I'll be talking about them from left to right top to bottom meaning our first pick is Top! Wo Neare 2, or Diebuster. One of two studio Gainax shows to make the list, this is the sequel to Gunbuster a critically acclaimed super robot series that went on to inspire future Gainax creations like Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann. The reason Diebuster appears on my 3x3 over Gunbuster is mostly because I love the characters, art direction and story. I found it hard to enjoy Gunbuster because it felt really dated whereas Diebuster's crisp animation and bright colours made it easy to fall in love with. The OP is one of the catchiest songs out there and the ending has a cool sound too. The whole shounen "BELIEVE TO ACHIEVE" kind of ethos is kind of grating in a show like TTGL where you have to sit through it for 26 episodes or something, but for a short OVA series like Diebuster it's much less in your face. Even with the smaller timeframe there is certainly plenty of character development and it's easy to get invested with the plot.
Next up is Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei. This is probably my favorite comedy anime, a couple of the gags are 2japanese4u and go over my head, but on the whole the humor is universal and usually very funny. A lot of comedy anime in a highschool environment is heavy on "oh no the mc fell into the female leads breasts" but SZS doesn't thankfully opts for more interesting gags. The show features lots of different characters each with their own dysfunctional quirk that lets them bring a unique dynamic to the gags. The voice cast is also phenomenal, maybe it's just my familiarity with SHAFT's usual picks, but I feel like they play their roles excellently. The openings are pretty unusual compared to most anime but I grew to love them fairly quickly, the art direction and heavy vocals really fit the tone of the show.
In the third slot is Hidamari Sketch, an anime about art students living in a small apartment block. To be able to watch three seasons of a slice of life without being bored to tears is one thing, but to enjoy it is another and I really enjoyed this one. SHAFT's art style definitely helped by giving it varied, and interesting presentation. Beyond that I think it's down to the characters themselves. Even if the subject of conversation was mundane, the way they all bounced off each other and brought their own subtle quirks and interpretation to the conversation could make it seem fun and lively. The OST helps add to the comfy feeling of the show, tracks instantly make you recall certain scenes and feelings which makes watching it more enjoyable. Whilst there's not a great deal of depth to the show, there are various dramas which keep it interesting and fresh.
Starting on the next row we have a little known gem called Cromartie High School. I wasn't sure if I was going to add this one, but I rewatched a few episodes and remembered how much I loved it. It's compromised of 26 10 minute shorts about a normal guy in a highschool full of delinquents. This anime had an exceptionally low budget, so a lot of the early humor plays to that, but as time goes on it becomes more sophisticated. The characters are fleshed out and we see them reacting to surreal scenarios in hilarious and overkill ways. I prefer Cromartie to other whacky low budget anime like Inferno Cop because both the characters and the scenarios are funnier, and more interesting. This is by no means a perfect anime with a great deal of artistic merit, but it's something that I had a lot of fun watching and thoroughly enjoyed.
In the center spot lies Mushishi. Slow paced and super interesting is the way I would describe this anime. It follows Ginko, a mushishi (a sort of medicine man / exorcist type dude) who helps wanders the country and helps people with their problems. The anime is episodic in nature, very few characters are revisted, the only regular character being Ginko himself. What makes this anime interesting is the variety of landcapes, scenarios, and characters that he meets and deals with. What is particularly enjoyable is the responses of the people he meets, some are uncooperative while some immediately allow him to get to work. Furthermore, not every episode ends with the issue being solved, sometimes characters will die and other times they are forced to live with their problems. This helps to keep the story varied and gets rid of the whole "well everything will work out for the MC in the end" mentality that a lot of anime struggles with.
The last pick on this row is the End of Evangelion. It's difficult to talk about this movie because it's so out there and weird. After watching the TV series you think you know what you're in for going into this movie but I guarantee you do (not) have a clue. I spent most of the time watching this completely aghast, the visuals and audio made for what was often harrowing viewing. It's precisely because of this that it's interesting though. EoE is something that pushes you out of your comfort zone and makes you think about things that you don't really want to think about. Shinji is a very human character and his actions and feelings in the movie embody a lot of feelings that I'm sure everyone has had at some stage in their life. The scene where Komm Susser Todd is playing in the background is probably one of the greatest spectacles in all of anime, it's so grand in scale and left me feeling awestruck.
Kicking off the bottom row is Arakawa Under the Bridge which has a somewhat lighter tone that my previous choice. This is a comedy anime about a collection of some of the most unique characters in any anime who live under a bridge. The anime follows a successful businessman who ends up unintentionally joining the bridge dwellers and falling in love with Nino, a girl who claims to be from Venus. The unique setting and characters allows for some fun and quirky gags which is complimented by SHAFT's stellar presentation style. This is another anime with great voice casting, with Kamiya Hiroshi playing SHAFT male MC number 1billion. Definitely a fun anime to pick up if you're looking for a comedy outside of the highschool setting. If you don't think it's too hot after the first episode, give it some time because it comes into its own once the characters have been fleshed out.
Second to last on the 3x3 is Little Witch Academia. Go away KLK, this is Trigger's best work. I watched this fairly recently and loved every second of it, the animation is superb and every frame looks great. Trigger knows how to make stuff look good, and given the nature of LWA as two OVAs they had enough budget to do so for the whole thing unlike Kill La Kill which was horribly inconsistent. Both the characters and the plot are really charming. Despite being fairly short in length you get a real sense of every single relevant characters personality and you can see all the little traits that make them interesting. Whilst the plot is nothing revolutionary, it's fun and exciting and makes you feel happy. It almost plays out like a disney film in that you like the main character and everything just sorta ends up going right for them and there's a nice happy ending.
Katanagatari finds itself in the final slot. The title literally translates to sword story and god damn, what a story it is. It follows Yasuri Schichika and Togame the strategian in an episodic format as the collect Shikizaki Kikis 12 Deviant Blades. What makes it interesting is that Schichika doesn't fights with his bare hands rather than a sword. Despite being episodic we learn a lot about every character, even if they are only visited once. Nisio Isin's writing style comes across as there is not one hell of a lot of dialogue and not a great deal of action, however when there is action it's punchy fast and exciting. The OST really compliments the setting and makes the fights in particular feel like they carry a lot of weight. The final episode is possibly the greatest final episodes of any anime, it's difficult to talk about in great dealing without spoiling it, but it's explosive and a lot of people get punched.