This thread has been very entertaining, to say the least, SAO and then Legend of Galactic heroes right afterward. How funny. I think it is fair to say that an Anime that is "the best" is up to what your standards of measurement are. If it's brilliant storytelling then it is Legend of Galactic heroes, in light of having way too many episodes for my liking. If it's for most entertaining it would have to be Sword art online, at least the first part that is.
Ghibli in itself has some excellent storytelling and animation directing. But he lacks variety which is because of the nature of his plot and stories. This makes it brilliant within its own medium of animation.
There are some brilliant stories out there which are well executed and presented, some mysterious, some with brilliant female main characters, others with great art and directing and music.
My favorite based on all of these beautiful pieces of works apart from some great works like So ra no wo to, or Disappearance of Haruhi, even one of the best female leads I have seen recently being seen in Sakurako-san no Ashimoto ni wa Shitai ga Umatteiru. Genuine and funny comedy from Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun. Purpose driven feeling production by Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso. Fun and over exaggerated parody storytelling in Jojo's Bizzare adventures. There are too many to count if we were to list all the great Anime that we are exposed to or should be exposed to.
Of course for me, one prevails over all purely because of the fitting name it has in light of its fantastic music and brilliant choreography of fight scenes and music. By far the classic in the late 1990s and the Anime to set the era of the internet off as the big three was about to arrive. The brilliant Cowboy Bebop, with its basic and exhilarating storytelling with the excelent integration of music and directing. Guiding us into a beautiful philosophical idea leading to the most fitting name of Bebop which is what we experience right through the show and movie. Even at the height of the show having to take a break from airing and produced an ova, which by far exceeds any ova that influenced teenagers in light of violence, in a positive manner. Named Cowboy Bebop: Yose Atsume Blues.
Cowboy Bebop by far takes the show of my favorite Anime.