FYI, "takes itself serious" doesn't really mean, uh, edge. Edge is the fastest way for me to not take an anime seriously. Kino's Journey took itself seriously. Now and Then Here and There, that's a title that takes itself seriously. Even when something is fantasy or out of this world, it should feel grounded. Like it belongs. One thing I notice about modern anime is that almost absolutely none of it takes itself seriously in that Bebop, SAC, Kino's Journey sort of way. It's just a bunch of ridiculousness one series after the other. Nothing is grounded. Just endless fantasy shit and super powers and fucked up situations.
Anime continues to be shit.
Fuck, I need me a Gundam. Gundam is always grounded and takes itself seriously. Forever reliable, ol' Gundam. I'm skipping all of this and just watching Blood Orphans and Origin tbh.