MUST-SEE ANIMES

[TEKnician]

I'm picky about the titles that it on my shelf. So far I have Eureka Seven (Complete), Canaan (Complete), Clannad & After Story (Complete), Soul Eater (Complete), Eden of the East (Complete), Haruhi Suzumiya (Complete), and Ghost in the Shell (Complete).

I have mostly complete collections

In order for me to earn the title "OTAKU", what animes must I have in my arsenal? Animes that I ABSOLUTELY MUST HAVE. Animes that I cannot call myself an anime fan if I have not seen...

I DO NOT WANT ONGOING SERIES ON MY SHELF. I WANT SERIES THAT ACTUALLY HAVE ENDINGS!

39! ("san kyu" or "thank you")

[Kionon]

Kimagure Orange Road.

[Kariudo]

Kimagure Orange Road.

lol Kio...I wouldn't expect anything else

You'll probably get strange looks if you haven't seen the classics like Eva, Cowboy Bebop, and Trigun

I'd also put in stuff like
Code Geass (both seasons)
Gundam something or other (0083, 08th ms team, wing, G gundam, Seed, Seed Destiny, 00, Unicorn...take your pick)
Elfen Lied
Gungrave
Kanon (2006)
Noir
RahXephon
FLCL
Death Note
Macross/Robotech

For bonus points, get Akira on LaserDisc

[CodeZTM]

Dragonball Z seems obvious to me I suppose. XD

Personally, I also think everyone should watch Beck Mongolian Chop Squad and all of the Shinkai Movies [5cM per second, place promised in our earlier days and voices of a distant star]. Although I'm not sure if that classifies as classics yet. >_<

I'd also argue for Kino's Journey, but I haven't met many people that actually have seen it.

[Enigma]

Neon Genesis Evangelion
Samurai X/Ruroni Kenshin
Tengue Toppa Gurren Laggann
Akira
Jin-Roh
The Soultaker

[8bit_samurai]

Black Lagoon
Blood the Last Vampire
Blue Submarine No. 6
Cowboy Bebop
Hellsing
Ninja Scroll
Paranoia Agent
Outlaw Star
Read or Die!
Tenchi Muyo!
Trigun
Vampire Hunter D
If ya only seen the GitS series and liked it, I would recommend all three of the movies. Perhaps a better a clarification of what type of anime ya want would help. I would think there would be many types of anime would fit your description that might not suit your tastes or something of the sort.

[EkaCoralian]

Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann.
The Vision of EscaFlowne.

Both are pretty popular and wonderfully E7-esque.

[TEKnician]

wow...

most of these are pre-2005-ish! Of course I'm gonna get Samurai Champ and Cowboy Bebop. DragonballZ doesn't really have an awesome storyline that interests me. (Perhaps i would buy only a few dvds to make a parody?)

Any new dubbed animes I should be on the lookout for besides Angel Beats, (Hidan no Aria) The Scarlet Ammo, and High School of the Dead?

ALSO: BEST STORY YOU'VE HEARD OF?

(I'm picky about art and animation too )

[Warlike Swans]

I'm not sure if you just want animes that we HIGHLY recommend, or animes that you feel like you need to see to feel like a well-rounded otaku (which may be a contradiction).... because the latter is definitely going to tend toward older results.

I highly recommend:
Gankutsuou, the Wallflower, and School Rumble* (all of which are also inexpensive)

I recommend and consider basic:
Ranma 1/2* , Full Metal Alchemist*, Ouran High School*, Blood +, Inuyasha* (though I never finished it) & Slayers

Everything by Hayao Miyazaki and Satoshi Kon... except maybe Ponyo

Storytelling: Gankutsuou is the best I can think of off-hand (at least for a series)

Someone mentioned Ninjascroll.... which is a classic.... but having rented it when I was about 12, I have to say it was disturbing and I would definately read a review of it before watching it... definitely.

*= I have heard the dub and did not find it inappropriately funny or painful.

[Hathor Liderc]

Read or Die
ROD: The TV
Ranma 1/2
Cowboy Bebop
Outlaw Star
Gundam 08th MS Team
Gundam Wing
Tenchi Muyo!
Ninja Scroll
At least 1 Miyazaki Film (Princess Mononoke, My Neighbor Totoro, Ponyo, etc.)
Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann
Rozen Maiden
.Hack//SIGN
Azumanga Daioh
Ronin Warriors
Sailor Moon (It's a classic, but an acquired taste)
Trigun
Blue Submarine No. 6
FLCL

there's a lot more, but I can't remember them off the top of my head.
Dragonball
Dragonball Z