Anime that flies over your head

I'd like to think that anime content is intelligent. There are definitely a bunch of shows that are just for fun, but there are also a fair share of programs that really make you sit and think. Like I've said in the past, I like when anime content doesn't treat you like you're an idiot. It lets you figure things out on your own and respects the viewers.

Compared to the average shows on American TV, I believe anime features to be a lot more heady than our offerings. American TV spells out a lot of things for the viewer, or it just makes up an explanation that wouldn't exist within the real world. CSI and stuff like that is the perfect example of shows that try to look smart, but end up coming off truly silly.

I've watched many an intelligent anime in my years. Shows that really make you think and take awhile to understand. In particular, I find Paranoia Agent, Death Note, Ghost in the Shell and Serial Experiments Lain to be some very sophisticated programming. You're not going to pick up on everything those shows have to offer the first time around, and they force you to think about what just happened and how it all works out.

Then there are shows that I love, but they are so sophisticated and layered that it's still a bit hard to wrap my feeble brain around all of it. For example, Neon Genesis Evangelion is an absolutely amazing show, and while I get the basic plot and sub-plots of the series, there are still some sophisticated analogies that I've yet to work out on my own. I've read tons of content on the series, and while I see the conclusions made, it can be hard for me to run through them on my own.

What anime series' have you seen that really blow your mind? They require a level of thinking and analysis that has escaped you up to this point. Don't be afraid of looking silly to the rest of us. What comes easy for one person could be a true struggle for the next. Each person is different!