Review of Neon Genesis Evangelion

It took me far too long to watch this series start to finish, as for a long time the last two episodes eluded me. After re-watching this show, I can firmly say that I think this is one of the only shows I've ever seen that lives up to the hype and popularity surrounding it. Eva manages to combine the best elements of many shows, like the large-scale fights of attack on titan, the deeper themes and messages of Haibane Renmei, and the worldbuilding and design of Akira. These elements together make a world and characters that seem fantastical and surreal, as they should fora show about people being made of orange Fanta, while making these same characters and world seem believable and relatable. One of my favorite things about Eva is you could easily watch this show as a 26 episode series about mechs and aliens, but not that much deeper lie themes of personal relationships, depression, and self-worth, not to mention a rich and interesting lore latent with religious iconography. Each character in this series succeeds in being different and unique from one another, having their own arcs, struggles, and obstacles to overcome. however, they all struggle with some of the same issues as well, allowing for some fascinating character interactions. Hideki Anno produced what is probably on of the best and my favorite shows to come out of all time, and it deserves all the popularity and praise it receives. My only complaint is I personally think that the last two episodes focus to heavily on explaining the themes of the show, and it would have benefited from not more explanation of what happened, but rather showing us, at least for the sake of satisfaction. However, that is what the End of Eva exists for, and that's a whole nother thing.