With the exception of Higurashi and Steins which I couldn't get into,
Yeah, I can see why. lol Higurashi (the anime) ain't the greatest, but I've had a lot of appreciation for it over the years after having read the (much better written) visual novel. And as for Steins;Gate... yeah, definitely kinda hard to get into, with its slow-paced first-half and seemingly goofy nature. I'd recommend giving it another shot though, 'coz the goofiness has a point to it, and it leads to pretty good stuff at the mid-point.
You have great tastes friend. I've yet to meet a person who has seen Kuuchuu Buranko.
You should definitely check out Texhnolyze and Haibane Renmei if you liked Lain/Boogiepop/GitS. I consider Texhnolyze in particular to not only be the greatest anime of all time, but one of the greatest works of fiction across of all time across any medium.
But yes I consider the range of 1998 to 2008 to be the greatest ten years of anime. Went downhill after that sans a few good ones.
Also check out Murdock Scramble, Kaiba, Kino's Journey reboot, all of Mushi-shi, Violet Evergarden, and Michiko e Hatchin.
Thanks. I dislike clichés and a lack of originality in my anime and just any shows I watch, which is why I actively sought out the weirdest and most unorthodox anime I could find back then, and Kuuchuu Buranko fits the bill. Also see Excel Saga, which just throws the textbook out the window and does whatever the heck it wants (similar to Gintama, but far zanier).
I don't usually like a lot of comedies, but I love comedies that surprises me with something creative (like Nichijou, turning ordinary slice-of-life into exaggerated circumstances; it's like Azumanga Daioh on steroids). Gintama in particular, I have a lot of love for in spite of my seeming hatred for shounen anime. It actively mocks other shounen anime and pretty much does what shounen anime does, but far better than any of them, including One Piece. Not just a comedy, it turns pretty dramatic and very emotional down the line.
Definitely have seen Texhnolyze, Haibane Renmei, Murdock Scramble (the first one; too edgy for me), Mushi-shi (love it!, but have yet to see the 'final' movie), and the Kino's Journey reboot (got bored and dropped it; disappointing reboot). I'd say Mushi-shi and Kino's Journey have an edge over Texhnolyze in terms of great storytelling just by being more subtle with its messages. I usually love depressing anime, but Texhnolyze was pretty dull and forgettable for me, lacking the charm and beauty of Mushi and Kino. Mushi-shi in particular was just so honest about the neutrality of life, how good and evil doesn't really matter that it puts pretty much every anime preaching about good and evil to shame with their hackneyed message (see Tokyo Ghoul for such a hackneyed message that exemplifies the downfall of anime in the 2010s; dropped it after the first season).
And sorry to disappoint you, but I'm actually not that into 'intellectual' anime like Stand Alone Complex and mindtrip anime like Lain and Boogiepop. I don't really enjoy anime that are too confusing for me to understand, including Ergo Proxy. I'm someone who prefers emotional stories that make me feel something (but still doesn't bore me with clichés and overplayed tropes). It's why I definitely appreciated Haibane more than Texhnolyze; the latter lost me in the last two episodes, but the former is just terrific with its optimistic tone in a nihilistic world that bears resemblance to Kino's Journey (the original one, not the dull and brightly-colored reboot) and Mushi-shi.
I'll give the other titles a shot. Will add them to my list on Anilist.
I think the time when I truly felt that anime went downhill was Tokyo Ghoul. It felt like a rehash of Shiki, which I love a lot more for not holding its punches
very quickly for the vampires' cruel fate (also love the downer ending that's the final punch in calling out humanity's ugliness). Tokyo Ghoul though, it's laughable how something trashy like
Mirai Nikki and even
School Days felt more refreshing and original. Mirai Nikki the series, for example, felt like a sloppily-written B-movie, but at least it tried to have a more eye-catching high-concept idea than just... "sympathetic cannibals and megalomaniacal villains!" Been there, done that. Also see Psycho-Pass and its edgy villains with armchair philosophy, another ridiculous anime that I couldn't finish. Honestly, what's with anime and flamboyant villains preaching about nihilism and Nietzsche? Once again, Mushi-shi and Kino's Journey did a better job with the idea of nihilism.
Sorry for the lengthy post; I tend to ramble on. lol
