Neon Genesis Evangelion redefined mecha anime with its psychological depth, existential themes, and deconstruction of hero tropes. These 15 underrated series echo its exploration of trauma, identity crises, and societal collapse, offering similarly challenging narratives and avant-garde storytelling.
1. Serial Experiments Lain (1998)
Streaming: Funimation
Episodes: 13 | MAL: 7.8 | Studio: Triangle Staff
A introverted girl navigates the blurred lines between reality and the virtual world “The Wired,” questioning her own existence.
Similarities: Mind-bending narrative and themes of identity dissolution, akin to Eva’s instrumentality project.
2. Texhnolyze (2003)
Streaming: HiDive
Episodes: 22 | MAL: 7.4 | Director: Hiroshi Hamasaki
In a decaying underground city, a mute fighter gains cybernetic limbs and becomes entangled in a power struggle.
Similarities: Bleak existentialism and visceral body horror, mirroring Eva’s nihilistic undertones.
3. Ergo Proxy (2006)
Streaming: Crunchyroll
Episodes: 23 | MAL: 7.8 | Studio: Manglobe
In a dystopian city, an inspector confronts sentient androids and uncovers truths about humanity’s extinction.
Similarities: Philosophical depth and a protagonist grappling with existential purpose, like Shinji’s struggles.
4. Haibane Renmei (2002)
Streaming: Funimation
Episodes: 13 | MAL: 7.9 | Creator: Yoshitoshi Abe
Angel-like beings in a walled town confront their past sins while seeking redemption.
Similarities: Symbolic storytelling and themes of guilt/atonement, resonant with Eva’s religious imagery.
5. Now and Then, Here and There (1999)
Streaming: HiDive
Episodes: 13 | MAL: 7.9 | Director: Akitaro Daichi
A boy is transported to a war-torn world where child soldiers fight for water.
Similarities: Brutal deconstruction of innocence and trauma, paralleling Eva’s exploration of youth burdened by war.
6. Bokurano (2007)
Streaming: Crunchyroll
Episodes: 24 | MAL: 7.6 | Director: Hiroyuki Morita
Teens pilot a mecha that kills its operators, confronting mortality and ethical decay.
Similarities: Subverts mecha tropes with psychological horror, akin to Eva’s deconstruction of the genre.
7. Paranoia Agent (2004)
Streaming: Crunchyroll
Episodes: 13 | MAL: 7.7 | Director: Satoshi Kon
A bat-wielding assailant exposes societal pressures and collective delusions in Tokyo.
Similarities: Surreal narrative structure and critique of escapism, echoing Eva’s societal breakdown.
8. Casshern Sins (2008)
Streaming: Crunchyroll
Episodes: 24 | MAL: 7.6 | Studio: Madhouse
An amnesiac android wanders a post-apocalyptic world, seeking meaning amid eternal life.
Similarities: Existential dread and visual poetry, reflecting Eva’s meditation on mortality.
9. Gilgamesh (2003)
Streaming: Amazon Prime
Episodes: 26 | MAL: 6.7 | Director: Masahiko Murata
Orphans with psychic powers navigate a fractured world after a global catastrophe.
Similarities: Ominous tone and complex character dynamics, reminiscent of Seele’s shadowy machinations.
10. Kino’s Journey (2003)
Streaming: Crunchyroll
Episodes: 13 | MAL: 8.0 | Director: Ryūtarō Nakamura
A traveler explores surreal countries, each embodying philosophical dilemmas.
Similarities: Episodic moral parables and stoic protagonist, akin to Eva’s psychological vignettes.
11. The Big O (1999)
Streaming: Crunchyroll
Episodes: 26 | MAL: 7.6 | Studio: Sunrise
A negotiator pilots a giant robot in a noir city where memories are erased.
Similarities: Noir aesthetics and themes of identity loss, mirroring Eva’s fragmented reality.
12. From the New World (2012)
Streaming: Crunchyroll
Episodes: 25 | MAL: 8.3 | Director: Masashi Ishihama
In a utopian village, children with psychic powers uncover dark secrets about societal control.
Similarities: Dystopian lore and critique of systemic oppression, similar to NERV’s manipulations.
13. RahXephon (2002)
Streaming: HiDive
Episodes: 26 | MAL: 7.4 | Studio: Bones
A teen pilots a musical mecha to combat aliens while questioning his humanity.
Similarities: Psychological depth and layered mythology, echoing Eva’s focus on pilot trauma.
14. Zegapain (2006)
Streaming: Crunchyroll
Episodes: 26 | MAL: 7.2 | Director: Masami Shimoda
A student discovers his reality is a simulation and joins a resistance using mecha.
Similarities: Blends virtual reality existentialism with mecha action, akin to Eva’s metaphysical themes.
15. Argento Soma (2000)
Streaming: Amazon Prime
Episodes: 26 | MAL: 7.1 | Director: Kazuyoshi Katayama
A grief-stricken scientist pilots a bio-mecha to avenge his lover’s death.
Similarities: Moody atmosphere and a protagonist driven by loss, mirroring Gendo’s obsessions.
Why These Anime Work for Neon Genesis Evangelion Fans
These series resonate with Eva’s core appeal:
- Existential Depth: Ergo Proxy and Casshern Sins question humanity’s purpose in bleak worlds.
- Psychological Trauma: Bokurano and Now and Then, Here and There dissect the cost of survival.
- Avant-Garde Storytelling: Serial Experiments Lain and Paranoia Agent challenge narrative conventions.
For fans craving Eva’s blend of mecha, philosophy, and raw emotion, these hidden gems offer profound, often unsettling journeys into the human psyche.
