There is no audiovisual spectacle to be found in TV animation this old, from an era where Japanese animation's budgets, technical background and conventions were relatively limited. The most charitable thing you can say about it is that it has some stylish design ideas, and a catchy opening theme. I tend to like art that borders on the abstract, so I still give it a decent rating.
What I get impacted by every time I rewatch this(and I will go and rewatch an episode every year or two) is the strong storytelling. A lot of the tropes common to modern anime are seen here, in a more innocuous, unexplored form. It doesn't try to subvert anything or throw in huge twists, wacky characters or fantastical elements, it stays in a grounded, ordinary sort of telling, and just builds up your empathy for the characters and their goals with persistence. The simplicity of it is the thing that makes it remain interesting even now.
If you want to see the story but would like different takes on it, you have plenty of alternatives: There is a 1979 film remake, a TV drama, and, of course, the original manga. The story does have a plot continuation in the sequel series and OVA, but they serve as more of a coda for fans.
