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

Now I understand why people say this is the anime of animes. First don't watch this anime if you're not mature or 18+. There's also some epileptic and tripping parts that should be warned before watching. This is one of the darkest, most depressing and disturbing anime I've seen. After half episodes it becomes the real thing (hate,nudity,tools,betrayals for each character). The characters are likeable, the drawings are good and music is amazing, you can really see it's a 90's anime. But holy the Story is fkd up and disturbing. The last 2 episodes can be skipped if you don't want to see the perspective of Shinji. I agree that this is overrated but it's a great anime, that I don't recommend to children but adults.

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.

Do you have a hard time getting into anime? Somewhat new to the medium? Hate the cringey anime tropes you keep seeing? Then this review is for you.

Let me start this review by saying: I am not a weeb. I have watched some anime, not a lot. I have read some Manga, not a lot. I am a big fan of the usual shows: Breaking bad, Game of Thrones, True Detective. And as I explained in my review of death note (which I did not enjoy nearly as much as this), I find picking anime out to be very difficult.

Every anime is a masterpiece to the members of the "fandom". It has no flaws, and is the pinnacle of excellence. So I usually do a lot of back end research before I commit to watching one.

One thing I am not a fan of is the 3-episode rule (which for most Anime turns out to be the 5-10+ episode rule). Its annoying to me to have to slog through episode after episode just for it to get interesting. And I admittedly felt this way with Neon Genesis to some extent.

There were a couple of things up front that had my "I won't like this" red flag waiving at full mast: The teenage cast, the coming of age story with episodic mech suit battles, and the common anime protagonist who gets flustered and border-line pees himself the second a woman walks in front of him.

However, there was just something about the vibe of the show that stopped me from turning it off. The aesthetic, the music, the cinematography (even coming from the mid 90s). It felt very nostalgic to me.

I did start getting bored of the lack of plot outside of the battles after the first 5 episodes however. I started to worry that the whole show was just a coming of age Gundam series, which really is not my cup of tea. So I did skip forward after episode 7. I saw through IMDb that Ep. 12 was a recap episode, so I moved to there and watched the rest.

I will start with the good here, and I am going to avoid spoilers because I am writing to hopefully get some people to watch it.

THE GOOD: So first off, this series starts out very simple. Mech suit battles and a weak protagonist who has to get stronger in order to save the world from "angels".

However the show goes absolutely insane by the end. Deep psychoanalysis of multiple characters. Incredible science fiction concepts with religious symbolism (or at least iconography).

If you are a fan of Interstellar, or 2001 a space odyssey, then you will love this anime. In fact during the last couple episodes I thought to myself how interstellar has nothing on this show, and I am a huge fan of that film.

By the end of watching this (and the film "End of Evangelion" that takes place during the last two episodes which is a must watch after the series), my brain was fried. I am still processing everything I saw. Toward the end of the series it is a non-stop onslaught of visuals, philosophy, plot and twists. Truly an incredible experience. There are times when I felt like the creator was holding a mirror up to me, and showing me exactly what is going on inside my head (and not for the first time, I have been in therapy for a long time and read a lot about psychology... it is rare, however, for a piece of media to do this so well and thoroughly. Especially when it started as a mecha battle show).

If this tells you anything i watched all of this show, then the movie, and then started the 4 movie rebuild series immediately after. The world is a hard one to leave, and I do think I will need a rewatch soon.

THE BAD: I do not mean to nitpick, but I am going to anyway. But note: I love this show, these are things that simply did not resonate with me and subtracted from the experience a bit. These are the only things that reduced the show to 8 stars instead of 10 for me.

1. Shinji.

The protagonist is beyond pitiful. I understand that he is depressed, and 14, and going through a lot. And all of that is a valid excuse to be a bit negative. But he was almost irredeemably whiny and awkward.

I know the awkward kid who can't talk to women is a common anime trope. Maybe that is a archetype that resonates better in Japan than America, or maybe I just don't relate, but I do get tired of seeing it over and over again in shows like this. But I cannot fault the show for not entirely appealing to me: this is actually where it shines. It appeals to so many people because of its varied and well thought out characters. You will relate to someone for sure.

But my main problem was how insufferably self loathing this kid was. It does become a huge plot point, and the shows ending helps redeem this a bit (though the movie very much does not, which is outside the scope of this review and would contain spoilers). So I can get past it here, but it did reduce a star for me. The amount of times the kid won't rise to the challenge simply because he hates himself becomes bothersome. The whining and flip flopping between different motivations just annoyed me. I think I may have just related to Asuka a bit more (go figure as an American).

2. The Ending Again I will avoid spoilers, but the ending does get a star deducted simply because it is quite abstract. You have to watch EoE (end of Evangelion) in order to understand what physically took place. Reviewing the show in a vacuum, the ending would have pissed me off. I only don't mind because there is another movie and entire rebuild series if you are not satisfied with EoE's ending.

3. Tone Shifts I think there are some conflicting tone's in this show that confused me. I do not remove a star for this because I think its partially just the medium, eastern entertainment, and I may just not "get it".

But the pet penguin, the cutesy music and nudity gags, and a couple other things really throw the vibe off when this show gets quite serious and dark later on. It got a bit jarring and did pull me out of the story momentarily. This was a big reason I had to skip some episodes in order to really stay on track.

Conclusion: If you like any of the shows or movies I mentioned, you will like this. It is extremely different than you think it is going in. Skip some episodes if you have to like I did, use IMDb ratings as your guide. But this was one of the most amazing shows I have ever seen, I cannot recommend it enough. Even if you do not love it, you will have to admit it was a one of a kind experience.

And take it from me: I am not an anime fan. Honestly Attack on Titan and this may be the only ones I would highly recommend to people. Give it a shot.

Low budget with a lot of static scenes, jumped straight to the ending because of lack of money and time, and never explained an important part of the plot like why do the angels attack. But there it goes, the best anime ever created.

This artistic masterpiece is far superior to any anime or any animation that was made in the 1990s. It can easily hold up today.

This anime is about a boy who is 'forced' to pilot a mecha after an Angel attack. With Nerv's mecha or as they are called Evangelion, they fight these strange monsters.

This series is more than just your typical mecha anime. It is about loneliness and the meaning of life and lies. The animation is visually appealing. This is a must watch for anyone, anime fan or not,.

I still have mixed feelings about last 2 episodes but overall I think it is awesome anime with mature philosophical questions. Animation looks so good and colors are perfectly used. I still need to watch the End of Evangelion and I can't wait to see it.

"Neon Genesis Evangelion", Hideaki Anno's magnum opus and a reflection of his depression at the time. Long have I heard of this legendary anime, but never felt the drive in giving it a try until recently. Is it worth it? Well, yes but in some ways no.

Plot: Years after the apocalyptic event known as the 2nd Impact, the story concerns Shinji Ikari, a lonely boy who is suddenly summoned by his neglectful father Gendo, the head of the group called NERV. The reason: to pilot a mech called an Evangelion (Eva for short) to combat unusual creatures called Angels alongside brash Asuka and stoic Rei. Despite considerable reservations and low self-esteem, he agrees, going on a journey involving giant-sized battles, unnerving revelations, and a dive into others' inner demons.

On the surface, this seems like a standard action series, but it's really a character study filled with religious parallels, psychological analyses, and sexual elements. Most of the major characters suffer from some shortcoming and have different ways of coping. My favorite is Misato, a woman who is both head of operations against Angels and Shinji's caretaker/mother figure; she shares common ground with him, is a risk taker, and has relatable flaws. Shinji, though, is a divisive figure as your enjoyment of the show depends on how much you invest in or even tolerate him. Having "hedgehog's dilemma" among others, he hesitates on things from fighting to getting close to anyone. While at times understandable, it does try one's patience (he's more tolerable after the first few episodes). There are scenes that offer levity with light-hearted moments, which I appreciate. While sometimes short, the battles alone are worth a watch with cool strategies, gruesome bloody violence, and a pantheon of monstrous Angels whose designs are as alien as their origins and motives. Outside the fights, though, the animation tends to be minimalistic. In fact, many scenes involve still shots that go on for too long, which bugged me. There's also no real explanation of why the Evas have to be piloted by 14-year olds and some side characters are written out in a way that doesn't feel conclusive.

"Evangelion" has two endings. First, the show's last 2 episodes are an abstract mind trip where the staff literally ran out of money and scraped together. The second is the movie "End of Evangelion", which is more grand and decisive, but also VERY trippy. Analyses from other people helped me understand the film, but it's not satisfying entertainment-wise. I'm curious about the remake "Rebuild of Evangelion", but that's for another time. While not for everyone, the anime certainly earned its reputation.

Neon Genesis Evangelion is hailed as one of the greatest animes ever. As a mix of monster vs. Mecha action, character-driven psychological drama and conspiracy thriller, there's certainly plenty to delve into. Too bad the different elements never truly match with each other, and the result is possibly the grandmother of all "mixed bags".

There are very many aspects of Evangelion to like, or at least to admire. The ambition of the series is unquestionable, telling a story which starts out as fairly simple mecha action, but then turning into something far more sinister and grand. The designs of the Angels and Evas are still very imaginative and original and each battle provides a different scenario. The Angels are among one of the most genuinely alien-feeling creatures I've seen in fiction overall. The boldness it takes to put the characters into such dark places as they are in the end is very admirable, as the second season provides disturbing imagery all the way through. The characters are fairly deep with complex relationships, and the scenario of humanity trying to survive, but possibly heading double-time towards extinction is interesting. And the effort it must have taken to put together a story with so many different elements deserves a clapping.

But where to begin with the problems, which sadly far outweigh the good elements?

-The tone is very inconsistent, starting out with a mysterious feel with some heavy drama and then settling into a comfortable, fairly light-hearted monster-action period. During the second season the series plunges all the way into thorough unpleasantness before finally crapping out altogether and being left wallowing in psychedelic imagery and dialogue.

-With such a grand story to tell, Evangelion should be a series with absolutely zero filler, yet there are at least three to five episodes out of 26 which have no relevance at all in terms of the main story

-Nearly all the characters are almost completely unlikable. Despite this probably being one of the main points, as the series turns into full- fledged tragedy during the last 10 or so episodes, they seem neither to feel genuine sympathy for each other nor really care much about anything other than themselves. Character traits which are introduced as quirks or comedic elements (like Misato's drinking) later become sources of self-loathing and disgust. One particular central character and their own subplot is squandered so badly in terms of dramatic potential it's almost insulting.

-The animation quality sees a steep drop after episode 19. This was later somewhat redeemed in the director's cut versions, but the lack of budget towards the end is still painfully obvious. Many scenes feature little more than static images with voiceovers, and at times feel more like a power point presentation instead of animation.

• There are dozens of oddities and illogicalities that constantly have the viewer thinking "How did they do that?". For example, we never see how the various parts of NERV HQ are placed in relation to each other. For all we know, all the various rooms and halls could exist entirely in small pocket dimensions of their own.

-Despite their heavy presence, the biblical imagery and names are pure surface, and nowadays feel pretentious rather than original. You could replace all the names with Godzilla, Mothra, King Kong and such and it'd still be the same story.

-A large amount of screen time is taken up by meaningless techno-babble, which serves next to no purpose. There are also some weird dialogues and monologues that pop out of nowhere and seem to have been written by someone tripping on acid. The infamous last 2 episodes are so full of esoteric philosophical mush that it feels like a completely different series. Whether this was the creator's intention or not I won't theorize on, it simply doesn't work.

-The very heavy presence of angst both teen and mature can be quite grating, even for a series about psychological problems and mental breakdown. Even the adult characters fall into the pit of constant self-loathing towards the end.

-Despite it being constantly referred to and being one of the central plot elements of the entire series, the Human Instrumentality Project never seems to be what's driving the story. Also the vast amount of lore involving the Second Impact, SEELE and NERV is almost all dumped into a single episode, instead of being slowly unearthed. It could have been used to create mystery, but as it stands it creates merely confusion and dissatisfaction.

To list more would be just nit-picking, but there are plenty more. The end result is a series that is at times excellent, but most of the time just irritating or dull to watch.

Recommendation: Evangelion is possibly one of the most divisive works of fiction ever created. Anyone who hasn't seen this series but has an interest in it should watch it just to form an opinion of their own.

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.

Neon Genesis Evangelion is the best work of fiction I have had the good fortune to encounter in my life, and it is no exaggeration for me to claim that it has changed it for me irrevocably. This review is therefore just a small way of sending my thanks to the beautiful mind that created it, Hideaki Anno.

The analyses, forums, chats, and discussions related to this anime are not wasted, and the number of lessons and interpretations that can be drawn from it is endless.

The only thing I can remark again, is how incredible it is that such a work, especially the final episodes of this wonderful series (arising moreover from production difficulties, and because of that structured in such an unconventional way), are able to speak to the inner depths of thousands of people, and, in so many cases, making us feel understood, worthy, accepted, and so full of hope.

Neon Genesis Evangelion has been mentioned in the same sentence as 2001: A Space Odyssey many times, which is my favorite film of all time. So as soon as it was on Netflix I put it on and binged the entire series and I have no words. It morphs from a mecha anime to a psychological horror to downright euphoria. The final two episodes are polarizing for viewers, and I'm on the positive side. What was initially just a quick ending to the series because of financial issues is now the most mind-boggling, psychologically damaging conclusion to any show I've ever seen. A masterpiece of a show, for sure.

One of the things that makes evangelion so good is that many of the great concepts in the series are pushed aside and only focus on the final message after a certain point.This is not a risk that everyone can take.

This is the best and most devastating anime of all time

I can see why so many people either seem to love or hate this show. Its a mix of mech battles, religious symbolism and psychological drama. I wasn't able to fully appreciate some of these elements until later in the show and its not for everyone. Its a master class tragedy with a small handful of flaws IMO. I went from wanting to give it 7 stars in the 1st half to 9 stars by the time it was over. Its one you got watch yourself to really see if you'll like it or not.

Neon Genesis Evangelion is, without a doubt, the most popular anime of all time. People can't go two sentences without praising how profound and impacting it is, how deep and well thought out it is, how painfully realistic the characters are and what a religious experience it was for them... ... ... Shut up! Please! I can clearly see why this anime is popular, but that doesn't make the reason any less stupid. Now don't get me wrong, I like this anime. Really, I do. But it's so overrated the ''Matrix''-trilogy fails in comparison. And that says a lot.

This anime is not ''profound'', ''intelligent'', ''deep'' or any other word of praise ever given to it. Nor is it realistic. The characters were all two-dimensional and oftentimes annoying, not to mention boring. The plot is supposed to be intelligent, but is nothing more than a bunch of incomprehensible blabber. The animation is nothing special, the music is mediocre and the ending is simply not fulfilling.

Then why is it so popular? Simple... This anime might not be deep or profound or anything, nor are the characters realistic... But the creators did a damn good job making it SEEM like it is. Simply by creating an anime almost opposite of what you've seen before. You can't deny Evangelion's plot and characters were completely different as anything seen in most anime, at that time. Therefore people immediately embraced it as ''realistic'', because of the simple fact that most of these other anime weren't, and this one had to be. The creators pull it further by throwing in countless of pointless religious references and cliched psycho-babble, and it was immediately dubbed brilliant.

But none of these religious references mean anything, or stand for anything. None of these characters are realistic... Unless you call people suffering in the worst ways imaginable, with the exact same behaviour at all times, without the slightest sign of development nor change in speech or mood, realistic. I know I don't. I admit the characters are original, at least, but realistic or ''deep'', my ass.

What does this psycho-babble mean? Nothing. It all sounds like phrases taken from one of Freud's textbooks and randomly scattered throughout the series, once again seemingly meaning something, while it doesn't even serve a purpose. (Despite reminding us once again how unrealistic these characters are)

Quite frankly, there's nothing deep, profound, intelligent or realistic about Evangelion. When it comes down to it, it's a gigantic show of vagueness. Then why do I like it? I love vague stuff. I really enjoy watching EVA and then trying to fill in the pieces for myself. I like it gives me something to think about.

But it's so horribly overrated it's annoying to hear people praise it again, in the exact same way as everyone else does, with the exact same tone and words. This almost ruins it for me.

Guys... Get a grip, please. It doesn't interest me anymore to hear how ''deep'' you thought this series, because it's quite clear to me now that it isn't. Stop praising this series in the same, bland way, over and over again. We got the picture. You were fooled by the creators to believe something that wasn't there. Along with all the other thousands. It means nothing.

Whether you enjoy the world of anime or not this is an experience you must have before you die. Nothing else in the world is like it. For the sake of your personal experience I cannot tell you much about it and here's why. The first 20 some episodes you are immersed in the semi-futuristic world of Tokyo 3 and the characters are developed beautifully, some of the best character development I've ever witnessed. You get a very very good feel for the world and the situation they live in, only to have that blown away in the final episodes. Please for the sake of yourself watch this, from the start, you will not regret it.

Hideaki Anno has conceived of a story more important to my life than any other.

Hideaki Anno is pure genius.