Originally Posted by Dharma & Greg

Neon Genesis Evangelion is the best TV show ever made of any kind. I get that it's not going to hold up in the same way with modern golden age Western dramas in certain ways, but I think that's because anime in general isn't as concerned with story beats and plot twists and perfect pacing or whatever creating a meticulously crafted episode as it is with mood and expressing ideas in a more general way. More or less a cultural difference in story telling I think.

But I can't think of any Western show (or any other show of any kind) that could ever do what Evangelion did in expressing existential despair in a way that made those ideas feel literally apocalyptic. Neon Genesis Evangelion is literally the only show that has ever made me want to die. No other show has grabbed me by the soul like Eva has and no other show means what Eva does to me no matter how well crafted it might be.