figurines that transform from a Big Mac, a McFrench Fry, and a McShake into Test Type, Production Model, and Prototype EVA units respectively.

Casey Baseel at SoraNews24 writes about the Value Set,

Looking at McDonald’s and toys together, one might automatically think of Happy Meals. However, Evangelion is an unusual franchise that rarely follows conventional storylines. Instead, these figures are being marketed as the McDonald’s Evangelion Value Set, which includes all three transforming Evas for 3,900 yen (equivalent to $26). Interestingly, this set doesn’t seem to come with any food, but since you have to visit a McDonald’s branch to collect it, they likely assume that you might also decide to have a meal there while picking up the figures, as it seems unlikely that one would buy McDonald’s Evangelion figures without at least being comfortable with McDonald’s.

These Value Sets will only be sold via lottery, which makes sense considering the popularity of Evangelion. Entering can only be done through the McDonald’s Japan app, but can be done now through January 10th. If you win the right to purchase one of these exclusive item sets, you will be notified on January 16th. The actual sets can be picked up at McDonald’s the week of January 20th.

If you’re thrilled about this unique partnership, here’s some exciting news! The initial phase featuring transformable figures is merely the beginning. McDonald’s has hinted that the subsequent phase aims to bring the universe of Evangelion to life through taste sensations, suggesting the arrival of themed menu items soon. Given how swiftly the first stage was revealed, it won’t be long before we discover the creative ways they plan to transform Evangelion’s complex world into a delicious experience.

Watch Neon Genesis Evangelion now on Netflix.

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2024-12-23 21:26