People pass up so many good stories because of the stereotypes that to read that shit you gotta be some kind of japanophile. Ill admit theres alot of lame anime stuff out there, but the good stuff is
good. Japanese culture sort of glorifies introversion, as opposed to western culture, so you get alot of stories that deal with psychology and self awareness, and strong character development is always a main focal point. It makes an interesting alternative to american comics, but you gotta like reading and be cool with black and white art styles.
I suggest reading some of the series aimed at mature audiences like
Homunculus,
Vagabond or
Monster if you want to check it out.