A lot of people I know who don't like it are the ones who have seen an episode or two on adult swim, and simply can't find any words other than WHAT THE FUCK. Honestly, if I'd been introduced to this anime in a similar way, I'd do the same thing. I hated bleach for a long time because every time I saw an episode it was them running around and looking for each other in soul society and I didn't know wtf was happening. Point being; THERE'S PLOT HERE, PEOPLE. You gotta watch it from the beginning, and will only be able to thoroughly enjoy it if you watch it to the end.
The two highlights for me are that they a) don't focus on the romantic aspects, but touch on them just enough to leave you crying at the end, and b) the people who made this had no fear when it comes to killing off characters.
As far as darker, plot-heavy anime go, I'd dare to put this above Code Geass. The art is excellent, proportionate and very smoothly animated, and there isn't any of that over-dramatic flashy crap whenever there's a plot twist that seems to scream "PLOT TWIST! DID YOU SEE IT?!?".
Overall, I gave it a nine, because its maturity and well-rounded plot create a thrilling experience for the viewer as they try to guess what's going to happen next. I wouldn't give it a ten, because there are parts that seem a bit unnecessary or long, but in some ways they just make pushing through them to see the outcome that much more rewarding.
