Neon Genesis Evangelion

Evangelion blows your mind. First few episodes may seem like regular giant-robot-post-apocalyptic nonsense for kiddies but soon it begins to unmask itself. The background story is very complicated and not every detail of it is ever revealed. Characters are developed more than in many regular movies out there. Simply lovable.

The show can feel ultimately silly, weird, technologically naive, even insane. But it has a purpose - you shall experience every mood and emotion thinkable over the episodes. Pure originality seeps out of the series all the time. But it's all just the beginning. The real weirdness, packed with substance nonetheless, comes in the last three episodes. No matter how you will anticipate the story would end, it won't be anywhere near the real conclusion. I can't describe it without spoiling it. Evangelion just blows your mind.

9/10

This anime series is set fifteen years after a global disaster known as the Second Impact. It is centred on fourteen year old Shinji Ikari; he is summoned to the city of Tokyo-3 where he learns he has been chosen to pilot 'Evangelion Unit One'; to all intents and purposes a giant robot with biological components which can only be synchronised with pilots of a certain age. In Unit One Shinji will have to battle strange beings that have been dubbed 'Angels' whose arrival was foretold in the Dead Sea Scrolls. Shinji's job isn't helped by the fact that the Eva Project is run by his estranged father who seems more interested in Rei Ayanami, the slightly mysterious pilot of Eva Unit Zero. As the attacks continue a third pilot, Asuka Langley Soryu. Shinji always had issues but this work takes an emotional and psychological toll on him.

One might expect this to be an exciting 'fighting robot' series but it quickly descends into existential angst and depression... a very interesting twist that I'm sure viewers who watched this series when it was new would have been shocked by. The central story is full of religious symbolism but it isn't overtly religious in a way that might offend or irritate viewers. The characters aren't that likeable; many, especially Shinji, come across as whiny and others, notably his father, as unpleasant and bullying. Things gets distinctly strange towards the end with two final episodes that are likely to leave some viewers exasperated; others will find this only adds to the sense that this series is something different. Normally I watch anime in Japanese with subtitles but as the dub was available on Netflix I watched that and thought the English voice cast did a solid job. Overall I'd certainly recommend this to anime fans; it may show its age at times but it is still solid and had effects on many later series.

The last two original episodes are art, perfectly Could be museum pieces.

What can I say about the most perfect anime ever created? What can I say about Shinji, the most complex character ever created?

Evangelion begins like an action sci-fi anime, like Akira. It has everything: humor, drama, action, great soundtrack. Great fun! But then you watch episode 24... and WOW!

The 3 last episodes are the most perfect writen anime episodes ever. Yeah, some people don't understand it. Some people don't like it. But that's because those 3 episodes are about 1000 years ahead of our time. For the very first time you get inside a character's mind, you understand his problems and his fears. Yeah it's disturbing some times, but isn't real life disturbing?

It doesn't matter if you like animes or not, WATCH THIS! But watch from the beginning, or else you will not recieve the final message from episode 26. I'm sure that you will love Evangelion!

Well, what can I say about a series that's as absolutely mind-blowing as the 26 episodes and two movies that make up Neon Genesis Evangelion? This is, quite simply, a masterpiece. What starts out as a simple "save the world" mecha story evolves into a shocking and powerful psychological drama full of conspiracy, dysfunctional characters, and some of the most harrowingly emotional and painful fight scenes ever. Don't let the first several episodes fool you- they're entertaining enough, but the power of the series remains hidden.

When I popped in the first video, I was excited to see a new anime, but otherwise pretty relaxed. By the end of episode 18 or so, my heart was racing, and I was nearly in tears. It never let up after that. This is not just an anime. This is an experience.