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Akira is not as iconoclastic in its philosophy as it was in its technical and artistic attributes at the time. It was also heavily influenced by and can be seen as a modern-day retelling/rewarning of the hiroshima/nagasaki incidents.

NGE can be philosophically heavy at times but is too diluted by its action sequences and fan service moments.

The first GITS movie is a philosophical tour de force and a piece of art that transcends time. A masterpiece.

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Yeah, I'm definitely not trying to begrudge what other people like. Some people might not like a movie that is mostly cerebral. The art and action of GITS is almost secondary to the concept it's exploring. I've seen quite a lot of anime that looked fun and interesting, it just wasn't something I could get into.

It may also be that a lot of anime are series, and require a time investment.

I agree with you. I've watched a lot of anime but the first Mamoru Oshii GITS movie is definitely a singularity. It doesn't even "feel" like anime.

The only other (comparable) anime that jumps to mind and something I can definitely recommend to you, is Serial Experiments Lain.

It's less a retelling and more an expression of a culmination of factors in post-war Japan. Japanese media in that era really had a lot of fear about the post-war state, especially the loss of culture, baked in.

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