I'm wondering that nobody mentioned Hayao Miyazaki. Are there really anime fans who don't love his movies ?
Presumably taken as a given. I don't think there are
cinema fans who don't like his movies.
I've never seen an anime series that hasn't got on my nerves after awhile (although
Death and Rebirth of Evangelion remains one of the funniest things I've ever seen), but I've got a soft spot for
Ninja Scroll. Both
Ghost in the Shell movies are excellent (the sequel's possibly the stronger of the two, even);
Perfect Blue is a remarkable achievement;
Dead Leaves is bottomlessly stupid but incredibly fun to look at. I saw
Sky Blue fairly recently and thought it was beautiful, but
appallingly written (not just the dialogue; the plotting and pacing are disgraceful). I'm suitably ashamed of it, but I cannot resist watching
Urotsukidoji when the opportunity presents itself; it's just so, so hilarious.