The Viral Paradox: Why 'Shinji, Crank That Soulja Boy' Is The Internet's Most Enduring Anime Meme

The "Shinji, Crank That Soulja Boy" meme is a cultural singularity, a bizarrely perfect collision of two distinct eras of internet history: the existential dread of 1990s anime and the infectious, pioneering viral energy of 2000s hip-hop. Despite its specific origin in 2022, this simple, hilarious command continues to be one of the most remixed and referenced pieces of internet humor, proving its enduring power well into late 2025. The meme’s brilliance lies in its absurdity, forcing the perpetually tormented protagonist of *Neon Genesis Evangelion*, Shinji Ikari, to confront his trauma not with a giant robot, but with a viral dance craze.

The continued relevance of this specific dub is a testament to how modern meme culture thrives on juxtaposition, taking the emotionally charged, high-stakes drama of *Evangelion* and grounding it with the universally recognized, low-stakes command to "Superman that ho." This deep dive explores the meme's exact origin, the crucial context of the original anime scene, and why this particular piece of internet ephemera refuses to die.

The Bizarre Genesis of a Viral Command

The "Shinji, Crank That Soulja Boy" meme is a masterclass in modern digital folklore, born from a single, perfectly captioned image. The key components that make this meme work are the source material’s intense emotional weight and the sheer incongruity of the command.

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The Evangelion Scene: Forced Proximity and Emotional Tension

The moment repurposed for the meme comes from *Neon Genesis Evangelion* Episode 11, titled "The Day Tokyo-3 Stood Still." The episode centers on a city-wide power outage, a result of sabotage, which forces the main characters—Shinji Ikari, Asuka Langley Soryu, and Rei Ayanami—to navigate the darkened NERV headquarters and eventually manually launch their Eva Units.

• Original Context: The specific scene involves Shinji, Asuka, and Rei trapped together in a small, cramped elevator. The tension is palpable. This forced proximity is a classic *Evangelion* device, designed to highlight the characters' inability to connect and their deep-seated psychological issues.
• The Line’s Replacement: In the original anime, Asuka's dialogue is sharp, critical, and emotionally loaded, reflecting her frustration with Shinji's passivity. The meme replaces this intense, character-defining moment with the frivolous, yet demanding, instruction: "Shinji, crank that Soulja Boy!"

This substitution is the core joke: replacing existential trauma with a lighthearted dance challenge. It’s the ultimate deconstruction of the anime’s heavy themes, a common practice in modern internet humor.

The Soulja Boy Factor: A Pioneer of Viral Culture

The second pillar of the meme is "Crank That (Soulja Boy)," the 2007 debut single by rapper Soulja Boy Tell 'Em. This song and its accompanying dance craze were not just a hit; they were a revolutionary moment in music history.

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• Internet Revolution: "Crank That" was one of the first songs to go viral purely through the internet and user-generated content, predating the mainstream dominance of platforms like TikTok. Soulja Boy used MySpace and YouTube to spread the song and teach the dance, making it a truly grassroots phenomenon.
• The Dance: The song's iconic dance moves, including the "Soulja Boy," the "Superman," and the "Crank That," are instantly recognizable to anyone who grew up in the late 2000s. The command to "crank that" is therefore a cultural touchstone representing a time of pure, unbridled internet joy and simplicity, which stands in stark contrast to Shinji's complex emotional turmoil.

The Lifespan and Enduring Popularity of the Meme

While many memes fade quickly, "Shinji, Crank That Soulja Boy" has demonstrated remarkable longevity. Its initial explosion was in mid-2022, but its continued presence in late 2025 confirms its status as an evergreen piece of content.

The 2022 Catalyst and Beyond

The meme's initial viral spread is generally traced back to a July 20, 2022, post by X (formerly Twitter) user @KratosClaire, who paired a GIF of the elevator scene with the simple, yet powerful, caption.

From there, the meme quickly evolved:

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• Video Remixes: Users began creating dubbed videos, replacing the original audio with the song's iconic beat drop precisely at the moment the elevator door begins to open. This is the most common format, emphasizing the sudden shift from silence to loud, infectious music.
• Reanimation and Parody: The meme inspired countless re-animations, fan art, and parodies, with users redrawing the scene in different styles or substituting other characters into the roles of Shinji and Asuka.

The 2025 Persistence: A Sign of Topical Authority

The meme’s ability to stay relevant years after its creation speaks to its deep connection to both anime and internet culture. In 2025, new variations continue to surface, keeping the joke fresh. For instance, recent video edits and GIFs have been created using modern software like After Effects 2025, demonstrating that new content creators are still discovering and remixing this specific gag.

The meme functions as a universal reaction image/video: a sudden, unexpected demand for a silly, distracting action in a moment of high tension. This versatility allows it to be applied to almost any situation, from gaming to politics, ensuring its continued circulation across platforms like Reddit, YouTube Shorts, and Tenor.

The Deeper Meaning: Why We Need Shinji to Crank That

The enduring popularity of the "Shinji, Crank That Soulja Boy" meme is not accidental. It taps into several key aspects of modern internet psychology and fan culture.

1. The Joy of Decontextualization

The meme takes two culturally significant, yet completely unrelated, artifacts—a dark, psychological anime and a breakthrough hip-hop track—and forces them together. The humor is derived from the "non-sequitur," the unexpected leap from a character's intense internal monologue to a viral dance command. This is a hallmark of Gen Z and Millennial humor, which often seeks to subvert the seriousness of older media.

2. The Relief of Escapism

Shinji Ikari is one of the most famously anxious and depressed protagonists in anime history. His entire narrative arc is about avoiding his responsibilities and confronting his emotional pain. The command to "crank that" is, in a way, a plea for him to simply *stop thinking* and participate in something simple and fun. It's a comedic form of catharsis, an internet audience demanding that the character take a break from his suffering.

3. A Bridge Between Fandoms (Anime and Hip-Hop)

The meme successfully bridges two massive, often separate, online communities: anime fans and hip-hop/meme culture enthusiasts. It serves as a rare, perfect piece of crossover content that requires knowledge of both *Evangelion* and the cultural significance of Soulja Boy's 2007 hit. This dual-layer of reference ensures a wider audience and a longer shelf life than a joke confined to a single fandom.

In conclusion, the "Shinji, Crank That Soulja Boy" meme is far more than a simple video dub. It is a cultural marker that captures the essence of 21st-century internet humor: irreverence, perfect timing, and the power of a single, absurd command to transform a moment of deep psychological tension into a moment of pure, viral comedy. The meme is still going strong, and as long as new creators keep finding fresh ways to make Shinji dance, its legacy will continue to crank on.

Relevant Entities for Topical Authority

• Anime/Manga: Neon Genesis Evangelion, Gainax, Hideaki Anno, Evangelion: 3.0 + 1.0 Thrice Upon a Time.
• Characters: Shinji Ikari, Asuka Langley Soryu, Rei Ayanami, Gendo Ikari, Misato Katsuragi, Kaworu Nagisa.
• Meme/Internet Culture: Viral Meme, Dub Meme, X (Twitter), YouTube Shorts, Know Your Meme, Internet Humor, Decontextualization.
• Music/Hip-Hop: Soulja Boy Tell 'Em, "Crank That (Soulja Boy)," Hip-Hop Culture, 2007 Music, Viral Dance, Superman That Ho.
• Evangelion Lore: NERV, Eva Unit-01, Tokyo-3, Third Impact, Angel (Neon Genesis Evangelion), Episode 11 ("The Day Tokyo-3 Stood Still").