I'm not really into cutesy stuff myself. Doesn't mean I can't appreciate such things, because I can, but if an anime or manga has moe written all over it, it's likely to not suit my tastes.
I heard about Higurashi. Might try it one day.
Just note that I did say I don't mind gruesomeness and have a liking for macabre stuff, but I prefer it in moderation.
Attack on Titan and Parasyte have a lot of gore, that's a fact, but it only happens at specific points and it isn't the main thing about them. I don't think people should watch (or read) those series for the gore or they will miss the point of their stories.