edit: feel free to reply no matter how old this thread gets!
I'm not particularly into anime, I like it just as much as live action shows or other types of animation. Having said that, I feel like watching some and I'm not sure what to pick.
Here's a list of other anime shows I've watched/manga and novels I've read, so you can better judge what to recommend. ( would greatly appreciate the story to be completed, I hate waiting years for closure) :
Full Metal Alchemist, Naruto : both great stories, I've read the mangas and loved them. They wouldn't be a priority to watch because I already read them.
Attack on Titan: started with the anime, it was great, switched to the manga, got extremely disappointed with the story development and its ending. It felt a bit like nonsense for me.
Dragon Ball/Z : probably my favourite, I've rewatched it recently. I don't like GT and Super.
Overlord: I've read good part of the novel and manga. I'm liking it so far
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: please No thanks. Not for me.
Death Note: loved the first arc, not a fan of the ending but no hate for it unlike with AOT.
I also recall Escaflowne and Inuyasha, they were alright but not something I've loved or hated. Cowboy Bebop also in this category, excellent visually and great OST but the story wasn't as gripping.
Other than that... Feel free to suggest any other titles! Extra thanks if you are specific about any versions and why is the show so great.
Can you be a bit more specific please? I heard a lot of contradictory opinions on it, although to be fair perhaps I'm mixing them up with other Evangelion releases. Basically I get "this is the best thing ever, just because so", or " yeah it seems promising first but then gets weird and meh". Judging from who's saying what ( irl ) I think I'd be inclined to be on the "meh" band, but if you want to clarify I'm all ears/eyes
Sure. For me, really cool mecha vs kaiju fights almost every episode, everyday but interesting people as the characters, and I think the overarching story behind the angels is interesting, even if it’s a bit convoluted.
It’s short and sweet at only 26 episodes and if you’re not hooked within the first 2-3 episodes I would not watch anymore.
I do not really spend time watching anime unless it really appeals to me.
I watched it early on when I got into anime and I missed the point of it because of it as it's kind of playing off anime (especially Gundam) tropes you might want to get more familiar with to get the message.
It's hard to define NGE because it's a one of a kind series that hits everyone differently. You don't often see a series whose director said "if you don't understand it it's your problem". It's chock-full of triple-layered details you will miss on first watch, but at the same time you should definitely watch with zero spoilers the first time, for the experience.
It's very, very well made so I guarantee it will not be a waste of time, and lends itself very well to the occasional rewatch. What you take away each time and your level of enjoyment for each watch will, interestingly, be mostly unrelated to the theatrical value, which tends to remain constant. I would recommend reading up on lore and plot hints for secondary watch-throughs though.
Japan had a tradition of both animated and live-action shows about giant piloted robots called mechas. Neon Genesis Evangelion is considered the peak of this tradition, containing both excellent action scenes and asking the viewer what sort of world would build giant robots and let unstable teens drive them. It is just 26 episodes, each 20 minutes long. I would suggest watching it first and then reading more about it or watching the hundreds of videos trying to explain what it means. Many consider it to be the greatest anime ever made. Be warned that it is sometimes gory and confusing, although much less than people often claim.
Consider watching the original Gundam anime first. It's time consuming and not the greatest (although decent) anime and it can feel a little dated but I would've liked to watch NGE after I watched that. Knowing the author of NGE watched it in his youth gives you a really good idea of the intentions he had when he created NGE.
Interesting, I tried watching some old Gundam (can't recall which ones) and I found them incredibly boring. I forced myself to finish watching one and just couldn't be bothered with the next. These were movies though, I might search for the series if you say they're decent.