Steins;Gate

Discovered anime late in life and was pretty much gobsmacked not only by the quality (usually high) but the variations. As with any other production most usually do one thing better than another, some have better art, some better scripts, some better voice actors, etc. And then we have Steins Gate, pretty much a 1-of, where every aspect is well perfect. (Yes, I know, a very controversial statement. I have seen anime fans say the same thing in chat groups, only to elicit responses of contempt, suggesting perhaps their parents never married). But folks this is I think as good as it gets. Superb art. Super voice actors (in Japanese of course, but after a while it doesn't matter). Characters so real you think you know them. And a story unlike any other. No crazy wars, no crazy magic, no crazy fantasy world, just a young man with delusions of being a mad scientist, with his own Scooby gang, who actually invents a time machine (sort of) and then has to stand by while his world comes apart. This series is nothing less than extraordinary.

And oh yeah I almost forgot. In an entertainment universe of a million love stories (with my favorites being, in no special order, HERE COMES MR. JORDAN, LADYHAWKE, and the Buffy TV series) the love angle in this is nothing short of spectacular. Especially for animee.