Why Shinji Can’t Just ‘Get in the Robot’: Depression in Neon Genesis Evangelion

Even if you’ve never seen the 1995 psychological anime Neon Genesis Evangelion, you probably know this phrase: ‘Get in the damn robot, Shinji!’ (different expletives may apply) The show’s main character, Shinji Ikari, is known for being whiny and ineffectual. He constantly shies away from piloting the EVA Unit 01 robot to save the world from monstrous angels, which is a feat that only he can perform. And while this seems like obnoxious character writing on the surface, Shinji’s thoughts and actions actually reflect real-world symptoms of depression.

This article was written for Manga.Tokyo, so please read it on their site. :)