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UCC x Evangelion Promo Coffee Cans with Rei, Asuka, and Mari Figures
Ueshima Coffee Company Limited or UCC is most famous as a maker of canned coffee. They developed the world's first canned coffee beverage in 1969, the same year Apollo 11 made the first moon landing. Two years later, Nissin invented Cup Noodle - making instant noodles available for people on the go and they could have a hot can of coffee with it (vending machines in Japan sell hot canned coffee). I like UCC canned coffee and actually have a couple of cans in my cupboard right now for on the go.
UCC has released many anime related tie-ins over the years, but most of the time they are just themed cans. Back in 2010 and 2011, in the heady days of the anime boom over there, they released some awesome Evangelion merchandise related to the Evangelion 2.0 and 3.0 movies. The movies rebooted the franchise, staying very close to the original series for the first movie, then it went off on a new plotline. Evangelion is an anime series where teenage pilots with various types of psychological trauma must pilot giant bio-mechanical mecha into combat with invading alien angels to prevent the third impact which would devastate humanity. Evangelion is one of the most popular and famous anime franchises.
UCC x Evangelion 2010 Figures and Cans
These mini-figures were released as a promotional item for Evangelion 2.0 Blu-ray/DVD in April 2010 by UCC coffee. It was a very successful promotion. Other than the followup promotion in 2011 for Evangelion 3.0 I don't think any other promos have been released. It's nice to have the metal can and the figure that complement each other. Note that Asuka has the old plugsuit on the can!
The figures came packed in a box side by side with a can of coffee. I drank the coffee and enjoyed having the figures around. No point wasting the coffee and the can will eventually rust.
The figures came in these cool little plastic cases to protect them. Very securely mounted.
The figures all display a can of UCC coffee and even have a smile! Product placement! UCC coffee machines and coffee are even drunk in the movies.
Rei in her pilot plugsuit.
Closeup of Rei. These are tiny gashapon size figures but they are nicely detailed. The coffee cans have very clear labelling. Rei has a fairly passive expression - kind of in character.
Asuka in her pilot plugsuit.
Closeup of Asuka. She would be the one to have a big smile.
Mari in her plugsuit.
Closeup of Mari. She always looks calm and thinking a step ahead.
Figures and cans together.
UCC x Evangelion 2010 Figures
UCC x Evangelion 2011 Figures and Cans
These figures are some of my favourite figures. They are actually toppers for the matching UCC coffee cans which really cool as the can becomes the base for the figure! Each can depicts the figure holding a can of coffee so it is so meta! I think I like UCC coffee partially because of promos like this back in the day. This set was released to help promote Evangelion 3.0. You have Rei in white, Asuka in red, and Mari in pink plugsuits.
Each figure on a can with a matching illustration.
Rei up close.
Asuka up close
Mari up close.
The figures and cans together.
UCC x Evangelion 2011 Figures
That's all for now, hope you enjoyed looking at these sets of Evangelion mini-figures.
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