Welcome to the N.H.K is an interesting exploration of the hikimori phenomena. Mushishi is a bit "standard anime fare" but I found it surprisingly wholesome and

Welcome to the N.H.K is an interesting exploration of the hikimori phenomena. Mushishi is a bit "standard anime fare" but I found it surprisingly wholesome and emotional. Samurai Champloo is a very well drawn, animated, and stylish show with an amazing soundtrack by nujabes. Fullmetal Panic! is very mecha shonen, but probably my favorite of the genre without having to delve into the more massive franchises like Gundam with it's bazillion different shows. Also: Check out Satoshi Kon's stuff like Perfect Blue or Paprika.