Neon Genesis Evangelion

Shinji Ikari is summoned to the fortified city of Tokyo-3 by his estranged father Gendo, the commander of NERV, just as gigantic beings called Angels begin attacking again. With conventional weapons failing, Shinji is pushed into piloting Evangelion Unit-01, a living war machine that syncs with his body and nerves. He moves in with Misato Katsuragi, a NERV officer who tries to keep him functional while the next battles arrive without warning. Shinji meets Rei Ayanami, another pilot who follows orders with eerie calm, and later Asuka Langley Soryu, whose confidence turns every mission into a contest. Each fight leaves damage that is not only physical, and Shinji is forced to face fear, isolation, and the weight of being treated like a replaceable tool. As secrets inside NERV surface and rival agendas collide, the line between saving humanity and using it starts to blur, and Shinji must decide whether he can keep piloting when the real enemy may be the system built around him.