I was curious your opinion on Neon Genesis Evangelion? I mean I don't want to derail the thread or anything, but I figured I could slip it in here with the discussion of mech anime and such.
I read a couple issues of the manga, and I've been meaning to watch them. It's tricky, though, on AB, to figure out what the proper order is. James Cameron was working on Evangelion as his next project when he ran into budgetary snags, so he did Avatar instead. It's not like the guy wastes his time on bad stuff or puts out a million movies a week, so I figure that's a pretty ringing endorsement. The manga didn't grab me, but to be honest the manga for Nausicaa hasn't really grabbed me either so that's hardly a criticism.
How I watched it was just the original Neon Genesis Evangelion followed by the alternate ending End of Evangelion. The story is ok, but the characters are what I found most compelling about the piece. They are real. The first time I watched it I was still in high school, so that may have played a part in my interest. I haven't watched it since then, but I've been meaning to. If the anime club ever returned in any capacity it might be something to approach.