Story: 8/10. There is nothing special about the narrative. Evangelion starts off as a typical shounen mecha anime wherein a teenager named Shinji has to maneuver a gigantic robot to fight against aliens invading the Earth. The first half is mostly Shinji's struggles to battle. Yes, the underlying plot is mediocre.
Except, the mediocrity of the plot does not matter, because Evangelion is not about battling aliens. By the end of the series, the Angels (aliens) are of no import anymore. The latter half of the series provides an in-depth psychoanalysis into the psyche of Shinji, who is so desperate for love and companionship, that he becomes self-hating, suicidal and borderline incel. It turns out that the whole series merely borrows the setting of an alien-invaded dystopian world to provide an insight into how depression can push us to the extremity.
The last two episodes are controversial. Some love it. Some hate it, myself included. They are so disparate from the rest of the series that they seem out of place. Yes, if you really squint, you can understand the connection. But in my opinion, even if the series has diverged into a psychological thriller, it still needs to concludes what it starts, which is the alien invasion. Evangelion does not get a pass just because it is a masterpiece in storytelling. The last two episodes are thus a great disappointment to the viewers, and truly leave them befuddled.
Art: 10/10. The art is truly great for its time. If you compare Evangelion with its contemporaries, you can see how the art and animation are superior.
Sound: 9/10. The sound effects make some parts really disturbing and unsettling. The director not only makes good use of sound, but also makes good use of lack thereof. There are scenes that are dead silent, which helps the viewers focus on the psyche of the characters instead.
Character: 10/10. Every single character is incredibly complex. I know people hate Shinji. I hate him too. But the thing is, Shinji is created to be hated. He admitted himself that he was trash. Shinji is thus a perfect device for the director to tell the story of how depression and loneliness can corrupt a person's soul. Shinji is not a hero but an anti-hero of sorts. We are not meant to like him, but sympathize with him, and perhaps pity him. Some viewers seem to hate on Evangelion because they hate Shinji without understanding that it is the director's purpose of in creating him.
Enjoyment: 7/10. The last two episodes made me angry and betrayed.
Overall: 9/10. An avant-garde masterpiece of direction and storytelling. Its experimental approach may not be up your alley but you need to give credit where credit is due. Evangelion is incredibly novel and creative, whilst sending meaningful messages about life to the viewers.
