Each Eva pilot gets a special Sanrrio friend, while Hello Kitty lends her style to Unit-01 and the Angels too.

While on the surface it’s a story of adolescents in mecha fighting against horrific alien invaders, there are decades worth of pontifications as to what Evangelion is really about. One popular opinion is that the on-screen battles exist mainly to serve as metaphors for the emotional struggles of protagonist Shinji and his fellow Eva pilots, particularly the difficulties they have building trust and forming emotional connections in an environment where open empathy is often in short order.

Way over on the other end of the emotional storytelling spectrum, you’ve got the Sanrio characters. Hello Kitty and her pals are quick to make friends with just about anyone, and their genuine good-natured warmth can even reach through the emotional shell of the Eva cast, it seems, as shown by a new collection of Evangelion/Sanrio collaboration merch.

The five Eva pilots are each getting a Sanrio buddy, with the pairings consisting of Shinji and Cinnamoroll, Rei and My Melody, Asuka and Pompompurin, Kaworu and Kuromi, and Mari and Hangyodon. The characters have a bit of a costume exchange going on, with Shinji, Rei, Asuka, and Kaworu donning their counterparts’ ears, and Mari a hairband with Hangyodon fins. The Sanrio cast, meanwhile slip into versions of their new friends’ plugsuits and Hangyodon also puts on some red-frame eyeglasses like Mari’s.

Pictured above are mini acrylic character standees, and the same artwork appears in a set of seven pins too, which also adds some Hello Kitty touches to the emblems of Nerv and Seele.

Speaking of Hello Kitty, she’s teaming up with Eva Unit-01 itself on clear cases…

…as well as doing some cosplay as Rei and Asuka on pins and acrylic art cards.

The other Sanrio characters also get Eva-fied versions, once again corresponding to the mecha piloted by their respective partners, showing up on pins, key chains, and acrylic standees.

And as perhaps the ultimate proof of just how agreeable the Sanrio characters are, they’re even been able to make friends with the Angels, who’re sporting Hello Kitty flourishes in their cute key chain forms…

…and also on a long “muffler towel.”

As is often the case with variation-on-a-theme-style anime merch, the pins, mini standees, and key chains are being sold as gacha/blind-buy items, but completionists can also purchase complete boxes with one of each design, and there are larger versions of the standees that can be bought individually.

The lineup goes on sale online here on October 4, but select items will be available at the Toppa Base Akiba specialty shop inside the ticket gates of Akihabara Station in Tokyo from October 4 to 30.

Source: PR Times, Fan-Xross
Top image: Fan-Xross
Insert images: Fan-Xross, PR Times
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