Hi!
Since people are talking about anime comparable to NGE, let me state again, that Higurashi no naku koro ni is really a very strong contender. Especially when you read between the line and watch it very carefully ...
I'll have to look into that when I get back to Uni this fall. How's it similar?
Well, the similarity lies in the psychic nature of the story. We get to enjoy a hell ride into paranoia and insanity. However, the fall is probably a bit deeper as we don't have the background of an invasion/giant robo anime, but instead things are taking place in a small, idyllic Japanese village in the 1980s (June 1983, to be precise, as far as the current time of the story is concerned).
So, we start out with a bunch of normal, happy teenagers, and see how doubt and suspicion turn into paranoia and finally violent insanity.
In addition,
Higurashi no naku koro ni also has many aspects where you are not sure what the meaning of it all is (at least during the first season. I am still in the process of playing the games of the answer arc which should provide the answers). So, even beyond the decay itself, you get the feeling that something is horribly wrong there, but the truth keeps eluding you, just showing some hints here and some hints there...
NGE isn't bad at all, really.
Have you seen End of Evangelion?
Just as a sidednote, while the OVA ending does have its erotic appeal, I personally prefer the psychotic ending of the original series :) :) :)
Deathworks