Review of Neon Genesis Evangelion

This may have been one of the most influential anime shows of the 90's, possibly one of the most notable shows ever made and if this were the 90's this review would have probably been the exact opposite of what it is but the way I see it, the only reason to watch this is nostalgia. Yes, probably the biggest revolution here is that this was probably the first try to make a mecha show which is not a superficial power-rangers-like you've-seen-one-episode-you've-seen-them-all kind of show, something that's supposed to be deeper, that's probably the reason this show should be praised, mainly because it has led theway for many other shows to follow, but the first attempt itself is not notable in today's standards.

The concept is of a giant threat to mankind that cannot be defeated using any conventional weapons but only using special mechas which are bound to their pilots who can only be junior-high teenagers - the show mostly follows the feelings and interactions of these teenagers as well as the people around them. Bright idea if you ask me, and the first couple of episodes are great, but then it just takes a head dive.
The main problem is that for a show that aims to focus more on the human-emotional side than on mecha battles, there is little to no character development. You have a young boy with parent complex, devoid of love and affection, you got a tsundere girl and a girl with no emotions whatsoever. That's the way it begins and that's the way it ends. Throughout the whole show it seems like it's building towards some sort of climax so it's incredibly disappointing to see that there is none - MINOR SPOILER - in fact, the last two episodes of the show make no sense whatsoever. END MINOR SPOILER.

Regarding art - It's typical of 90's anime, actually well above average, though of course by today's standards it would have been considered poor. I still give it a relatively high score because 90's art should be judged by 90's standards. Sound is decent even by today's standards.

Bottom line - The show is notable for paving the way, worth watching for nostalgia or if you're into history of the development of anime, not worth watching without such context.