Arch isn’t that bad, it’s a lot of what you have to do in Gentoo. Infact Gentoo is more manual and hands on than arch with a lot more room for error. Arch has a lot of systems service made specifically to make install and maintenance easier.
I don’t know how long ago it was when you tried it but I’d give it another shot, it might surprise you! There’s a lot arch does to help you that most people don’t even realize.