>>131331. The way it uses almost all it's elements: characters, narrative, setting and imagery to talk about personal barriers and escapism.
2. The narrative with it's puzzle-like structure. You get the elements of the plot and you put a large chunck of it together yourself. Adding a level of interactivity which isn't an inherent aspect of the medium.
3. The setting and lore itself. Surreal looking entities which have a tied origin to humanity itself. An illuminati-like organization that surrounds these entities and interpets them through their fanatical and occult ideas. Bio-mechanical creatures created which are infused with the souls of dead women etc. It's pretty damn crazy and creative.
4. The whole visual direction. Ranging from the surreal and sometimes plain disturbing designs, the spectacular shot composition. The imagery which sometimes provide a lot more information than just the dialogue and actions of the characters, even serves to contrast it. The animated sequences and fights, when there's animation it's really amazing.
5. The characters. Not only just their well crafted personalities and their relations to each other. How we find about them more and more first through what we see on the surface through their interactions, then through their action and ultimately through the visualized streams of consciousness. It's also interesting how the setting is used to provide those.
6. Rewatch value. There's just so much to catch out the second time around especially if like me you didn't really know how to grasp more complex narratives and read imagery the first time. There's also so much you can only catch out on the second time, makes you realize how well crafted the show is. Turned an 8/10 into a 10/10 show for me.
Art can speak to the mind, heart and eyes. Which I think Evangelion found a perfect balance of through the story and lore, characters and visual direction respectively.
P.S.
7. Misato best girl.
