Neon Genesis Evangelion

A true classic of anime series.This series, being 26 episodes, is a mind trip through the life of Shinji.Basically its an action series which centers around the efforts by the paramilitary organization NERV to fight monstrous beings called Angels, primarily using giant mecha called Evangelions which are piloted by select teenagers, one of whom is the primary protaganist.It follows those teenagers and other NERV members until the defeat of the Angels and the eventual apocalyptic ending.The ending is a little weird, but thats where the movies come in.The movie is pretty much a fan service, retelling the ending of the series in a different way than the show, as the show's ending is a little out there.But this is one of the first series of animes I actually watched, and if you look over the religious overtones of the series, you will find that it is a great gateway series for anyone that wants to get into anime.Just be like me and have a very open mind and try to follow the craziness of some of the parts.But I loved it for the action and depth too. If you are a fan of anime though, you should definitely give it a shot if you can rent it from netflix or something.