Neon Genesis Evangelion was a revolutionary anime series when it first debuted in 1995, lauded for its complex characters and intense drama. Series creator Hideaki Anno has some rather unique perspectives on the hit anime himself, and one interview from a few years after Evangelion's original release had him sharing perhaps the most interesting.

Many fans of Evangelion are familiar with the stories about its production, and how Anno faced a serious bout of depression while working on it, which led to some of the darker themes of the series becoming more dominant. In many ways, Evangelion is an exploration of these feelings of depression and loneliness, with its bizarre ending as the culmination of the journey to conquer these emotions. The deep look at the psychology of these flawed characters trapped in a terrifying and unforgiving world is arguably what made it a success in the first place.

For Anno, though, Evangelion was a personal journey of discovery as well.

Evangelion Represented A Chance for Anno to Learn About Himself

Anno its Evangelion Changed His Life Even Before Hitting It Big

In a profile done on Hideaki Anno in the January 1997 issue of Aerial Magazine, as hosted by Evangelion fansite Evamonkey, Anno states that, "In the process of making 'Evangelion', I found out what kind of a person I am. I acknowledged that I'm a fool." It's certainly not the sort of thing one would expect to hear a creator say about their work, at least not publicly in an interview. However, this self-reflection and rumination on his identity weren't just an experience which he had; they're reflected in Evangelion itself, as seen with Shinji's own journey of self-discovery.

In other areas of the article, Anno its that "Shinji does reflect my character, both the conscious and unconscious parts." Shinji's isolation and loneliness at the beginning of the series similarly reflect how Anno must have been feeling at the time, and the unfolding of the story represents a journey of figuring out who he is and breaking past those feelings, which act as limitations on his behavior and potential. Throughout the article, Anno also emphasizes that he feels "Anime makers have to try and reach out and truly communicate with others." That lesson is suspiciously similar to Shinji's own revelation, and may be what Anno himself learned going through the production of Evangelion.

The best stories are those which have personal meaning to their creators, and Evangelion is a shining example of that. These flawed and damaged characters struggle in ways that real people are dealing with all the time; the only difference is their environment. Evangelion's emphasis on the psychology of its characters was revolutionary at the time, and it's a big part of why the series has maintained its popularity and relevance, even almost 30 years later. Few series explore the dark feelings that something like depression can bring on, and in that way many people have related to Neon Genesis Evangelion and its characters on a level even Anno never expected.