There’s never been an anime quite likeNeon Genesis Evangelion. When it first aired on Japanese TV in 1995, it looked like a typical mecha series—giant robots, alien threats, and teenage pilots. But as the story unfolded, the mystery quickly took center stage. With its dense religious imagery and cryptic symbolism,Evangelionhas kept fans theorizing and debating for nearly thirty years. Was it all a profound meditation on identity and existence, or just a coming-of-age story dressed up to look deeper than it really was?
Evangelioncreator Hideaki Annohas long been famously tight-lipped about his most iconic work, often showing a love-hate relationship with the sprawling phenomenon it became. But in a 2021 interview with Japan’s NHK—recently brought back into the spotlight—Anno seemed to finally come clean about the real meaning, or rather the lack of it, behindEvangelion. As he bluntly put it: “Evangelionis often described as philosophical, but in reality, it’s not. It’s pretentious.”
From Otaku to Auteur
A Personal Project, A Cultural Earthquake
Hideaki Anno was born in 1960, right as Japan’s postwar boom was taking off. He grew up watching sci-fi anime likeSpace Battleship YamatoandMobile Suit Gundam, full of heroes and hopeful futures. But by the time he was an adult, Japan’s outlook had shifted. After the economic bubble burst, Anno said it felt like “dreams and hopes had suddenly vanished,” leaving people unsure of what to believe in. He started his animation career in the early ’80s and became part of a new wave ofotakucreators—fans-turned-artists who dove deep into anime and pop culture. At Gainax, he worked on projects likeOtaku no Video, which poked fun atotakuculture while celebrating it. Still, Anno saw how fandom could become a form of escape, especially in a time when more people were struggling to face reality.
After directingNadia: The Secret of Blue Water,Anno turned inward—Evangelionwas born from personal and national uncertainty. It wasn’t designed as a grand statement, but its raw portrayal of depression, alienation, and identity happened to mirror the emotional state of 1990s Japan. Anno himself said he was simply putting what he felt on screen, not aiming for depth. Yet audiences found something powerful in that chaos.Evangelionbecame a cultural landmark, more for how it resonated than for any single intended message.
Holy Symbols, Hollow Meaning?
Japanese Audiences Saw It Differently
Right from the start,Neon Genesis Evangelionwas packed with religious imagery that hinted at deeper meaning. The opening sequence flashes a quick image of the Tree of Life from Kabbalah. The story features the Lance of Longinus, tied to Christian legend, along with enemies known as “Angels.” And episode titles like “A Human Work” and “Rei, Beyond the Heart” echoed biblical phrasing. Surely, Hideaki Anno wouldn’t just casually toss around holy symbols and references without some deeper meaning behind them—or would he?
I remember watchingEvangelionepisode by episode as it was released on VHS in the U.S. during the late 1990s. It was a wild ride—starting from a place of relative normalcy, only to spiral into something far stranger, culminating in that famously baffling ending. My friends and I, veterans of mind-bending journeys likeThe PrisonerandTwin Peaks, spent hours trying to piece it all together. What was Anno really trying to say with this animated series?We didn’t have the answers—but the questions kept us talking for years.
Meanwhile, back in Japan, critics and scholars began chiming in onEvangelion’s use of religious symbolism.Animagemagazine once pointed out that all the crosses, angels, and Dead Sea Scrolls were likely chosen more for their striking visuals than any deeper meaning. In a 1997Newtypeinterview, Anno himself said, “We used Christian symbols because they looked cool. There’s no deep meaning.” For many Japanese fans, the religious elements weren’t taken too seriously—they were just part of the show’s distinctive style, not clues to some hidden philosophical message waiting to be unlocked.
The Questions Haven’t Gone Away
Anno Says the Quiet Part Loud
And yet, the mystique aroundEvangelionhasn’t faded—it’s only grown. As the story expanded into theRebuild of Evangelionfilm series, new generations of fans were introduced to Shinji, Asuka, Rei, and the tangled world they inhabit. These films brought fresh layers to the narrative, but also reignited old questions. At this point, it’s almost a rite of passage for anime fans to stop and ask themselves, “What doesEvangelionmean?”
Perhaps it’s those questions that inspired Hideaki Anno to try and set things straight. In his 2021 interview on the NHK TV seriesTop Runner, Anno said, “Evangelionis often described as philosophical, but in reality, it’s not. It’s pretentious.” He called it “pseudo-intellectual,” explaining, “It just looks impressive at a glance—there’s no deeper meaning.” Anno added, “I just wanted to depict a boy who runs away,” and admitted, “I put in all the things I like—robots, girls, and introspection.” Reflecting on his approach, he said, “Making films is a service industry…Eva’s pseudo-intellectual story was part of that service, but in this case, it may have been excessive.”
Beyond Evangelion
Anno Said It’s Pretentious—But We’re Still Talking
Hideaki Anno has since moved on to other projects, including directing hit films likeShin Godzillaand co-scriptingthe newMobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuXseries. And while the story ofEvangelionseems to have ended with 2021’sEvangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time, the franchise is still very much alive. Sure, it’s hard to find deeper meaning in a recent string ofEvangelionx McDonald’s commercials—but someone out there is probably trying.
Anno may seem dismissive of his own creation and the reaction it’s sparked from fans still searching for answers anime alone can’t provide. But sometimes,a great work of art provokes responses its creator never intended. Regardless of what Anno thinksEvangelionmeans—or doesn’t—might be beside the point.
The real question is:What does Evangelion mean to you?
