The time of the terrorist attack is 2:26. The numbers 2 and 26 are a reference to "the February 26th incident" (1936), an aborted coup by rebel elements in the Japanese armed forces.
The last film to be created under Production I.G's original name, I.G Tatsunoko.
The film sparked controversy less than two years after it was released when on March 20, 1995, the religious cult released sarin gas on several lines of the Tokyo Metro subway, killing a dozen people, injuring fifty and inflicting temporary vision problems to a thousand other commuters. The film scene in question was when a group of airships flew over Tokyo and crashed, releasing colored gas that was shortly deemed harmless.
Early in the movie there is a scene that prominently features a triptych painting of birds. Each panel has the word 'Vogel' on it. 'Vogel' means 'bird' in both Dutch and German.
The film takes place in 2002.