Shinji Ikari
, commonly referred to as "Evangelion" or "Eva", is a Japanese science-fantasy animation series that first aired from October 1995 to March 1996. It was directed and written by Hideaki Anno. "Evangelion" follows Shinji Ikari, a fourteen-year-old boy, who is summoned to Tokyo-3 by his father Gendo Ikari to pilot Evangelion Unit-01 on the eve of an Angel attack. Treated as a tool by his father, Shinji joins Rei Ayanami and Asuka Langley Soryu as mankind's last hope against the mysterious beings known as the "Angels". As the series progresses, the true natures of NERV, the Evangelions, and the Angels are revealed.