Evangelion starts off by introducing us to the main character Shinji, whose behavior is a large turn off for many. Shinji is thrust into the typical situation of most mechas, he is told he is the only one that can fight a nearly unstoppable group of monsters and save the world. He is told this by his estranged father, who is the head of the organization responsible for Earth's defense against the Angels, NERV. In other mecha anime we see the main character adjusting to this situation with a level head and become the savior of the human race, but Evangelion humanizes the character by showing him as a scared and depressed child who is clearly not qualified to pilot humanity's last hope.
This is what makes Evangelion so unique, it shows us the other side of typical scenarios, and provides a more human element by showing a vulnerable child who is just looking for some approval from those he loves. It still is difficult to watch Shinji's cowardice and his refusals to go near the Evas, but I think that I would have reacted in a similar way if I was strapped into the cockpit of some giant mech. The series starts off in a fairly linear fashion with the appearance of an Angel, the giant main antagonists of the series that are undefeatable by conventional means, and the heroes having to defeat the Angel before it makes its way to NERV headquarters.
The second main character introduced is the "golden girl" of Evangelion, Rei Ayanami, the mysterious and quiet blue haired girl. Rei is at first envied by Shinji due to her close relationship with his father, but the more and more we learn about Rei the stranger and less human like she seems. Rei is described as doll like on several questions, and this description fits her perfectly as she struggles with the concept of her own identity as well as her relationship with the head of NERV and Shinji's father, Gendo Ikari.
The last main introduced later in the story is Asuka Langely Sohryu, who is a child prodigy and the last main Eva pilot. She initially comes off as an arrogant, as she is extremely proud of her superior piloting skills and is extremely stubborn. Some of interactions with Shinji are the source of most of the comic relief of the series, but also reacts to his cowardice and her teasing of Shinji results in some of the actions that he takes. Her pride is one of her greatest strengths and her greatest flaw, as it allows her to charge into battle, but also serves as a cover for what's really going on inside her mind, and without her pride, Asuka is reduced to nothing.
The story of Evangelion is a complicated one, and it make take a rewatch or two as well as some discussion with others to try to fully understand what is going on in the series. Despite starting fairly straight forward with a simple plot of defeating the "bad guys" as they appear, the series showcases its great animation and the action scenes are a joy to watch. The fights are well choreographed and thought out, as brute strength isn't always needed to defeat the Angels and instead a well thought out and executed plan as well as a little luck is needed as well. The story is littered to references to religion, and some of there play an integral part of the story as well as the mystery behind Instrumentality and the Angels. All of the characters have their own personal agenda, as each is working to bend the will of Instrumentality to fit their own needs. The series has an intricate back story that is slowly progressed as the series moves on, and the history of Evangelion is fascinating and brings up a lot mysteries about what really is happening in the city of Tokyo 3. It is quite hard to follow and keep up with what is going on and why, which is a bit of a turn off for some, but it is rewarding to really think and come to your own conclusions of what is going going on in the world of Evangelion.
The ending of Evangelion spawned the term "Gainax Ending", and rightfully so the ending is a sharp departure from the action that was seen before it in favor of more unconventional ending that sees the characters try to conquer their inner conflict rather than offer a more definite real world conclusion. It's frustrating that most of the questions about what is happening outside isn't adequately explained, and leaves a lot of questions. In response to the lukewarm reception to the ending the End of Evangelion was released to offer a more ingrained interpretation to the ending, but is also pretty experimental itself and may not be able to satisfy or answer all the questions you have at the end of the series.
Evangelion was a thought provoking anime that had some fantastic characters that really made the show, and had some superb animation for the time as well as a catchy opening that is considered one of the best in the industry. Although its difficult to understand and some times generally confusing, it is a truly unique work that really makes you think and was not afraid to push the boundaries of conventional thought.
