This series (and the movies, which replace the last two episodes due to public outrage) is a fan favorite, and with good reason; few anime delve as deep into the psyche of its characters and offer religious overtones by the bucketful.

Those looking to watch this just for the mecha will be pleased initially, but bored the rest of the time. It takes someone with a working knowledge of Christianity and an appetite for psychology to fully appreciate this anime for all it's worth.

While we aren't probing deep into the confused minds of fourteen-year old children, we are spectator to some wonderful action sequences as the Eva pilots protect the earth from the Angels. I'm reluctant to say, however, that this is reminiscent of the "Monster of the Week" theme that permeates Sailor Moon and the Power Rangers. This, and the fact that Gainax went overbudget about halfway through the series and thus used an extensive amount of stills, seemed to dull the story and make it feel uneven.

One aspect that I find missing in most action-based anime is that every gesture, every word, every scene gives some weight to the story. Though the meaning of each may fly over your head the first time, it'll dawn on you by the end of the series. The best way to describe this anime is as a character study, a Sunday school lesson, and a thriller all rolled into one complicated mass. Anime fans should watch this if only because you'll be hard-pressed to find another as introspective.

A titanic and compelling show. The most controversial series ever made. The greatest anime of all time. These are just some of the things you will hear if you mention Evangelion. Of course, like most hype, the accolades are farfetched.

Evangelion was an anime created by a thoughtful anime otaku who enjoyed his days spent watching Mazinger Z and Macross. This can be seen rather vividly in the show's violently spectacular battles. It is hard not to find glee in watching Nagai Go-inspired monsters and robots bite into each other. This, coupled with some rather impressive music, makes for an old-school mecha fan's dream. In a sort of contrast, the other impressive moments were all those little, quiet scenes; these scenes without dialogue hold the most weight. Unfortunately, this series is littered with so much techno-babble that the viewer becomes detached from what is really happening on-screen. I could care less about "Angels" and "Third Impacts" if there are no meaning to them. The script itself comes from the same "hmm"-inducing nature as a Tomino Yoshiyuki story (the traumatized teens should be a dead ringer for that) but leaves the viewers with more angry faces than widened eyes.

Though it has been the point of discussion for years, the symbolism holds very little water to the story. Most of it seems like it was placed in because it sounded cool but are vague descriptions due to laziness in the screenwriter's progressive thought. Same goes with the characters. I won't lie when I say that these characters are boring. There is very little given that makes me want to follow their journeys or listen to their stories. And by the end, I could have cared less if they made it or not.

In the end though, Evangelion is not a terrible series. Different groups of people may or may not find something enjoyable about it. So, to answer the questions everyone has: is Evangelion a series worth seeing? Yes. Is it a series that should be placed on a pedestal above other anime? Not at all.

Ah, Evangelion. Arguably one of the most polarizing and controversial anime series ever made. Thousands love it, while just as many loathe it. Virtually anyone who considers themselves a fan of anime has at least heard of this beast. With that said, a series with this much hype is bound to fail on a few occasions, and this anime is no exception.

The story starts off nicely enough, albeit with an "Angel of the Week" feel to it at first. Some rather interesting concepts are thrown into the picture, and some of the characters seem genuinely flawled at first. Sadly, nothing is done to change anything once the introductions are done. Much of the main cast is shown to have little to no depth outside of their given characteristics. There is very little growth in their personalities as they remain set in their ways through the majority of the series. It's very difficult to care about whether someone is fine or not when I can't connect with the cast on virtually any level. This is especially apparent in Shinji, who single-handedly vaulted himself to the top of my "Infuriating Main Character" list. I understand how he became the way he is, and on a small scale I can sympathize. However, when absolutely nothing is done to try and break from the seemingly endless cycle of misery and self-pity, it grinds against my patience rather quickly.

Along the way, the viewer is barraged with various pieces of symbolism that run the spectrum of religion to Freud and everything in-between. Some of these pieces fit the mold when used, but it is then beaten into the ground over and over again to the point where it loses its meaning and becomes nothing more than an overly used plot device. It wasn't always this way. This symbolic overdose didn't become too much of a problem until the second half of the series (Episode 16 to be exact). That's when the psycho-analysis side of Evangelion takes the reigns and never lets go. Oddly enough, it was right about that same time that the series began to show that it blatantly went overbudget in typical Gainax fashion. Reused animation sequences and still shots become an all too common occurance in a hurry. Using these devices in moderation to save a bit of money is quite all right, but Evangelion takes this to a whole new level and does so shamelessly. You know you're strapped for cash when you use a still for nearly 80 seconds to begin an episode. Several other series have been able to take such a shortcoming and make it work (His and Her Circumstances is a prime example...moslty), but Evangelion does nothing to try and hide it. Everything comes to a head in the last two episodes, which culminates the series' spiral into a Freudian mess of stills, reused animation, and more psychological jargon than you can shake a stick at. In the end, we are not given a concrete conclusion to the first 24 episodes. Rather, we are given a psychological epiphany. Some love it, many hate it. You can safely put me in the latter category.

Despite the shortfalls, there's just as much to actually enjoy about this series. If you want action, then you've come to the right place. The battles within this series are among some of the most creative ones that I've ever seen. There is plenty of excellent choreography in these fights which helps keep things fresh on the battlefield. Violence junkies will take great pleasure in watching several of these battles, especially later on when this series takes a decidedly darker, more morbid turn. These fights are made even more engrossing by the sheer imagination that the staff had in designing and creating not only the angels but the evangelion units themselves.The near demonic designs of the mecha are simply impressive and nothing short of memorable. These designs are far from your typical mecha series, that's for certain. Complementing the battles, and the non-combat scenes as well, is a fitting and generally wonderful soundtrack composed by Shiro Sagisu. Battles are accompanied by fittingly sweeping and driving pieces, while quieter and more subtle scenes are further enhanced with soft piano pieces or a light string accompaniment. I also must make a mention of the use of Frank Sinatra's "Fly Me To The Moon" as not only a music theme by Sagisu, but also as the end theme for this series. While I will say that there were about ten variations too many, Claire's vocals are simply stunning when they're heard.

Few anime have been able to be as long standing and influential as Neon Genesis Evangelion. With several manga and movie sequels, including an ongoing "Rebuild", it is doubtful that this franchise will ever lose its popularity or steam in the near future. It beats me as to why it's so popular, but to each their own, I suppose.