8. Neon Genesis Evangelion

Neon Genesis Evangelion is the very definition of the phrase “flawed masterpiece.” Evangelion suffered from production troubles stemming from a budget that actually ran out of money towards the end. Despite this, it grew into one of the most well known names in anime. Evangelion to me is the best representation of philosophy in the animated medium. Basically, in Evangelion there exist these entities called Angels. No one really knows where they come from, only that they intend to destroy humanity. The only thing that can stop these Angels are the Evas. The Evas are giant mechs that only children can pilot for an unknown reason. The story centers around the Eva pilots Rei, Shinji, and Asuka. The story starts out slow, with them just destroying the Angels and calling it a day. But be patient and you will see a true psychological drama unfold as each of the psyches of the pilots are brought into focus. You will also be confronted with philosophical and moral dilemmas on loneliness such as “Is it better to be lonely and safe or is it better to be with people but in danger of being emotionally hurt?” Evangelion is truly one of a kind, but the main problem I have with it is how obscure it is. You will basically have to read online FAQ guides because the show will all too often leave you in the dark with a major plot point. Still, Evangelion deserves to be watched and talked about.