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Word of warning: The English dub is 15 minutes or so shorter than the original Japanese version. I still want to see this on the big screen, but I was a little disheartened to hear that. Some markets, like San Francisco I hear, will be showing the uncut subtitled version. I'm curious as to what the DVD release will be like due to this situation.

My all time favorite is "Yakusoku wa Iranai" from Escaflowne.

I think the last OP theme I fell in love with was "Cloud Age Symphony" from Last Exile.

RahXephon is one of the most rewatchable shows I've seen. It is so densely layered, it's almost impossible to pick up everything the first time. But it doesn't come off as deliberately frustrating or pretentious. The show's very last scene is a helpful invitation to take a second look at the whole series with a new perspective.

It does require that you pay lots of attention, and that you connect many of the dots yourself. If you don't like a challenge, you won't like RahXephon. It resembles Evangelion very closely, but I find RahXephon to be a more successful series on the whole, in large part because it never goes through drastic changes of tone or a significant drop in budget the way Eva did. I also found Ayato to be a refreshing protagonist, largely avoiding the "woe is me" Shinji persona and dealing with everything pretty much straight on.

And as you noticed, it is a very beautiful show. Great animation, music and acting. It's easily one of the best I've seen in recent years.

Well you should have a hard time finding Escaflowne because it has been fully released in the US for some time now, and the first volume of Angelic Layer just came out. Fansubs are not meant to detract profit from the rightful owners, so if you really like those shows you should support the domestic release.

I don't think it's a rights issue since ADV made all their DVD covers reversible (Samurai X on one side, Rurouni Kenshin on the other) in order to satisfy those not so pleased with the name change. Also, different companies are releasing different parts of Sakura Wars and Lupin III without changing the title. As far as I can tell, calling it Samurai X was just a marketing decision (though I realize the name is not ADV's invention) to create a juicy title for those not familiar with the series.

I'm pretty sure I'll be there.

The only cartoons I remember them mentioning during I Love the '80s were "He-Man and the Masters of the Universe", "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles", "Care Bears", and "Transformers".

I can dig, though my expertise is basically limited to OP's and ED's :) :

"Yakusoku wa Iranai" from Escaflowne
-Simply, my absolute favorite anime OP theme. It's gorgeous and fits the series perfectly. When I sit down to watch more than one ep of a series in a row, I'll usually watch the opening once, and skip it on the remaining epsidoes. Not this one.

"Tenshi no Enogu" from Macross - Do You Remember Love
-I don't know what it is, but I always sit through the end credits to hear this song. It's a great closer to a great movie, one that makes you wish the movie never ended.

"Orange Mystery" from Kimagure Orange Road
-KOR is a great nostalgia series. Growing up, school, falling in love, the 80's... This song captures the essence of the series.

"Yume Mireba Yume mo Yume ja nai" from Magical Project S (Pretty Sammy TV)
-If for nothing else, I'll mention this song for the uncontrollable urge it gives me to yell "PIPOPA!" at the right moment.

"Tank!" from Cowboy Bebop
-The moment you hear this for the first time, you know you're in for something refreshingly unique.

Movies
1. Royal Space Force - The Wings of Honneamise
2. Macross - Do You Remember Love
3. Whisper of the Heart
4. Akira
5. Lupin III - The Castle of Cagliostro

TV Series
1. The Irresponsible Captain Tylor
2. Super Dimension Fortress Macross
3. Cowboy Bebop
4. The Vision of Escaflowne
5. Kimagure Orange Road

And of course, for OVA's I must mention Giant Robo.

How 'bout "Saw it and it wasn't that great." Guess "Horrible" will have to suffice.