Few works of Japanese animation have had as profound an impact on Western culture as Cowboy Bebop and Neon Genesis Evangelion and secretly, the two were always answering the same prompt. Alongside Ghost In The Shell, Perfect Blue, and the obligatory Ghibli releases, the two are part of a wave of contemplative, boundary-testing anime that emerged in the 1990s. As for the question of what spurred the popularity of jaded, world-weary protagonists like Spike Spiegel and Shinji Ikari, the answer is simpler than you may think.

What's harder to answer is the degree to which their paths diverge and the differences between their depictions. While Cowboy Bebop takes a more all-encompassing approach centered around ennui and social decay, Neon Genesis Evangelion is markedly introspective. Both are calls to action with themes of meaning, change, and the connections and associations we build with others. This divergent approach is linked to the circumstances birthing both series,...