Evangelion cosplayer goes viral as real life Asuka Langley Soryu

Brent Koepp
evangelion asuka cosplay

A talented cosplayer made waves online after they brought Neon Genesis Evangelion’s lead heroine, Asuka Langley, to life with an insanely accurate costume. 

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Perhaps one of the most influential animes of all time, Neon Genesis Evangelion made its debut in 1996. The Studio Gainax Mecha series was adapted from a manga written by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto.

A talented cosplayer celebrated the animation, by transforming into the show’s lead heroine Asuka Langley. The artist looks so much like the beloved pilot, it’s almost as if she’s flown out of the screen.

Screenshot of Asuka Langley in hit anime Neon Genesis Evangelion.
Asuka is one of the main pilots in the hit Mecha anime.

Evangelion cosplayer becomes real life Asuka

The show takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where humans have to fight off large creatures called Angels. To combat the monsters, characters like Asuka connect their nervous system to bio-mechs called Evangelions.

Cosplayer ‘himee.lily’ went viral on social media after sharing her true-to-life take on the heroine. Photographer ‘niniel.things‘ captured the Italian-based artist posing as Langley in her iconic red pilot uniform.

Himee’s costume brought Asuka’s bodysuit to life, and it is full of accurate detail. Not only does it have the green light that runs across her neckline, it also has the number two written above her chest which identifies her as the “Second Child” of Unit-02.

 

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The cosplayer also nailed the heroine’s signature look, faithfully mirroring her auburn hair which is tied up into twin ponytails that run down her back. The shot could easily be mistaken from a scene from the show, as the artist also captures Langley’s mannerisms by recreating her pose and facial expressions from the anime.

Evangelion originally made its debut as a manga, before being adapted into a TV show. The original story was meant to be a companion piece to the anime series which released a year later under the creator’s own studio.

The groundbreaking Mecha story celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2020. Despite coming out decades ago, the franchise is still as popular as it’s ever been and continues to be a fan-favorite in the cosplay community.