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
– drink residue will eventually line the interior of the cup with Absolute Terror
+/- 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.
LOL @ review
+ buy two and incorporate lids into Rei cosplay
Heh- thanx god you’re such a perfectionist **cough/nerd** to take care to know what drink is least corrosive- this way I am sure to trust your reviews!! I’ll keep an eye out for her. I would be too temped to kit bash her from “Rei on a Drinkcup” into “Rei on a strippers pole” though…..:)
PS- I left question in the Sano book review about Amazon Japan any info on that?
Thanx!
>>Work_Ethic
In hindsight I should’ve just asked for water, which would (hopefully) have been pH balanced…
I replied to your comment on the artbook post, but I’ll note here as well that I don’t know anything about Amazon’s international shipping practices. Sorry I can’t be of help.
Not a bad figure, all things considered.
I’m not a Rei fan, or even an Eva fan, but I do love me some Misato and Asuka. >.>
If they make figures of them for the next movie, I may have to ask someone *cough* to grab one for me.
>>Richard “Pocky” Kim
Given that this is Eva we’re talking about, I’m guessing it’s a virtual certainty that we’ll see Asuka (if not Misato) on a cup lid for the next movie. Remind “someone” again then… <_<
Ewwwwww LCL in your drink cup! Of course, they have indeed already sold that, as orange juice!
Rrrrrr… when I went to see the film on Monday (having just travelled on the Sunrise Seto overnighter from Sakaide in Shikoku) the friendly people at the Ueno TIC could only find the film playing at the Sunshine 60 theatre at Ikebukuro- and they didn’t have the Rei on a drink straw figure there… (I couldn’t find a copy of the soundtrack CD there either, which peeved me, as I really liked the new arrangements of the various Evangelion themes.)
She looks even worse than Sader!
Shingo: 了解w