The reason this show is so beloved is simply its rawness.
It's not polished. Scenes are iffy, and the original ending has been ret-conned thrice, but I'll be damned if it doesn't make you feel something.
20 years later and it's core themes have only become more potent. In a world of incomprehensible connectivity, how do we all feel so disconnected? No other show I've seen (in any medium) has taken such a powerful look at relationships.
The mech's are not mechanical, the pilots aren't pilots, the computers are alive, and the enemies aren't the bad guys. There is nothing derivative in NGE, and it's going to make you hungry for something that you'll just never find.
TLDR: There's a reason this show is held in such high regard by so many people, but much like the recent soulsborne games, you're going to have to put in a little bit of effort to really understand what's going on beneath the surface.
I'm not saying *everyone* should love NGE, but this is a nice place to help you understand why it's proven to be so influential https://www.polygon.com/2019/6/19/18683634/neon-genesis-evangelion-hideaki-anno-depression-shinji-anime-characters-movies
