The first time I watched this series I was blown away in more ways than one. Even people who loathe the direction the series took at the end (a result of budget cuts and the entire staff going absolutely out of their fucking gourds) agree that this series is a watershed mark in anime history. I agree with Terra - if you haven't watched this series, you are absolutely missing out on the "big picture" of where anime went after 1995, and where it is still going today.