FAQ from Content

Result of using prompt for an article from The New Yorker about the anime "Neon Genesis Evangelion":

What is "Neon Genesis Evangelion"? On Friday, Netflix began streaming the 1995 Japanese series "Neon Genesis Evangelion." It is an anime that combines science fiction, dense psychological themes, and religious imagery. The series is known for revolutionizing the mecha genre and its depiction of the relationship between humans and machines.
What is the mecha genre? The mecha genre, which is the genre that "Neon Genesis Evangelion" belongs to, is a type of anime that features big robots. There are two subsets of mecha, the "super robot" show, and the "real robot" show. "Super robot" shows are more fantastical, with machines of blockbusting might, and sometimes have mystical abilities. "Real robot" shows are more realistic and feature giant robots that are realistic pieces of hardware rather than superheroes.
What is the plot of "Neon Genesis Evangelion"? "Neon Genesis Evangelion" is set in a post-apocalyptic earth, which is being attacked by powerful creatures called Angels. Scientists have created giant cyborgs called Evangelions, or EVAs, which can only be piloted by select children, one of whom is the protagonist, a lonely teenage boy named Shinji. The EVAs are not simply machines, but living beings. They are manufactured clones of the Angels, who share 99% of their genetic material with humans, distinguishing them from super robots like the Transformers, which are sentient but alien by design.
How does "Neon Genesis Evangelion" explore the human-machine relationship? "Neon Genesis Evangelion" explores the theme of dehumanization and the human-machine relationship. The EVAs are oddly maternal figures, and their adolescent pilots sit in a chamber of a kind of amniotic fluid, and their nervous systems are linked to the EVAs so that their bodies, like fetuses, are fueled or depleted as the EVAs are. The pilots experience mental breakdowns and struggle to define themselves inside and outside their EVAs. The series introduces a brilliant chicken-and-egg conundrum: Do humans define machines, or do machines define us?
What other mecha anime shows are there? Aside from "Neon Genesis Evangelion," there have been several other popular mecha anime shows. Some of these include "Gurren Lagann," "The Vision of Escaflowne," "The Iron Giant," "Full Metal Panic!," "Eureka 7," "Pacific Rim," "Mazinger Z," "Mobile Suit Gundam," "Voltron," and "The Transformers."