Any shmup fans out there?

I was recently gifted the Japanese import of Ray'z Arcade Chronology on Switch and have been playing RayForce a lot recently (in between Dragon Quest 3 Remake sessions). I've always been pretty average (maybe well below average) when it comes to these types of games, but have always been drawn to them for reasons I can't explain. Maybe because River Raid on the Atari 2600 was one of the first games I remember playing over and over again at home, or all the quarters I would feed the Galaga and Space Invaders machines at my local arcade as a kid (the genre has really evolved since those games, though).

Since starting RayForce (no 1cc yet, and there likely won't be for a long time...if ever) I've taken advantage of the recent Switch sales to pick up some more shumps (Crimzon Clover, Andro Dunos 2, Thunder Force games) I hope to dedicate some time to in the near future. Anyone out there consider themselves masters of this genre? Or, maybe you're like me: not great, maybe not even average, but you're a glutton for punishment and keep coming back for more?

Also, recommendations are most welcome.