As the challenge gets further into its run, the things that come up as questions get a bit more difficult, especially if you’ve been watching anime for as many years as I have because of the blur factor and the way that there tends to be a lot more similarity in things than you pick up on during your first couple of years when it’s all fresh and new. The challenge for this day is to pick out a weapon or piece of gear that’s your favorite from a series. There’s a lot of different types of things out there, some neat swords, some amusing weapons and lots and lots of gadgets that are fun to watch because there are no restraints on how it can be used and animated. When I sat down and really thought about it though, I had to go with something big and iconic for me that has stood the test of time so far in terms of memorability.

And the Spear of Longinus from Neon Genesis Evangelion really does hit that mark. The piece, a huge weapon meant to be used by an Eva unit, appeared in the twelfth episode of the series and has a history to it be sure with its relation to Adam and it becomes a key item a couple of times in the series as the Eva’s do battle. It’s an impressive weapon when used by the Eva’s, especially when you’re used to seeing them either fighting with massive rifles or their bare hands, because it adds a different kind of primal look to them with a sense of nobility as well. In particular, I loved the way it became a piece that was launched into orbit and ended up settling on the moon, giving it an even more iconic and important feeling as it plunged into the surface and stood there.

In terms of gadgets, I was and continue to be blown away by the way the characters get around in Attack on Titan and just the visual design of it that allowed for some jaw-dropping animation out of that first and then more and more as time went on.