Romance is really why we've got so many shitty dime a dozen bargain bin anime. Basically, explore subjects OTHER than romance. Sure, you can include it, but it shouldn't always be the focus. For example, Grimgar explored death, life in an adult society, and tragedy. Berserk explores futility, the concept of fate, and sacrifices along with what makes some sacrifices moral and what makes them immoral. Do the ends justify the means?
Another example is Gintama, which is literally an anime made of filler, bit good filler. Basically it's about a diabetic war veteran that does odd jobs, struggling to stay afloat, who ends up basically adopting a boy and a girl. He ends up becoming their father figure and guiding them through the difficulties of adolescence. Oh, and also it's not afraid to be fucking retarded. As much of a fan as I am for witty jokes, sometimes slapstick humor is what you need to get the job done.
Yu-Gi-Oh season 0 is another good one. It's less about "let's d-d-duel" and more about, "This is your sin. Here is your test..."
Oh and also, anime needs more shit like Prison School and Kakegurui. You don't need to be "le profound" to be enjoyable. In fact anime often ends up becoming even more enjoyable when they ditch it, because it's hardly ever done right. Anime should be a SPECTACLE. Whether it's a gorefest, a bright and colorful glorified animation reel, a melodramatic but well written tragedy, or "HOW MUCH MORE AUTISTIC ARE THESE PUNCHLINES GOING TO GET."
sorry for the blog post, I just feel strongly about stuff like this