As I was preparing to go watch the new Eva movie a couple of weeks ago I came across the news that the theater I’d be going to was offering a special limited edition snack menu along with the film: your choice of either Eva Unit 1 or Rei perched jauntily atop a drink cup, along with said drink (of medium size) and a bag of popcorn (either sugared or salted) all for the low, low price of 1,200 yen! While I’m not much of an Eva collector the absurdity of the commodification in this case struck me as something I couldn’t pass up on, so here you have it: Rei on a drink cup.

Original Design: Sadamoto Yoshiyuki
Sculptor: Unknown
Source: Rebuild of Evangelion (film series)
Scale: Non (11.5 cm tall / 35 cm tall with cup and straw)
Materials: PVC / ABS / coated paper drink cup
Release Date: September 1st, 2007
Production: Eva Figure
Price: 1,200 JPY (medium drink and choice of sweet or salty popcorn included)
Current Availability: 109 Cinemas, United Cinemas (Japan)

Given that in the online ad these figures are only pictured as actually on top of the cup I was wondering if they’d be serving the drinks in that configuration, and if I’d see a bunch of fans sucking out of rei-hugged poles for the next couple of hours. Fortunately (?) it turned out that the figures and special lids were distributed separately in bubble wrap, so I tucked mine safely away, asked for ice tea (the least corrosive drink option I could think of) and salted popcorn (I like caramel corn, but cane sugar dumped on popcorn? For a movie? I’ll pass…) and went to enjoy the film.

In the half hour or so I sat in the theater prior to the movie I amused myself by looking around at what other people were drinking. Those who ordered regular drinks got regular white or clear straws, but those who had ordered the special Eva sets came with either blue (for Rei) or red (for Unit 1), so I was arbitrarily grouping my fellow fans into bishoujo freaks and mech heads as I looked around the room. After the movie was over I dumped the remaining tea down the sink in the cinema bathroom, stuffed a towel into the cup to keep it in shape, and stored it in my backpack for transport back to the HD Figure Analysis Lab (TM).

So, Rei on a drink cup. She’s basically a 300-500 yen trading figure with an oversized base, and on the theater menu the medium drink + popcorn set normally ran for 450 yen, so I figure I paid about a 300 yen premium on the proposition. I’d say it was definitely worth it – the combination does come to 35 cm in height, after all, and when’s the last time you paid 1,200 yen for a 35 cm figure? Besides, this is a total conversation piece. If I ever have a guest over to my house and they somehow manage to ignore all of the eromanga, games, figures, tapestries, pillows and etc. laying around, they’ll see this and say “my, is that Rei on a drink cup?”

Overall Score: 7-Up

+ same Rei taste, less filling
+ fill cup with LCL for a breakfast treat

+/- when you think about it, drinking from this is like some sort of kinky reverse-Mogudan scenario

I’ve got to hand it to you, Gainax. Keep on producing stuff like this and regardless of the quality of your movies you’ll have suckers like me hooked for a long, long time.