Evangelion Operation Yashima Becomes a Plarail Train Set

Here is a delightfully nerdy bit of holiday news, and the best part is that you will not need to drain Japan’s power grid to enjoy it. Japanese toy maker Takara Tomy announced on Thursday that its Plarail and Shinkalion brands are teaming up with Evangelion once again.

This time the toys recreate the famous Operation Yashima, the desperate power borrowing plan from the 2007 film Evangelion: 1.0 You Are [Not] Alone, which traces all the way back to the original 1995 television series.

The Plarail set includes the JNR Class DD51 and the Shiki Class 880 train cars, along with three ultra high voltage transformers. The Shinkalion side brings the transformable 500 Type EVA Positron Form, so you can stage the whole operation right on your floor.

Both sets go on sale December 6. The Plarail set is slated to cost 4,950 yen, while the Shinkalion 500 Type EVA Positron Form runs 7,920 yen, which works out to roughly US$33 and US$52.

Takara Tomy also put out a promotional video for the toys, running just over two minutes. It pays loving homage to Operation Yashima, though for now it is only viewable in Japan.

My take: Turning one of anime’s most stressful, nail biting sequences into a cozy little train set is exactly the kind of playful idea I love, even if my wallet might not agree.