“Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned,” according to an ancient proverb. And speaking of Christian iconography and angry women: Neon Genesis Evangelion! Asus has been pumping out some PC gear branded with the license of the classic anime for a few years now, most recently a ROG Z790 motherboard based on the fire engine red Eva Unit 02 giant mech design. But Asuka stans were shocked and outraged to find a prominent misspelling on their pricey bit of anime merchandise.
One of the decorative shielding plates on the ROG Maximumus Z790 Hero EVA-02 Edition reads “Evangenlion” instead of “Evangelion.” Anime fans drooling over every last millimeter of the design noticed the issue back in September, according to VideoCardz.com (translating from German site HardwareLuxx), but Asus is only now addressing the issue with an official statement after it was thrust into the spotlight via a JayzTwoCents tweet. The company offered recompense with a free replacement for those who ask, and an additional year of warranty coverage even for those who don’t.
As embarrassing as it is for a major company to have a misprint on a $700 premium product, it’s hardly unpresidented unprecedented, and “Evangelion” isn’t exactly a common word in English (I’d bet the anime series is where 99.9 percent of people hear it). Besides, anime has a long and hilarious history of errors just like this, some of which are in the original Evangelion show itself. (And before anyone passes judgment, you try just translating into a foreign language on a super-tight anime production schedule before Google existed!)
If I were an Evangelion fan, I’d thank Asus for the extended warranty, and hold on to my imperfectly printed Unit 02 motherboard like it was the last limited-edition bobblehead at Dragoncon.
Author: Michael Crider, Staff Writer
Michael is a former graphic designer who's been building and tweaking desktop computers for longer than he cares to admit. His interests include folk music, football, science fiction, and salsa verde, in no particular order.