Neon Genesis Evangelion, Hideaki Anno's landmark mecha psychological drama, has landed on Netflix. The complete 26-episode series, originally airing in Fall 1995, is now available worldwide with both English dub and subtitle options.
The series plunges viewers into a post-apocalyptic Tokyo where a teenage pilot, Shinji Ikari, must defend humanity from colossal alien beings known as Angels using a bio-mechanical weapon called an Evangelion. What begins as a giant robot action series rapidly evolves into a deep exploration of existential dread, trauma, and the human psyche, famously incorporating elements of psychoanalysis and religious symbolism.
Gainax and Tatsunoko Production's series is renowned for its complex narrative, deconstruction of the mecha genre, and its controversial, experimental ending. Despite initial production challenges and content complaints, Evangelion's impact on anime and popular culture is undeniable, earning an 8.37 rating on MyAnimeList from over 1.2 million voters.
While the original TV run concluded with a highly debated abstract ending, the film The End of Evangelion provides a more conventional (though equally bleak) resolution based on Anno's originally intended plot. The Netflix release includes the original series, but viewers seeking the theatrical conclusion will need to seek out the separate film.
