Like most of us outside Japan, we’ve yet to watch Evangelion 3.0+1.0: Thrice Upon A Time, supposedly the last entry in the franchise. Amidst rave reviews and a satisfying conclusion, one part many took note of was when we find our crew in an area devoid of all the chaos and people living peacefully. They also had Rei Ayanami do some farm work, which I imagine might be the cutest thing ever. So it’s no surprise that Kaiyodo used it as the basis for what’s probably the first human figure in the Evangelion Evolution line.
To those who might’ve not remembered, Kaiyodo attempted to do Figma-esque figures back in 2008 with the Fraulein Revoltech line, with Rei Ayanami as their initial offering. Well, the line didn’t take off as they hoped and releases eventually stopped after 20 or so figures. But since then, Kaiyodo has made much progress with human figures thanks to their Amazing Yamaguchi line so it’s only fitting they return back to Rei Ayanami for a much better release.
With sculpting done by Tomohide Enoki, this figure very much captures how Rei appears in the movie. But the highlight of this release is the inclusion of parts to recreate her farming get up. This is mostly the stuff she wears on her head, as well as some vegetables. You can mix and match them to whatever combination suits you.
Of course, this figure is also quite articulated, though Rei Ayanami isn’t the type to do dynamic poses like those from the Amazing Yamaguchi line. But she can pretty much do the subtle movements the character is known for. As seen in the solicitations, she can even do a sitting pose. Lastly, she comes with the S-DAT player that Shinji often uses and is pivotal to her character as well.
So while I don’t really buy anime girl figures, I can give Rei Ayanami an exception here. After all, she is the progenitor of that timid girl stereotype seen time and time again in various series ever since.
Evangelion Evolution Rei Ayanami (Evangelion 3.0+1.0)
July 2021 / ¥8,900
Pre-order on HobbyLink Japan
