Rating: 
Summary: The best way to view the whole series.
Review: The first time I'd ever seen this series was on the Sci-Fi channel, and from that moment on I wanted more. If you're planning on watching the entire Neon Genesis Evangelion series, you might as well start with the box set and save some money. The whole struggle between the Eva pilots and the Angels was quite disturbing, especially when it nears the latter part of the series. Soon the different characters' problems start to haunt them and cause them to become mentally unstable. Evangelion isn't one of those happy-sunshine series, and most of the episodes end on a depressing note, so be warned. Only a few episodes are devoid of any philosophical moments(for example, episode 8 is possibly the most light-hearted.). I personally thought the dubbing was alright. It could've been far worse, and at least most of the characters here actually sound human. Speaking of which, the characters present in Evangelion are possibly some of the most human characters I've ever seen in an anime. Another thing to note is, the final two episodes just don't feel that complete, leaving alot of plotholes. Even though I liked the ending, which actually is a happy one, there was just way too many things that had to be answered. If you see the whole series, you may have to also see the End of Evangelion as well if you end up being too confused.
Rating:
Summary: Better then I expected.
Review: I just finished watching this series, Episodes 1 to 26, in one day and I'm really surprised that I liked it. I was told by friends that since I like anime I just had to watch this. The way people talked about it I expected to be grossed out, have my religious views stomped on and be wallowing in depression by the end. I actually found this story more redeeming then disturbing. I'm not really into fighting animes on the whole and it doesn't take too much for me to click the fast forward button, but I didn't think these fight scenes were that intense. After awhile they seemed to get very formula; Angel appears, fight it, freak out, repeat ad-nausea um. I find watching five minutes of "Saving Private Ryan" or "Platoon" more upsetting then watching this whole series. Maybe I've seen too many nature programs but the Evas eating each other wasn't that big a deal to me either. If the kids had been hacking at people or animals instead of at odd pseudo-machines with no personalities it would have had more of an impact.
I do like the characters progression through the story. I heard that the main writer had major depression for a few years before writing this series and man does it show. In someways the story is more about people dealing with mental illness and trauma with the Apocalypse just thrown in to keep people who are into action interested. It included a ton of different theories and vocab, sometimes used correctly and sometimes not, from psychology, counseling and human development. You can practically see this guy reading from text books or one of the very few decent self help books
I'm apparently one of the few people who LIKED the original ending. The animation techniques used to show oddly shifting thoughts and images and the people's different perspectives was wonderful. The interesting part about it is that it's one great big Cognitive therapy session! I hit me as funny, in a dark kind of way, since I spent the whole time watching this thinking the main characters could all use some major therapy. It's painful to watch but in the end it actually leads the characters to better self understanding and on their way out of depression. I almost wonder if the writer is trying to convince himself that if people this messed up can find some sort of sanity then he should be able to find some for himself. Don't get me wrong, real people and therapy are much more complex then this but considering this is entertainment it does a good job.
Over all I enjoyed this. This story didn't bend my mind like a pretzel. Probably because I was already been exposed to a lot of comparative religion/philosophy and have worked as a counselor for abused and neglected children. If your new to those things or overly sensitive it might throw you for a loop. The animation is good but in it's defense as fast as technology is moving things made as little as a year ago seem out dated. The musical score is standard anime, nothing special but not painful to listen to, like some I could mention. The exception being the classical masterpiece "Ode to Joy" but they borrowed that. If your into the workings of the human mind with some open ended religion/philosophy thrown in, you might like this. If gor, fighting, an almost Apocalypse and a bit of crude humor sound good to you, this might also work for you. If your strongly dedicated to one and can't stand to sit through the other you might want to look for something else.
Rating:
Summary: The Rumors are true...it's the best....
Review: The most basic of Evangelion's numerous layers of plots goes as follows: as a gigantic, indestructible creature, later dubbed an "Angel," wreaks havoc on Earth, adolescent Shinji Ikari is sent for by his father Gendo, head of the supersecret underground organization NERV. With no prior training, Shinji is reluctantly able to pilot a giant robot called Eva Unit 01, destroying the creature. As the series goes on, Shinji's reluctance to pilot 01 grows as he battles more of the evil "Angels," along with fiery German import Asuka and silent, unnerving Rei Ayanami and their Eva units. The questions will fly fast and furious. What are Evas and how were they created? What and where are the Angels from? What is their link to the "Second Impact" that put the Earth in its current state? Who and what is Rei? Why does Unit 01 respond the way it does to Shinji, who becomes NERV's best pilot despite his reluctance and lack of training? The other plot layers weave a complicated but intriguing web that you will understand better with more viewings. There are secret organizations who can predict the arrival of Angels and the outcomes of battles. There are double agents, faked histories, cover-ups and painful betrayals. Mix this in with the heavy theology: the idea of Angels as the bad guys, and the giant light crosses that erupt at their demise; the naming of objects--Adam, The Spear of Longinus (Longinus being the centurion who speared Jesus on the cross), man as a creator of something that will bring about his destruction, Shinji as Gendo Ikari's forced sacrificial lamb...and on and on. Read into everything the series gives you to gain a full appreciation of how deep the creators wanted you to ponder. This is, Cowboy Bebop in mind, a terrific accomplishment in terms of music and sound. The orchestra plays majestically in a very "Empire Strikes Back" way during scenes when 01 goes berserk or into battle, or rings lightly during the more comedic moments. At times the creators are content to have nothing more than the sound of dripping water, the hum of generators or music from headphones serve as the soundtrack. Shinji's pained cries scratch your soul, as much as Rei and Gendo's coldhearted replies chill you to the bone. Background noise from the radio or the television often play some role in the foreground conversation between characters, who speak in mumbled whispers or echoing one-on-one conversations in cavernous settings. The art is very realistic. Bodies, vehicles and water wakes move exactly as they're supposed to; computer screens move with Matrix-like speeed; reflections, gusts of wind, the display on a minidisc player--it's all very real. The Eva designs are spectacular, very detailed, but at the same time presenting a very primal, brutal image. Themes are well emphasized through the art, be it a plain white ceiling or a pair of broken glasses. Character development is a must and Evangelion steps up to the challenge. Plenty of time is spent what drives each character, be it something from the past, or something in the present: Misato's traumatic childhood, Ritsuko and Asuka's respective mother complexes, and Shinji's tenuous relationship with Gendo. In the same way Rurouni Kenshin looked at the backgrounds of its Soujiro, Shishio or Aoshi characters, Evangelion doesn't mind deviating just to be able to flesh out a character better. The biggest criticism or praise (mostly criticism) will be regarding the ending. It's extremely ambitious and very "artsy" and philosophical, relying heavily on words, flashbacks and image montages. I certainly had a lot on my mind after that, thinking this or that. Good thing they came out with the Evangelion movies that gave this series a better, but still ambitious ending. If you don't want to sit and ponder, the movies are a must. The series is indeed the greatest because it gives the viewer credit. It assumes that we can handle deep plots, that we can pick up subtle messages, and complete loose ends. Studying symbolism and metaphors in English or film class is gonna pay off immensely; if not, you can sit back and watch the fulfilling visual feast Evangelion offers. Subtitles will help, especially since they usually also show what is being said on the radio or television. It's definitely a thinker and multiple-watch series. You've seen the crazy fights, bouncy girls, blazing guns and power ups. It's time to see them again, through the lens of maturity. Highly recommended for those needing a good brain stir.
Rating:
Summary: A total anime experience
Review: Since other reviews have discussed the series in detail (plots, characters, etc.) I will only add that this series should be experienced as a whole, and not piecemeal. Watching the series out of order or only getting a few of the episodes will only lead to a disappointing experience (as well as confuse the hell out of the viewer). If you are truly interested I would recommend getting the entire series as well as the two movies, Death & Rebirth (2 hour recap with some new footage that leads into the final act) and The End of Evangelion. Actually, the series won't make as much sense without watching End of Evangelion (which is incredibly surreal--big mindtrip!!). This series is less of a shoot-em-up then some preview footage may lead you to believe. If mature anime is your thing, I would highly recommend this series. If you don't like to think about metaphysical and psychological topics and have a short attention span (i.e. you don't want to have to think about the possible meanings of the show) then you might want to save you money. Otherwise, this is about as good as anime gets.
Rating:
Summary: Explaining The Hype Behind Evangelion
Review: Most great anime series tend to tie things up within either the 26 (Trigun, Cowboy Bebop, RahXephon) or 40-plus episode (Great Teacher Onizuka, Tenchi Muyo) frame--Rurouni Kenshin's 90-plus aside. But what is it about this 26-episode series that has it so oft-mentioned with the phrase "greatest series ever"? The most basic of Evangelion's numerous layers of plots goes as follows: as a gigantic, indestructible creature, later dubbed an "Angel," wreaks havoc on Earth, adolescent Shinji Ikari is sent for by his father Gendo, head of the supersecret underground organization NERV. With no prior training, Shinji is reluctantly able to pilot a giant robot called Eva Unit 01, destroying the creature. As the series goes on, Shinji's reluctance to pilot 01 grows as he battles more of the evil "Angels," along with fiery German import Asuka and silent, unnerving Rei Ayanami and their Eva units. The questions will fly fast and furious. What are Evas and how were they created? What and where are the Angels from? What is their link to the "Second Impact" that put the Earth in its current state? Who and what is Rei? Why does Unit 01 respond the way it does to Shinji, who becomes NERV's best pilot despite his reluctance and lack of training? The other plot layers weave a complicated but intriguing web that you will understand better with more viewings. There are secret organizations who can predict the arrival of Angels and the outcomes of battles. There are double agents, faked histories, cover-ups and painful betrayals. Mix this in with the heavy theology: the idea of Angels as the bad guys, and the giant light crosses that erupt at their demise; the naming of objects--Adam, The Spear of Longinus (Longinus being the centurion who speared Jesus on the cross), man as a creator of something that will bring about his destruction, Shinji as Gendo Ikari's forced sacrificial lamb...and on and on. Read into everything the series gives you to gain a full appreciation of how deep the creators wanted you to ponder. This is, Cowboy Bebop in mind, a terrific accomplishment in terms of music and sound. The orchestra plays majestically in a very "Empire Strikes Back" way during scenes when 01 goes berserk or into battle, or rings lightly during the more comedic moments. At times the creators are content to have nothing more than the sound of dripping water, the hum of generators or music from headphones serve as the soundtrack. Shinji's pained cries scratch your soul, as much as Rei and Gendo's coldhearted replies chill you to the bone. Background noise from the radio or the television often play some role in the foreground conversation between characters, who speak in mumbled whispers or echoing one-on-one conversations in cavernous settings. The art is very realistic. Bodies, vehicles and water wakes move exactly as they're supposed to; computer screens move with Matrix-like speeed; reflections, gusts of wind, the display on a minidisc player--it's all very real. The Eva designs are spectacular, very detailed, but at the same time presenting a very primal, brutal image. Themes are well emphasized through the art, be it a plain white ceiling or a pair of broken glasses. Character development is a must and Evangelion steps up to the challenge. Plenty of time is spent what drives each character, be it something from the past, or something in the present: Misato's traumatic childhood, Ritsuko and Asuka's respective mother complexes, and Shinji's tenuous relationship with Gendo. In the same way Rurouni Kenshin looked at the backgrounds of its Soujiro, Shishio or Aoshi characters, Evangelion doesn't mind deviating just to be able to flesh out a character better. The biggest criticism or praise (mostly criticism) will be regarding the ending. It's extremely ambitious and very "artsy" and philosophical, relying heavily on words, flashbacks and image montages. I certainly had a lot on my mind after that, thinking this or that. Good thing they came out with the Evangelion movies that gave this series a better, but still ambitious ending. If you don't want to sit and ponder, the movies are a must. The series is indeed the greatest because it gives the viewer credit. It assumes that we can handle deep plots, that we can pick up subtle messages, and complete loose ends. Studying symbolism and metaphors in English or film class is gonna pay off immensely; if not, you can sit back and watch the fulfilling visual feast Evangelion offers. Subtitles will help, especially since they usually also show what is being said on the radio or television. It's definitely a thinker and multiple-watch series. You've seen the crazy fights, bouncy girls, blazing guns and power ups. It's time to see them again, through the lens of maturity. Highly recommended for those needing a good brain stir.
Rating:
Summary: one million stars out of 5 The BEST anime I have ever seen!!
Review: This is an excellent series. No, "excellent is not enough to describe how much I LOVE this series! If I were to go into detail about this series we would be here all day. I loved this series except for the last 60-180 seconds. The very end is POINTLESS!!! Why are they clapping!? Because Shinji decided that he didn't want to die? What about Rei and Asuka? They had problems too! Anyway I did like the alternate univerce thing with Misato as the teacher! I Still Give it One million stars*
Rating: 
Summary: Empty can rattles the most! Look for other sci-fi anime.
Review: I just couldn't like Evangelion although I wanted to. Mentally disordered characters and overly complex plot overshadows this series.
Cons :
- There is no single decent person in this story. The characters who are presented in detail are either mentally ill or morally depreived. The only character I could like is the pet penguin.
- The plot starts too simple, than has a sharp turn to complexity all in a sudden. I wondered if it will always be the basic formula of "eliminating a new angel in a different way". I even get excited in the middle of the series for two or three episodes, than the excitement faded. The story throws out too much without giving enough details and background. The best example are the final two episodes. Something like this is told in white text with black background, nothing more : "The instrumentation project took ... years to complete. We can't tell you the details, we can only give you one instance, Shinji Ikari". Well, the instrumentation project is the cause of all this struggle, but how it's actually achieved is not shown! It's an anime tradition to keep some ends open, but Evangelion keeps all important points open and blurry. Even the directors didn't like its ending and produced two longer episodes, which also deserves only one star.
Pros :
There are only a few interesting ideas such as entry plugs, limited power, eating an enemy to gain its strength, etc.
Summary :
This is a waste of both money and time. The story is too blurred and sometimes repetitive...
Rating:
Summary: NEON GENESIS EVANGELION
Review: This is the best series ever!!! Its post-apocalyptic erra, earth is attacked by monsters called Angels, humanity`s only hope lies on the Evangelions, Bio-mekanical robots, huge and powerfull enough to withstand the Angels deadly attack and so the race for salvation beggins. Evangelions are controlled by three 14-year old children, Shinji, Asuka and Rei. They are the only hopes humans have left. The story sounds simple but is that all? Offcourse not! NG Evangelion is an approach into the minds of Humans, a psycological trip into the deepest and the darkest parts of the mind. The series has a powerfull philosophical grip into excistence and human conditions. The series starts normally and then eventually gets darker and more sinister as the story line evolves. The incredible atmosphere is there throughout the entire series, stunning you as the plot drives forward. A Great masterpiece of Human relationships with the best Characterization shown on a screen, so great that it sucks you into its world and merges you with its characters. This series offer one of the greatest story-line ever! It`s the best Anime in showing reality and life (not that Angels and Monsters exict, but u will get the point after watching the series). After finishing watching the series, dive into the ending, The End of Evangelion, it will please you, haunt you and disturb you. A Masterpiece!
Rating:
Summary: so good...
Review: evangelion got me started with anime. i was never really into it until i rented the first four episodes from blockbuster, i love it! interesting characters become involved with the 14 year-old shinji at nerv and at school. completely amazing, i am grateful for them. truly amazing.
Rating:
Summary: BEST ANIME EVER!!!
Review: BUY IT!! Its great!! Seriously
T...BR>This is absolutly the best show ever!! and im not even a big
anime fan!!
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