Along with following Shinji, NERV, and the other EVA pilots’ battles against the Angels, Neon Genesis Evangelion can also be a very contemplative show, often giving us insights into the psyches of the pilots and the interpersonal lives of the staff at NERV.
There’s also a genuinely engrossing mystery about the Angels, the Evangelions, and the plans of Gendo Ikari, Shinji’s father and the director of NERV. And despite there only being 26 episodes of the series, you get to know these complex characters more than many shows that have double-digit seasons to tell their stories.