1) An original anime:
Like such great titles Gurren Lagann, Cowboy Bebop, and FLCL (to name a few), Eden of the East is entirely original content. No cheating, like I soooo often do. When shows like Claymore, Soul Eater, and Death Note cross my desk, that little devil on my shoulder often convinces me to cheat, and just get my grubby hands on every volume of the manga I can find. After reading them, I often feel little urgency to watch them, which is why I know I'll fall off Full Metal Alchemist, I've already seen what's going to happen, so what if I miss an episode or two?

2) Sooooo weirdly fascinating:
Two minutes into the show, we have a terribly non-threatening male naked, with a gun, in front of the White House. With no knowledge of how or why he is where he is... I AM SO INTRIGUED. The anmesiac card is often played, but given the themes we've seen so far, I find myself being pulled further in.

3) The dong:
Like Venture Brothers (season 3) and the Watchmen movie before it, this show has included a lot of dong.

4) Cool, super sharp OP with music from Oasis:
Okay, just give me this one. Not only is it sharp, angular, and overflowing with English text, it's got music by Oasis! For those of us not in the know of the Japanese language or even Japanese music, this is a comfortable place to start.

5) The thrill of watching a series week to week:
Normally I hate watching incomplete series, but there is something to be said to slow boiling our comprehension. Charging through a show episode after episode can be gratifying, but in a good show, the thrill of character development/lot absorption really shine when we have the time to sit and ponder what happens each week.

I'd venture that shows like this are better because it takes months for their stories to be told.

(Secret 6th reason) You're going to screw up and call it "East of Eden" at least once, and people will think you are cultured:
'nuff said