I suppose I'm an elitist overall. Anime indeed can be as broad as any other medium.. so, I suppose I should have been more global in stating something against a hollow and narrow piece, like, something classified as a single genre such as action. And not necessarily because it is classified as any one thing.
I'm just very picky, and it is a bit bothersome how much anime is out there that caters to audiences who just want to see action and guts, or the anime aimed at young female demographics.
But I haven't really combatted any of the sense you spoke- you are right. I was just expressing my personal dislikes for things that I personally find to be shallow.. more so in relation to the fact that there exist mass consumer bases looking for these things, which sculpts what kind of continued material is released.
All of that aside, here is my list of series I like, and why I like them
Bakumatsu Kikansetsu Irohanihoheto - I haven't finished this series yet, but was very impressed with the first 13 or so episodes. Very fond of the character design aesthetics, as well as the plot involving the theater troop, and the progressing story. It also has great fight scenes / animation
Basilisk - This series has to be the ultimate in getting your fix of great battle scenes. Absolutely the best. The character design is nice- taking the standard idea of the ninja scrolls, starring warriors with their distinct fighting styles and abilities. I found the pace of it to be very well done, and enjoyed the story line. While the divided factions lovers theme is a bit common, the discipline and 'coldness' exhibited by Genosuke at times is a nice and mature change. The soundtrack(s) are also excellent
Blood+ - This is more on the kiddy side of things for me, and about as far as I'll bend in that direction. I had a little bit of a rough start dealing with Saya's overall immaturity, normality, and most especially (I have a particular distaste for this), the too-common idea that eating lots of food is humorous.
That said- I am very glad I stuck with that series. The characters and plot all began to mature and evolve. Just about every character that ever starred in the show had a distinct persona, and almost all played a real part in things so that there were not just filler characters. There was a brief spurt of pretty nice philosophical depth in episode 17 which sealed things for me.. just that whole episode really turned things on for me. The character designs are damn nice. Haji is probably the single thing to keep me around in the start despite the things that were rubbing me the wrong way. And I continued to thoroughly enjoy Haji through the end of it all. Other characters I grew fond of were, Diva (I was surprised with how much I loved her character), Solomon, The Sif/Schif (saw it written as both in various fansubs). David was a pretty solid character. Kai managed, against all odds, to grow up, and I was pleased.
Overall, it made sense that a series of 50 episodes start off with immaturity and allow things to progress over the span of the series. The extended length really allowed for this kind of thing to happen more-so than would, or even could, in your standard 26 ish episode runs. Overall story-wise, I felt at times that this was as if a well-written fantasy novel, for the fantasy literature genre is where I am familiar with interwoven tales like this, full of intricacies and progression. A+ soundtrack.
Side note - I watched the movie Blood: The Last Vampire (this was supposed to be the original source of inspiration for Blood+) and wow was that terrible. A serious waste of what is still very great production and quality. It was just one empty and boring film. I'd elaborate on just how bad every point was, but, it was all of them, and it's quicker to say that.
Claymore - Great story. Lots of characters. I found this story to be pretty unique.. I could be wrong, due to my inexperience, but, I haven't seen something like this in any sort of medium before, anime included. The nearly all female cast (and, appreciably, they aren't all big-breasted uber gorgeous huge eyed 15 year old boy fodder). The characters all seem to have a very disciplined hardness to them, very mature personas. Just the same, they are not unreasonable ice-hearts who are simply closed to caring. And, despite these similarities, there is a lot of room between them all for their individual personalities.
The story
The fighting and unique styles per individual in this are fabulous, and, unique. Comparable to the idea of specific techniques as in the idea of the ninja scrolls, but, new. Great delivery in the battle scenes / animation. Great soundtrack.
Darker Than Black - Like Blood+, this one can be a little on the immature side of things, for me. But I would consider it more mature, on average, than Blood+.
More unique character designs and concepts for their powers. Character growth was there for all members of the main party- and I enjoyed them, particularly the story of Yin, and, hell, the first Doll (in episode 1 and 2) and the Doll that the orange haired gang leader's brother is involved with. I suppose I just like these concepts of humanity and individualism, choice. And emotion.
Hard to pinpoint things I liked about this one, maybe because it has been a bit since I saw it, but, this one was a pretty solid choice, overall.
Ergo Proxy - Here's a unique one. I've only seen one episode of this. I then went and immediately bought a very nice bootleg (accident I learned from) hard copy of the full series. I was that sold. There's no immaturity here. This series is flat out expression. Set in the not so perfect future, presumably a neo-tokyo, this series inspires thought and is very possibly a reality we will end up heading towards.
Excellent art and animation for everything. Unique palette of colors which definitely suit the work and give it further character. Everything about the work feels very cohesive. Can't wait to sit down and fall into this one fully from start to finish.
Ghost In The Shell (any) - I've only seen random episodes of the stand alone complex series, but, very nice. A series with depth, front-line graphics and animation. Good story.
I am a long-running fan of Yoko Kanno, and her work here is superb as usual. Again, I have a lot of personal taste for the setting and themes involved in this work. I am set to purchase the full series, and already would have, were the price not a bit steep for my liking, compared to other series I'm interested in that can be obtained for much cheaper.
Hellsing - Haven't seen but the first few episodes here as well. I was drawn to the maturity and the pretty.. hmm.. what words to use. Psychotic isn't quite right. Just dark and amused.. maybe hysterical, main character. And, I am a sucker for vampires. Still, as you can see, I'm not about to jump into run of the mill stuff just because it has vampires or something. Can't say much for story and depth, or much at all. It sealed itself as something I want to watch all of, and soon will be.
Lain: Serial Experiments - Been a while since I watched this.. have the series in my closet, will rewatch sometime soon. Loved it. Very unique series. Has a 'slow' pace that allows for lots of room for your own thoughts and observation, which, imo, deepen the experience. Also allows for the eerie feelings throughout the series to really seep in more and become a constant.
Suicide is a pretty mature aspect to have throughout an anime series, and I was glad for that. The whole ordeal of Lain interfacing so fully with the internet, also, was very much enjoyed by myself, as myself/ my life is very comparable to that. It's interesting.
Noir - You're probably tired of hearing me talk about these series I haven't seen the entirety of by now. Here's another. I feel like I have some quality observationa nd critique for these despite my limited experience with them, so, it's worth it. And I've full intentions of completing any of these that I have not yet.
Noir has some great unique aspects to it. The shooting and the colors at times just make this one a real treat. The music is excellent as well. The action is pretty nice as well, especially when it taps into that distinct flavor of shooting that this series brings. Lot of character.
Witch Hunter Robin - I find this series most comparable to Lain: Serial Experiments in that it shares that very 'slow' pace with lots of eerie feel to it. Loved the music here. The characters, especially the star, all seemed pretty vacant of character. Yet I wasn't very put off by that. The stories are pretty interesting to follow.
Movies-
Akira - Overall, according \to my tastes, the film isn't so great. Why does it make my list? It is still a pretty unique presentation. The saving grace, for me, was how much they pushed for serious depth by the very end of the film. Had it not been for that, I'd have been quite letdown. That said, some parts of the soundtrack were pretty likable as well. I could list complaints with lots of things, but, this film is worth the watch, and I don't want to cloud that by not presenting an enticing ratio of good to negative.
Vampire Hunter D - A+ animation for something so old. I saw Bloodlust first, and had no idea this existed. Going back, the age didn't bother me much. I was glad for more of the Vampire Hunter D story, and, it's nice to see such prowess being exhibited in something so old.
Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust - This is the first piece of anime I ever saw. I can't recommend it highly enough. It's not even soaking with depth. But my god is it gorgeous. Beautiful art, stunning animation. Certainly no immature characters. I like the characters, and wished they'd have gone more into them. D, of course, is who we get the most of. I love his quiet and confident, unerring demeanor. You could see him as a stone, but, he does what he does for a reason, and, his own inner turmoils are proof of his own set of values/morality. I admire his character, most especially over his remarks of others having a choice for living a normal life and being happy, compared to his self. I both sympathize and relate to that reality for his character. Spectacular film- if you're already into anime and haven't yet seen this, you're really missing out.
I'm only just getting started.. I have a large list of other things to check out... currently I'm doing Code Geass
If anyone has any suggestions based off of the evident inner-workings of my tastes.. feel free
Another common theme in many of these was the fight of good against evil.. and things pertaining to revolution, most especially when pitted against some form of 'the system'
