500 TYPE EVA w/Light - Plarail

Since 7 November 2015, set V2 runs in a special "500 Type Eva" livery as part of the "Shinkansen:Evangelion Project" tie-up project to mark the 40th anniversary of the Sanyo Shinkansen and the 20th anniversary of Neon Genesis Evangelion.^[16] Initially planned to operate until March 2017, this livery was extended until 13 May 2018.^[17][18] From 24 February until 7 May 2018, the 500 series car preserved at the Kyoto Railway Museum will be exhibited in the "500 Type Eva" livery.^[19]

In March 2018, JR West announced the launch of a special "Hello Kitty" themed 500 series train on Sanyo Shinkansen Kodama services.^[20][21] The train entered service on 30 June 2018