Neon Genesis Evangelion

Neon Genesis Evangelion, commonly referred to as NGE, Eva, or Evangelion, is a commercially successful, influential and popular Japanese anime that began in 1995. The anime was created by Gainax and written and directed by Hideaki Anno.

NGE is an apocalyptic mecha action series that centers around the efforts of the organization NERV to fight monstrous beings called Angels. NERV primarily uses giant mecha called Evangelions which are piloted by select teenagers, one of whom is the primary protagonist. It follows those teenagers and other NERV members until the defeat of the Angels and the eventual apocalyptic ending.

Events in the series refer to Judaism and Christianity as well as politics. Later episodes shift focus to psychoanalysis of the main characters, who display various emotional problems and mental illnesses. The nature of existence and reality are questioned in a way that has characterized Evangelion postmodern fantasy. Hideaki Anno, the director of the anime series, had suffered from clinical depression prior to creating the series, and the psychological aspects of the show are based on the director's own experiences with overcoming this illness.