Summer’s fury has no mercy for this fan’s Evangelion figure.

For the last several days, the sun’s rays have been baking Japan with record-setting heat. Actually, maybe “frying” is the better term, since photographic evidence has shown it’s hot enough to use your car’s roof as a hot plate to crisp up sliced ham.

It’s not just hot enough to cook food, though, but anime figures too. Among the interior decorations of Japanese Twitter user @genkinokakera is a figure of Ritsuko Akagi, one of the scientists from anime series Evangelion.

While every member of the Evangelion cast is a flawed or otherwise imperfect person, reliable Ritsuko is, for the most part, a stand-up individual. Unfortunately, the same can no longer be said for @genkinokakera’s figure.

The summer heat has been so intense that it’s caused Ritsuko’s plastic body to lose its structural integrity, warping her ankles and causing the figure to bend over in what would actually be an astounding display of balance and muscle strength in real life. More than one commenter was reminded of Michael Jackson’s anti-gravity lean.

▼ Smooth scientist?

https://twitter.com/ROLLS_Ash_LOVE/status/1021056519377281024

While most who saw the photo of the heat-damaged Ritsuko were shocked, some veteran collectors knowingly nodded their heads as they recalled similar experiences from past heat waves.

https://twitter.com/yagyuusou/status/1020933278939746310

Many, though, were unaware that such a phenomenon was possible before seeing @genkinokakera’s snapshot, and left startled comments such as:

“Ritsuko, please, stand up!”
“I guess we should attach our figures to the wall.”
“The moment I saw this tweet, I ran to go check on my figures.”
“Whoa, they can warp in the heat? I hope my beloved Hatsune Miku figure will be OK.”

If there’s one thing to be thankful for, though, it’s that @genkinokakera’s Ritsuko isn’t a high-grade, limited-edition figure. It’s an inexpensive toy that came packaged with some candy, and so it seems that heat warping is something that cheaper anime figures are more prone to than their premium-priced counterparts. Still, here’s hoping that with the fourth Rebuild of Evangelion movie finally having a release date, some new Ritsuko merchandise is in the works, because @genkinokakera is probably going to be in the market for a replacement.

Source: Twitter/@genkinokakera via Hachima Kiko

Follow Casey on Twitter, where he’s wondering how his old Magic Knight Rayearth Umi figure is holding up in Los Angeles’ summer.