The anime style in this reminds me of an animation I watched growing up. I can't remember the name, but it looks very similar to Howl's Moving Castle. Even the stories sound similar. A hero sacrificing themself for the greater good and all.

At first glance, it seems like a children's anime, something more common, but if you watch the next 10 episodes, you discover that the story is profound and represents the characters' struggle to write their own story

This is what a lot of anime haters don't get. They consider those who watch them childish simply because they can't tell the differences between regular animations (ie cartoons) and anime. I argue with my friends all the time about this.