As my Avatar hints, I train/teach Muay Thai. Which is (for me) the perfect art.
Choosing an art is like choosing shoes, not everything will fit, and what looks good on others doesn't might not look good for you.
Best advice I can give is to spend some time trying different schools and different arts.
Finding the right teacher can make the world of difference too. Once you find something that fits you will know it.

By the sounds of it the concept of 'what works' appeals to you, which will mean a style like
Muay Thai might be for you, no frills, no kata, just what has been tried
and tested on the battlefield and in the ring for two thousand years.