I just finished NGE like, 10 minutes ago. The 26 main episodes that is. My initial reaction is: *blink* *blink* *blink* WTF *blink* *head shake* *blink*
I can see why it's rated so highly. Not only was it exceptionally well done, but the themes it tackles are something that I'm sure everyone deals with to some degree. It's so human in a way unlike a lot of other anime. Even though I'm completely clueless as to what the heck happened at the end, I know what to expect for the first 20 or so episodes and I'd still watch it over again. Now it's on to End of Evangelion to get even more confused.
Also, now that I've watched the show I can comment on my preference. I'd have to pick Rei over Asuka. My brain is a little frazzled right now to provide a good reason, there's just something about Asuka that puts her lower.