The magic of Shin seiki Evangelion

In 1995, a clinically depressed Japanese writer by the name of Anno Hideaki wrote 24 episodes of anime for a struggling company called Gainax. This series, in English called "Neon Genesis Evangelion" went on to become the most influential piece of anime of all time.

And I think it the best thing since pirates.

Evangelion is definitely not for children. Its graphic, brutal and emotionally disturbing. It draws on the psychology of Freud and Jung, the philosophy of Nietzsche, Sartre and Kierkegaard and the religious symbols and traditions of Judaism, Christianity and Buddhism. Some of the intertexual references in it are so subtle that they feel like the writer's secrets.

NGE allows you to be a voyeur into the dreams, ambitions and fears of the Japanese people, while seriously questioning some of your own assumptions as well. This soliloquy by Rei Ayanami (in Haiku form) is from one of the later episodes. Rei has reason to feel more than usual teenage angst...she's not exactly human..and about to face her origin.

What bliss to come back from a hard day's teaching and watch Evangelion on my laptop - furtively trying to trace the clues Anno has left behind.