Evangelion 303 has a good amount of shout-outs:
- Evangelion 303 is named after a famous WWII B-17 bomb group dubbed the Hell's Angels
. Their technical designation was the 303rd Bomb Group. - The third chapter has Shinji bringing over a friend named "Smith Torren," a character from Hideaki Anno's other iconic Mecha Anime: [1]
- Asuka's bike resembles a cross between the bike of Kaneda and Priss Asagiri's.
- It is also based on this figure.
- Excellent! It seems Maverick and Goose have finally arrived.
- Asuka and Jessika like Rammstein.
- In the same vein, Asuka was singing "Du Hast" at the beginning of her and Shinji's dog fight.
- Shinji has worn a The Monarch shirt.
- Shinji has served in the Black Aces on the Nimitz.
- In one scene Rei wears a The Little Mermaid shirt.
- And Shinji wears in another scene a Mystery Science Theater 3000 shirt while watching an MST3K, Manos: The Hands of Fate.
- The cover of chapter 12: "The Road Goes On Forever". At first sight it seems a The Lord of the Rings reference, but in reality it is a shout-out to a song of Robert Earl Keen.
- Mari is an Elvis Presley fangirl.
- Earl and his restaurant are based on the Happy Bottom riding Club.
- Here Asuka is wearing a USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) hat, a supercarrier named in honor of Ronald Reagan.
- Asuka's first dress reminds of Jessica Rabbit's dress. Word of God says that is probably where the idea came from.
- In chapter 6, Asuka wears bells in her hair, making her resemble another redheaded tsundere.
- In chapter 18, Kaworu and Rei see The Phantom of the Opera.
