While already looking like pieces of science fiction, Japan wants to take its bullet trains one step farther with their Shinkansen bullet trains. The creator of Neon Genesis Evangelion, Hideaki Anno, is teaming up with artist and mechanical designer Ikuto Yamashita to create a bullet train in the same style as the science fiction anime series.

The plan to design and utilize the train as an anniversary tribute to 20 years of Evangelion, as well as 40 years of the Sanyō Skinkansen train line, was originally announced back in July by JR West. With their initial announcement they also released a mock-up of the exterior design for the Evangelion train, painted purple and green to match the look of the large fighting mecha, Eva Unit 01, as seen in the series.

JR West has now released several concept designs for the interior of their train as well, to give the world a better look at how they plan to bring this popular anime to life. The images show a continued motif of purple and green throughout the interior, as well as standard train seating in passenger cars. Other sections show what look to be museum-style displays that one would speculate offer information on both the Evangelion anime and manga series as well as the history of the Sanyō Skinkansen train line and bullet trains.

I am completely sold on the whole thing, especially if they allow me to take the entire train ride sitting in Asuka’s hover bike. What do you think of the Evangelion train? Let us know in the comments below.

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HT: The Mary Sue

All image credits to JR West