They really are artificial humanoids (less artificial and more humanoid than most characters and most viewers would like), with enough additional inanimate comp

They really are artificial humanoids (less artificial and more humanoid than most characters and most viewers would like), with enough additional inanimate components to obtain enough of a giant mecha "look and feel" to cause a wrong first impression. But let's avoid excessive spoilers, since the nature of EVAs is a major plot issue.