The hour-long Christmas special of Neo Yokio, released on December 7th, 2018. The special begins with Kaz sick in bed on the day before Christmas, requesting that Charles (his ever-faithful mecha-butler) tell a story to make him feel better.
The story Charles weaves for Kaz revolves around Kaz himself as he prepares for Christmas. Kaz is busier than ever with the Bachelor Board Secret Santa competition just around the corner, a visit from his bohemian Aunt Angelique stirring up discord with Aunt Agatha, and the yuletide-themed machinations of his nemesis Archangelo.
There are also demons to exorcise, holiday parties to attend, and a debate regarding the true meaning of Christmas that could shake Neo Yokio to it's materialistic core.
Pink Christmas Contains Examples of:
- Apocalypse How: Class 0. Neo Yokio, along with all of its residents, are completely submerged under a gigantic deluge of pink demonic sludge.
- Capitalism Is Bad: Even more than the first season.
- The Great Demon rebukes the Sales Clerk's devotion to the Neo Yokio elite and explains that they are just taking advantage of the regular workers.
- Exploited by Arcangelo, who calls out the public's holiday-related consumerism to great acclaim... as a ploy to get them to attend his Christmas concert.
- Christmas Episode: The story is set around Christmas.
- Commercialized Christmas: Arcangelo exploits the True Meaning of Christmas to convince Neo Yokio that instead of exchanging presents, the real way to celebrate the spirit of the season is to come together with their loved ones... and attend his (pricey, overproduced) Christmas musical spectacular! (And of course, to buy merchandise from the event.)
- Continuity Nod: A brief scene at the department store shows that Helena's bandage getup has turned into a fashion statement.
- A Day in the Limelight: The Sales Clerk is given a much greater role compared to his previous appearances, including the reveal of his character's name.
- Driven to Suicide: The Sales Clerk after everyone has switched over from mindless consumerism to Arcangelo's newly fashionable anti-consumerist scam, which resulted in him being jobless and without purpose.
- Everyone Is a Tomato: Near the end of Charles' story, Kaz reads Aunt Angelique's memoir and discovers that his demon-hunting Magistocrat family actually has demonic ancestry. Later, the Great Demon confirms this and takes it a step further: not only is the Kaan family descended from demons, every single Magistocratic family is descended from a group of demons who used their powers to hunt other demons in exchange for money and social standing, making every demon hunter a demon in disguise.
- Exact Words: Archangelo claims earlier that he has spent a great deal to ensure he is Kaz's Secret Santa, but never said he spent a single dime for his perfect gift, with plays into his plan during the televised event.
- Fantastic Drug: MDNA, the hottest new drug in Neo Yokio, is made from "molly mixed with demon DNA," according to Arcangelo
- Framing Device: The majority of the episode is a story Charles is improvising to help Kaz get over his cold on Christmas Eve.
- From Nobody to Nightmare: The Sales Clerk goes from a regular but loyal store worker fired to being possessed by the Great Demon.
- Gift of Song: Arcangelo's gift to Kaz and all of Neo Yokio.
- Iwo Jima Pose: One of the subway stations on the Sales Clerk's commute contains a mural commemorating Neo Yokio's historic victory over demonic forces, titled "In Memory of Those Who Perished in the Battle of Rockelfeller [sic] Center." The mural depicts several Neo Yokians raising a flag in the famous pose as an exorcist raises his staff to banish the demonic energy swirling around them.
- Leaning on the Fourth Wall: Crosses over with Self-Deprecation. Kaz's reaction to Charles' story in the framing device is negative, with him disliking the darker, more complex, themes introduced in the special. As a bit of a meta-gag, Charles promises his next story will include more Toblerone jokes - referencing the popularity of that running gag from the first season.
- The Man Is Sticking It to the Man: Arcangelo Exploits the True Meaning of Christmas to get Neo Yokians to spend their holiday season rejecting the endless cycle of consumer culture and materialism, instead embracing the time they could be spending together... attending his Christmas Spectacular and buying up souvenirs.
- Morning Routine: Charles's story begins by describing the Sales Clerk's morning routine.
- Mushroom Samba: Kaz goes into one when Arcangelo spikes his drink with MDNA. It's not clear if Kaz is just having the mother of all bad trips, or if he's being psychically contacted by the Great Demon who resides beneath Neo Yokio, but either way the experience leaves him shaken.
- Running Gag:
- Freddie Miles throws another epic party - this time it's a Christmas party.
- "Herb" has been used as a catch-all insult for the series. The Sales Clerk, whose real name is Herbert Sims, is called "herb" by his colleagues (both as a nick-name and as an insult).
- Schrödinger's Canon: We likely will only find out whether some aspects of Charles' story (specifically the reveal about the Kaan family's demon ancestry) are actually canon if Neo Yokio is greenlit for a full second season.
- Secret Santa: Exaggerated Trope. The Bachelor Board hosts a Secret Santa every year. The event is a public spectacle which is really an excuse for them to one-up each other by giving extremely lavish presents. Then Arcangelo decides to break tradition.
- Serious Business:
- The Sales Clerk panics when the store he works at cancelled its big Christmas sale, something that reportedly never happens in Neo Yokio until Arcangelo inspires the city with the True Meaning of Christmas. It results in him getting fired.
- Neo Yokio's Secret Santa event is this, to the point that everyone is shocked when Arcangelo's gift, a song, has no monetary value.
- Shout-Out: To Neon Genesis Evangelion and Ghost Busters II at the same time. Charles' tale ends with the Great Demon getting his wish, as the sacrifice of the Sales Clerk opens the floodgates for demonic "Pink Space" to reclaim the land that Neo Yokio sits on. It's depicted as a geyser of viscous pink fluid (like the slime from Ghostbusters II) bubbling up through the ground and crashing over the city, swallowing terrified citizens and buildings alike.
- Slipping a Mickey: Archangelo doses Kaz's Caprese-Martini-in-a-can with MDNA after Kaz refuses to partake of the drugs with the rest of the party goers — this leads to Kaz's Mushroom Samba moment.
- True Meaning of Christmas: Exploited. Arcangelo flips Neo Yokio's Secret Santa event on its head with this by rejecting Kaz's gift and performing a song, inspiring the city to become more sentimental. His real goal is to bilk the people of Neo Yokio for their Christmas cash, convincing them that Christmas is not about presents, but about coming together... to attend his Christmas spectacular!Arcangelo: Ho ho ho. Use offer code FUCKMATERIALGOODS to receive $5 off any purchase of $200 or more.
- Undying Loyalty: The Sales Clerk to the rich youths of Neo Yokio that frequent the shopping center where he works. He takes their every request and need to heart. In fact, what causes him to commit suicide is not their disdain or rebuffs, but when he is barred altogether from fulfilling his services (by being downsized).
- Wham Line:Arcangelo: I'm gonna sing a goddamn song.
