Rating: 
Summary: quite simply, it's perfect.
Review: Neon Genesis Evangleion is a benchmark in the history of animation, not because of the style or rate of animation(which is artful), but because of the story and characters. Hideaki Anno questions God, the afterlife and the human psyche in this series set in an apocalyptic 2015. The Series is basically about the end of the world, with constant biblical references mostly from revelations with references to judgement day.However, Evangelions true brilliance is not in its apocalyptic world, biblical worth or giant robot designs and architecture. Evangelion really comes into its own through it's excellently realized characters. The series explores all of its characters secrets and desires through subtext and monologues toward the end. The characters are explored so well in the series that you know why they act and do the things they do, even when they do not. All the characters are brilliantly flawed and explores the pain of adolesence, depression and love. The DVD features aren't that great but the series alone is easily worth the price. If you want interesting dialogue, designs, characters and are interested in filmaking at all, evangelion is one to see (just bear with the giant robots).
Rating: 
Summary: Psychological Waste of Time
Review: Well, I didn't watch an anime intil I was 20. The first was Robotech. Following the Giant Robot theme, I bought the Mobile Suit Gundam Wing Series. Unsatisfaction in that caused me to buy this. A friend told me that it was good and I decided I could trust his opinion.
After I completed this series, I asked myself what I just watched. It has promising characters, but they all seem phychologically insane. Buy the two movies that follow these. The last movie doesn't help you understand the series, but it does offer one sl=mall explanation for one factor in the story.
In essence, if you want a series that is big on story, DO NOT buy this. If you are a psychologists in training,buy this.
Rating:
Summary: A must buy, a classic, needless to say one of the best
Review: My favorite RPG is Xenogears, and when I saw NGEvangelion, I was amazed! I couldn't beleive there was an anime that even compared to Xenogears. The plot twists, the hidden agendas, the much needed religious knowledge, amazing characters and perfect balance between comedy, action, drama and mystery, Neon Genesis Evangelion is a masterpiece, and resembles Xenogears a lot! The mech battles may be short, but are a pleasure to watch, using originality and clever plans to complete succesfully each mission. The animation is nothing but great, and the soundtrack never fails to impress me. The plot is one of the best I've ever seen, and the characters are all developed well, giving us the character's views of themselves and of others, and how others think of them and also the extremly cool plot-twits. I've watched it a total of six times now, and not one episode has bored me. Also, this box set has been dubbed in english, french and spanish, and of course it has the original japanese with subtitles, giving it more value and more people can understand this masterpiece. It is best to be watched on original japanese with subs, because it has the emotional impact on the voices better done than in the dubbings. I'd recommend watching the movies also, to complemet and understand the series better. Many people argue about the last two episodes, I think they were very well done. They make you think about life like you haven't ever. The thing is that you need to think those two episodes aren't the ending of the series, consider the movies to be the "true" ending, and you'll have a much better understanding and enjoyment of this unique, special and amazing anime masterpiece. Thanks to Anno-sama for doing this, and I can't wait for the live-action movie. If you liked Xenogears (but make sure you finish it completely, and I'm NOT talking about that failure Xenosaga) I guarantee you'll like Neon Genesis Evangelion, and if you liked Evangelion and haven't played(can't even imagine why) Xenogears, I'd reccomend playing it, the best RPG created. Neon Genesis Evangelion is my favorite anime AFTER Rurouni Kenshin, which you should buy INMEDIATELY.
Rating:
Summary: Evanjellybelly
Review: Has anyone asked why planet earth must depend on some gawky loser boy to save it from giant baddies from outerspace?
I've heard of David and Goliath but David was strong and brave, and on a pound-for-pound basis a tough cookie.
The hero(more accurately, wimp)of Evangelion is the son of a silly bearded scientist who insists that his kid take on the likes of Mechagodzilla. The point? Is there a subtext about meek, obedient Japanese values being ultimately superior? Is it like the saying, "Hammer the nail that sticks out"? Well, watch this and it's worse than getting clobbered on the head, I tell you.
Rating:
Summary: This is... god... pretty much everything of me.
Review: I can't begin to say how much I regret the fact that my opinion is ultimately biased, how I'd love to review this series objectively, observing what it is for its faults and strong point, but I can't anymore. It's something that's important to me on a level that's deeper than mere objective observation. "Neon Genesis Evangelion" is... well... it's my favorite piece of art (and I use art in the most general way possible) to ever enter my line of sight. I can hardly explain why, but I shall attempt to through this review (which is, truly, less of a review, and more of a great paragraph of admiration). "Neon Genesis Evangelion" is a chronicle of life slowly descending into unfathomable waters. It's also an anime, with giant robots and lots of explosions. Herein lies the genius the animation studio GAINAX imbedded within the series. At first, you may think, "Wow... what a nicely animated series. Ah, it's a mecha-anime. I bet it'll play out like Gundam, as they all do." Halfway through the series, what you thought (or what you didn't think) isn't reality at all. What you thought was an entertaining mecha-anime is actually a terribly serious dissertation on the boundaries between attempts at human communication. And it's nothing like you've ever seen before. The story goes as such: Around the year 2000, a gigantic meteorite supposedly met with the South Pole, causing half the human population to suddenly die off. This event is called the Second Impact. 15 years later, we are presented with the character of Shinji Ikari, a fourteen-year old who is seriously disenfranchised with his father (and vice versa). Of course, he's forced to reunite with the said father in an attempt to prevent a Second Impact from ever happening again. This time the threat is on the part of the Angels, who, for some unknown reason, are attacking Tokyo-3. The best defense against these Angels lies within the Evangelion, which Shinji must pilot, whether or not he's happy in doing so. Of course, he's not happy while he's piloting the Eva, and his attitude pretty much sets the course for the entirety of the 26 episodes. Most people (that I've asked at least) would consider Shinji both whiny and pathetic. I do as well, but this is merely a defense mechanism of mine, for I see a great deal of myself within the character of Shinji. I see exactly where he fails, and I cannot deny that. And perhaps that is why this series is so precious to me. The final two episodes are only controversial because they reject all expectations. If I were a prospective viewer wishing to purchase this series, I would ignore the detrimental statements concerning these episodes, for, it being 6 years since the series was first aired, it has come to the attention of many that these episodes are, in fact, BRILLIANT. It is only a matter of opinion. I'll warn you, though, that if you find no satisfaction in the series ending, you'll find even less satisfaction in the movie "End of Evangelion." Watching "Neon Genesis Evangelion" in sequence is like pulling mass amounts of masking tape off your arm. At first, you look at the tape on your arm and think nothing of it. When you begin to pull it off to see beyond the surface, however, you find it is much more painful and deep than you first perceived. All cliches are presented and then ripped to shreds. This is the essence of the series. And this is why I love "Evangelion." It is more than a 26-episode fling on television. It has amazing personal meaning as well as complex outward meaning. And it continues to be the most accomplished art-piece I've ever seen in my life.
Rating:
Summary: Rich, Compelling and Poignant Anime...The Best!
Review: Anime is over and under exploited at times for what it truly is. Some is not worth being even downloaded and keeping space on your computer, and others are worth spending almost $200 to own it and watch it at your own pleasure. Neon Genesis Evangelion is one of the series that you would go and pay the $200 to own, and doing whatever it takes to get you there. Highly controversial, deep and imaginative, Evangelion has been in high regard since its release to the world. Anime fans and non-anime fans alike rejoice in the philosophical rupture that is Evangelion. Shinji Ikari is a teenager, fourteen years old, and has felt the pain of almost being an orphan: his mother is dead, and his father has almost no communication with him, nor wants any. Shinji knows nothing of his father's work or why his father never wants to see him or fulfill his role as a father. All of that changes when Shinji recieves a retreaval letter from his father to visit his secret organization. Shock and bewilderment and are widly felt as Shinji reluctantly awaits his escort to meet his father. Explosions are heard like thunder, and none to soon, the infamous Misato Katsuragi shows up in her car to take Shinji to his father, where he awaits whatever life (and Misato!) has to throw at him... Taking you from the slums of Tokyo 3 to the technologically-advanced geo-front, Neon Genesis Evangelion shows you the greatness and weakness of mankind. Introducing you to rememberable characters such as Rei Ayanami, Ritsuko Akagi, and the firy female whose personality matches the fire-red of her hair, Asuka Langley Souryu, this ground-breaking anime is sure to be a thrill to anyone who has the passion to ponder further on the human race. What is NERV, and what connection does it have to the Angels? What are the Angels, and what do they want with earth? and what are Evangelions, exactly? All of these questions and more will be answered as you are glued to your seat, watching episode after episode as the series unfolds to an unforgettable and almost disturbing climax. Neon Genesis Evangelion will not let anyone down!
Rating: 
Summary: Great initial episodes, final episodes SUCK!!!!
Review: Started off great, finished up with lots of still-shot anime (did the budget run low?). The final episodes were horrible!
Rating:
Summary: Thought-Provoking Entertainment for the Non-Otaku
Review: I don't watch much in the way of anime. A friend who's currently in animation school and shares my affinity for science fiction introduced me to it. Since then, I have discovered many, many different anime movies and series that disgust or annoy me, and a few that I find genuinely enjoyable as well-executed sci-fi and fantasy. Things like Trigun, Cowboy Bebop, Gundam, and the oft-maligned Record of Lodoss War. Evangelion, however, is something entirely different. To summarize the plot, 15-year-old Shinji Ikari shares his birthyear with the apocolyptic meteor strike known as the Second Impact, a cataclysm which killed half of Earth's population. Shinji's mother is dead and his father abandoned him for his work as a scientist when Shinji was a small child. The hapless boy lives with his schoolteacher until his native city of Tokyo-3 comes under attack from an hostile alian known only as an "Angel." Shinji is conscripted as a pilot for the mysterious bio-mechanical weapon system known as the Evangelion - a weapon built in secrecy by NERV, a UN subcommittee commanded by Shinji's estranged father.
Over the course of the series, Shinji, his fellow Eva pilots Rei Ayanami and Asuka Langley-Soryu, NERV operations director Misato Katsuragi, and Japanese intelligence agent Ryoji Kaji all find themselves enmeshed in the shadowy machinations of NERV and discover shocking secrets about the Evangelions, the Angels, Second Impact, and humanity itself? Sound grandiose? That's because it is. While a bit convoluted, the story is handled with remarkable tactfulness. While some have criticized its occasionally uneven pacing, I find that it works well. The plot is initially doled out in small but important chunks shrouded in wacky anime-isms. However, by its halway point, the series has gradually and seamlessly metamorphosed into something much more serious and dark (there's also some more odd Judeo-Christian iconography used to add a veneer of mysticism to the Japanese audience, similar to uses of Eastern religion in the American media). The plot gradually increases in both scope and complexity at a greater and greater rate, rather akin to a musical crescendo. In my opinion, the understated ending makes a brilliant finale, much like a soft and beautiful string coda after a thundering symphony. The plot itself reaches its inevitable breaking point - a major event occurs, and its largely metaphysical effects are explored throught the viewpoints of the main characters. This is simply the natural next step of the series' constant focus on character development and substitutes for now-irrelevent literal plot treatment; all relevent elements of the plot are still within easy reach as subtext and inferences. The movies based upon this series merely elucidate upon the same themes found in the final episodes with a literal representation that similarly evaporates about halfway in. The abstractions aren't as coherent as those found in the television ending, and the religious imagery is even more random and nonsensical. In my opinion, this boxed set is all that you need.
Rating:
Summary: Thought-Provoking Entertainment for the Non-Otaku
Review: I don't watch much anime as a rule - I was introduced to the genre through an animator friend who shares my affinity for science fiction. On his reccomendation, I've found that while a lot of anime either distrubs or annoys me to no end, there is a pretty good deal of it out there that appeals to me as well-executed sci-fi or fantasy. Evangelion, however, is something entirely different. It's easy to watch the first few episodes superficially and dismiss Eva as a mere "giant robot fights giant monster" spectacle. However, there's something incredibly arresting, even addictive, in the series' combination of incredible designs, high-quality animation, complex characterizations, and an even more complex plot. To summarize, 15-year-old social maladroit Shinji Ikari has grown up living with his schoolteacher in a world that has rebuilt itself from the ashes of Second Impact, an apocolyptic meteor impact in the year of his birth, 1999. Suddenly, Shinji's home city of Tokyo-3 is attacked by an alien monster known only as an "Angel," and Shinji is conscripted as a pilot of the mysterious bio-mechanical weapon known as the Evangelion - a weapon developed in secrecy by NERV, a UN agency commanded by Shinji's own estranged father. Over the course of 26 episodes, Shinji, his fellow Eva pilots Rei Ayanami and Asuka Langley-Soryu, NERV operations director Misato Katsuragi, and Japanese intelligence agent Kaji Ryoji become gradually enmeshed in the machinations of NERV and its shadowy parent committee, SEELE, learning the sinister truths behind the Evangelions, the Angels, and Second Impact. There are plenty of "generic anime" moments at the onset of the series - straightforward mecha fights, fan service, and plain wackiness. By the halfway point, however, the series has gradually and seamlessly transformed into something entirely different and much more dark and serious. The plot grows more and more convoluted (and begins to include more downright bizarre religious imagery - as an aside, the Judeo-Christian elements were used to add a veneer of mysticism to the Japanese viewers, just as Eatern religion is often used in the U.S., so it doesn't usually make much sense). I personally enjoyed the television ending - without spoiling anything, it basically shunts aside literal plot treatment and focuses on the characters. However, this is not an error or an easy way out - the plot is dismissed because it is irrelevent at that point. All of the necessary information is still within easy reach as subtext. The story has simply moved its focus on the characters to the next logical step. I've always looked upon the movies as unnecessary additions to the series, so this set is really all you need.
Rating:
Summary: Evangelion: An excellent but misunderstood series.
Review: This is more a review OF the reviews for this series. It is an excellent series, with lifelike and personally deep characters, which you will either love or hate. The thing is, the story just plays out, and does not attempt to explain itself to the watcher. You're SUPPOSED to watch the ending and go "What?". You have to watch it and then THINK about it. Yes. THINK. Something anime series rarely call for you to do. Admittably, the last two episdoes suck because the TV nets told the makers to end it. now. End of Eva was planned all along and is simply released separately because there's no other way to do it. It is most useful if you see the last two eps and EoE as an internal and external telling out of the same events.
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