Twenty-five life-sized statues of the popular anime robot Neon Genesis Evangelion sold out in just two minutes Thursday despite their hefty ¥1.83 million price tag, Seven & i Holdings Co. said.

As a part of a collaborative campaign with the sci-fi anime series, Seven-Eleven Japan Co. was planning to sell 25 units of the new theatrical edition of Evangelion Unit 01 — each 2 meters tall — on a built-to-order basis from Thursday to Aug. 31.

But when Seven Eleven stores across the country began taking orders at 10 a.m. Thursday, all 25 were booked up immediately.

"We thought there was a certain level of need, but we didn't expect that it would be (sold out) in such a short time," said Yasuhisa Yamane, a spokesman at Seven & i Holdings, the parent of Seven-Eleven Japan.

Asked why the 20-kg statues of the sci-fi robot cost ¥1.83 million, he said they are well crafted and detailed but did not disclose the name of the manufacturer. Delivery will take about four months.

The statues come in two color schemes, one identical to the robot's appearance in the movie, and the other accentuated with Seven-Eleven's green and red.

One of the figures is being displayed at the Seven-Eleven in front of Kaminarimon Gate in Tokyo's historic Asakusa district until Aug. 31.