Lieutenant Colonel Kasuga

Lieutenant Colonel Kasuga is a fictional character from the Neon Genesis Evangelion: ANIMA novel. He is a member of the Japanese Strategic Self Defense Force, and the commander of the Akashima squad.

Neon Genesis Evangelion: ANIMA
He was first seen by Rei Six, fishing in the Lake Ashi accompanied by his dog, Azuchi. Rei Six told him that if he was trying to blend in, he shouldn't had the fishing rod, since there wasn't any fish there, the dog would be enough. He was startled by her. He was using black sunglasses and a blue baseball cap.

She told the dog that it would be better if she run away, since there would be trouble soon. Kasuga asked her why, and she told him that it would be something underground. He replied to her that it would be better to tell an adult about it, but she said they all were busy, she even stated that she could take care if they gave permission to her to go alone.

Kasuga asked her name, then he asked her what she thinks she should do. She answered that she should put vibration sensors on the Type-N Robots and investigate with the Evangelion. He called Azuchi to him, since several lasers were pointed at it by multiple snipers in the surroundings. Kasuga left the area without being found by the security and intelligence agents of NERV Japan.

The Akashima was seen crossing over the caldera's rim, when asked by NERV Japan, the JSSDF other activities were only disaster relief operations. Toji, fearfull of their activities ordered Rei Six to go out with Evangelion Unit-00 Type F to the Komagatake sniping post. Then she noticed something on the mecha's armor: a squad insignia with a design of a dog.

After being launched, Rei waited any movements with the rest of NERV Japan command center, but after crossing the ridgeline, the Akashima just stopped, looking at the NERV HQ. Still agitated by it, the command center alerted Rei Six of an incoming attack, but not by Akashima, but by Sandalphon.

It started firing at the Angel with the Angel's Backbone but it dodged it and also attacked Unit-00 Type F with fireballs, destroying layers of armors and causing pain to Rei Six. But by firing into a specific point, the water dislocated by it, slammed into Sandalphon and swept it away. This caused a water vortex to escape from Lake Ashi into the former Geofront. The water caused Sandalphon to lose heat until it disintegrated in an explosion of steam.

After the events in the Valley of Human Bodies, inside the giant-transport plane, Kasuga briefly talked with Toji, saying "Do good for other and you do good for yourself'', Toji now with the support of the JSSDF, said to Kasuga that they are counting on them. Kasuga replied that they had their family hostage, referring to Azuchi and Momo. Toji asked for the JSSDF, since they were the only that could support in the recovery of the Evangelions since no heavy machinery could help it in such terrain.

After the events in the draining of the Lake Ashi's battle with Sandalphon, the Japanese Government asked to form a joint investigation with NERV Japan, and the support of other organization is one of the actions to build such relationship between both organizations.