Legend of the Galactic Heroes. Its been deemed as one of the only truly "epic" anime series in both the actual definition of the word and the dumb "internet" definition. If you're looking for a space opera anime this is the definitive one. If you're looking for an anime with a deep ongoing plot with round characters that feel alive and like people then this is definitely for you. If you're looking for a war anime that shows two sides equally and shows both stories of commanders rising through the ranks and random characters on the front lines struggling just to survive and be human this is for you. If you're looking for an anime that accurately depicts well thought out politics, philosophy, and sociology such as the conflicts between Autocracy and Democracy and how a good Autocracy is light years superior to a good Democracy and a bad Autocracy is light years worst than a bad Democracy then this is for you.
Its based on a series of novels, the whole series runs for over 100 episodes and most people drop out around episode 20 because of how slowly things progress at that point. That's because that whole first arc is the introduction to the entire series. If you have plenty of time on your hands I highly recommend this masterpiece.
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7grjXe2Eyo[/ame]
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRtYuG6MgX8[/ame]
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCoCiz-WZg8[/ame]
