Review of Neon Genesis Evangelion

The phrase "Don't be such a Shinji Ikari" is now in my repertoire of critical things to say about under preforming and or unlikable characters. Look I get this is considered by many as a cornerstone in Anime history and highly loved. But it just was just not my cup of LCL. The story was woefully under developed and hard to follow. Episodes are disjointed and never clarified. Look I like shows that manage to be open ended and left to interpretation as the next guy, but my God, this show is all over the place. You could make assumptions about what happens to specificcharacters to get your own idea about who that character really is I guess. BUT the reason that isn't redeeming is because you don't like any of these characters. Shinji is honestly the most infuriating character in any show I've ever watched by far. Asuka just comes off as incessantly whiny and selfish to no end. Rei has a few glimmers of hope at times but for the most part is deadpan. Misato carries the show as the one comic relief and only enjoyable presence as she searches for clues as to what the hell this show is about. The ending just felt lazy and aggravating because by that point your starved for answers only to be slapped in the face by more pointless babbling. No real feeling of closure was given, even if I tried to make my own meaning of this steamy mess of "plot points". In closing I can't say my continued patience with this show or effort to understand it have paid off at all. Which is why personally I gave it such a low score. Ultimately I don't understand why this show is so acclaimed and enjoyed but if it were up to me I'd have to say stay away from this one.