Dig in to the damn burgers, Shinji.

Last week came the announcement of a surprising partnership: McDonald’s and Evangelion. The fast food chain known for its burgers and fries and the anime known for its mecha and trauma revealed that the first stage of their collaboration would be a set of transforming Eva figures, and now comes the second stage of the collaboration: a line of Evangelion burgers, plus a delightfully surreal anime video promoting them.

Starting with the video, the tone of the dialogue, music, and animation itself is dead-serious, with mad scientist/terrible father Gendo stoically informing us that Evangelion Unit-M has arrived. Not only does this new Eva sport the red-and-gold color scheme of McDonald’s, it also has a visor, just like the McDonald’s staff uniform.

As Unit-M launches, Misato urgently commands her crew to prepare their orders.

▼ And yes, these “orders” (注文) are of the restaurant type, not the military sort.

The Evangelion anime voice cast really puts their all into it, especially when Asuka puts a twist on her famous line “Anta baka?” (“Are you an idiot?”)…

…and instead angrily asks “Anta baagaa?” (“Are you a burger?”).

And yes, Asuka, that is a burger. In fact, McDondald’s is rolling out three “Evangelion burgers,” each featuring A.T. Field Buns, whose segmented sections are meant to invoke thoughts of the polygonal force fields formed by the Evas and the giant alien Angels they fight against. Two of the Eva burgers are brand-new, the Zakugiri Potato and Nikuatsu Kokuuma Garlic Mayo (Rich Garlic Mayo Thick-cut Potato and Thick Beef Patty) (540 yen [US$3.50])…

…and the spicy Mexican Cheese Chicken (490 yen).

Also being upgraded to Evangelion burger status, on account of getting an A.T. Field bun, is the Cheese Double Teriyaki (530 yen).

Each burger comes in a special Evangelion wrapper. I suppose you could say that the potentially off-putting smell of garlic is a metaphor for Rei’s emotional isolation, spicy sauce symbolic of Asuka’s internal volatility, and the not-100-percent-new nature of the Cheese Double Teriyaki a reference to Shinji’s timidity (though McDonald’s itself has given so such official explanations).

The Evangelio burgers go on sale January 6. We’ll be keeping our calendars/appetites open, and also our fingers crossed that McDonald’s Japan will eventually decide to make an Evangelion Unit-M Happy Meal toy.

Source: McDonald’s Japan, Digital PR Platform
Top image: YouTube/マクドナルド公式（McDonald’s）
Insert images: YouTube/マクドナルド公式（McDonald’s）, Digital PR Platform
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