Evangelion is extremely popular in Japan, everybody and their dog knows it, so it is obviously the second option. From the official app website, https://nerv.app/en/
reply> The name and logo of "NERV" are used with the explicit permission of khara Inc., the copyright holder of the "Evangelion" series, and Groundworks Corporation, which manages the rights to the series.
Evangelion is their Star Wars, at least in terms of merchandising and cultural references. I think I heard somewhere that it's known more for the pachinko machines than the actual media
replyHow can any show with the beginning scene of the “end of evangelion” be the Star Wars or anything? Luke skywalker didn’t feel the need to choke his chicken to a knocked out Leia, but this is exactly what shinji does in the first scene of the end of evangelion.
replyJapan, that's how. Also, I'm not sure everyone who recognises Evangelion in Japan has actually watched more than the anime or rebuilds. A whole lot of people just know it as the logo on the pachinko machine
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