Wow I really should start watching anime again...

[Reno]

Ok..... anything really. As long as it has emotion. And NO high-school related.

[SeijiSensei]

Recent, unlicensed, emotional, no high-school and complete:
Bartender - an array of stories, most with a deep emotional appeal
Nodame Cantabile - romance, comedy, and drama in a professional music academy
Hataraki Man - a woman tries to build a career in a Japanese publishing house
Asatte no Houkou - to tell you the plot would spoil episode one; slice-of-life and drama

Unlicensed, still in release:
Claymore - classy women fight demons in a faux medieval setting; bloody but with a strong plot
Oh! Edo Rocket - who knows what it's really about.... a topsy-turvy retake on Edo period Japan (they have TVs and blogs), a boy who likes to make fireworks, a girl who wants to go to the moon, aliens in saucers... You get the picture, but a lot of fun and very well made.
Mononoke - a medicine seller in medieval Japan who fights demons; I watched the three early episodes last season, the new episodes are just starting to be subbed; incredibly beautiful artwork throughout
Dennou Coil - technically they're not in high school since they're all 11-12; a sci-fi fantasy about kids who routinely exist in a virtual world displayed in their special glasses; perhaps second in 2007 only to...

Licensed, still in release
Seirei no Moribito - a female bodyguard protects a young prince in a fictitious Asian empire (~Korea); perhaps the best anime of 2007 so far

[Reno]

Wow thanks for all that.... sooo many to choose from. O_O

[KholdStare]

What have you watched so far? Are you only looking for new anime?

[lftwgr]

Check out the various OVAs / movies produced / directed / sometimes even voice-acted by Shinkai Makoto:

She and Her Cat - this is a monologue of a cat who is in love with its owner. Really short, but its Shinkai's debut and the OVA that started it all.

Voices of a Distant Star - or Hoshi no Koe - the characters here are lovers separated by time and space since their graduation from middle school after the girl was sent on a deep space expedition to study / fight an alien species who attacked an earlier expedition to Mars. Takes the form of monologues and email conversations that take increasingly longer to reach each other as she tranverses deeper into space. This is a masterpiece which is remarkable because it is hard to believe that the beautiful visuals were all completed on a single (Shinkai's) Mac.

The Place Promised in Our Early Days - or Kumo no Muko, Yakusoku no Basho - 3 friends made a promise in high school to fly out to visit a mysterious tower in Hokkaido that is visible from their home town (it takes place in an alternate future where Japan is divided into North and South like Korea). Later the girl falls into a coma and can only be saved if the earlier promise is kept. The story follows the 3 years during which the girl is unconscious, where the lead reminisces about their time together and because he does not know where she is, he becomes depressed and loses interest in life.

5 Centimeters per Second - or Byosoku Go Senchimetoru - this is licensed, but even if you were looking for subs, they do not exist (yet). You'll have to make do with the raws. That's all I'll say about it here (discussion on licensed downloads are verbotten here on Animesuki). Like all of Shinkai's works, it is a story of longing and long-distance relationships. The leads are elementary school friends living in Tokyo who become close due to their similarities. Later, the girl moves with her family to another town. To continue their relationship, they decide to write to each other. However, the guy's family moves to Kagoshima (way way way tooooo far away) as he enters high school, and they eventually become distant as they grow up apart from each other.

Others:

Toki wo Kakeru Shoujo, or 'The Girl who Leapt Through Time' - this is about a girl who, as the title suggests, gains the ability to travel through time. The movie follows her story as she uses this ability for selfish reasons at first, and then as she tries to help her friends.

[Sasuke_Bateman]

Samurai Champloo, thread over.

[Reno]

Haha! Is that so?

Originally Posted by KholdStare

What have you watched so far? Are you only looking for new anime?

Nah I don't mind when it's from. The very few anime I've seen are Elfen Lied, Haibane Remnei and Air. (Actually haven't even seen the last few episodes of that).

By the way what's Slice-of-Life mean?

Edit: Oh yeah I've just remembered the other ingrediant: Not a straight-forward story. Want it to be interesting with lotsa twists. And The Place Promised in Our Early Days sounds perfect by the way.

[KholdStare]

Well that narrows down the list. I almost wrote like a lot before I decided to ask you what you really want. I was about to recommend Elfen Lied and Haibane Renmei too. :P I love them; they're on my top ten in my signature.

By best definition of slice of life would be an anime that doesn't have plot as its main attraction/focus but instead it concentrates on everyday activities. To sum it up, it's very episodal, with only a brief motif carried over the episodes. It relies heavily on character development and interactions, but there is really no central plot.

Anyways, my suggestions:

1) Kimi ga Nozomu Eien: First on my top ten list, this one fits your description perfectly. It's not a straight-forward story, and it kept me on the edge throughout its episodes. It's about four friends in high school whose lives were about to be changed forever by an event that happened on that one day....

2) The Place Promised in Our Early Days: lftwgr gave a bit more spoilers than I would've wanted but I strongly second it.

3) Toki wo Kakeru Shoujo: Again, I second this. This anime isn't about a girl who travels through time and go on different adventures like a fairy tale. It's much different than that, and it's a beautiful story.

4) Nodame Cantabile: This is a romantic comedy that is based in a music college. It is very refreshing and funny every episode, and it's one of the few anime that kept my interest every week.

5) Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu: I'm not going to explain...you should know about this anime by now and think of it as God or something. Anyways, it's pretty good.

I was going to recommend CCS but I'm not sure if you want to watch such a childish anime. Too bad because it's really good.

[SeijiSensei]

If those are the only three shows you've watched, let me add a few more to your list along with the ones I mentioned earlier. All these are licensed unless I indicate otherwise.

The Long Haul

Monster - The best anime I've ever watched. A Japanese neurosurgeon practicing in Germany soon after the collapse of the Berlin Wall becomes involved with a psychotic killer. 74 episodes; unlicensed.

Hikaru no Go - another 74 episode marathon. The young boy Hikaru is possessed by the spirit of an extraordinary historical Go player and becomes a strong player in his own right. Much more compelling than you can possibly imagine a show about a board game can be. Lots of cliffhangers so you just keep on watching.

More normal length series

Junni Kokki (aka "Twelve Kingdoms") - A teen-aged girl is magically transported from her Japanese high school to a fantasy world similar to ancient China. Slow start, but worth every moment. The best character development study I've seen in anime. 45 episodes. The abrupt ending is its only flaw (the novelist became ill, I believe).

Saiunkoku Monogatari - Another story set in a fantasy world based on imperial China. A feisty teen-aged princess wants to become the first female official in the Imperial Court. Lots of politics and some romance, though Shurrei puts her career first. The first 39 episodes are licensed; the second season is just now starting to be subbed.

Planetes - While ostensibly a story about astronauts whose job is to collect space trash, this show meshes romance, drama and politics into a unique mix. 26 episodes I believe.

School Rumble - Yes, the main characters are high-schoolers, but still the funniest show I've ever watched. Followed closely by Jungle no Itsumo Hale noche Guu; the main characters are putatively in elementary school but there are lots of wacko adults around as well. Guu herself may be the funniest character ever drawn for anime. Both are 26 episodes.

Welcome to the NHK! - Psychological comedy/drama about a "hikkikomori," a young man in his early twenties who spends his entire life closeted away in an apartment paid for by his parents. One day he meets a rather strange girl who offers to cure him of his fear of the outside world. At times hilariously funny, at other times seriously depressing. 26 episodes.

Ergo Proxy - Post-apocalyptic thriller about a female detective on the trail of some strange creatures. Includes one of the best characters in any recent anime (Pino). 23 episodes.

REC - Charming romantic comedy involving an aspiring young voice actress and a junior marketing executive. Only 10 short episodes. Unlicensed.

Per your request I've avoided shows with high-school-aged characters (except for School Rumble). If you change your mind, you'll find lots of threads here about those types of shows. All of the shows I've listed have a goodly amount of emotional content, and that includes the comedies.

Oh, and I liked Samurai Champloo as well, but I obviously don't think it's the only show that qualifies.

[rooboy]

I would second almost all of Seiji's recommendations (though I haven't actually seen Hikaru no Go), but I would throw out two more (one that I know he's just forgotten).

Since no one seems to be obeying the high school rule, I'll throw out Noein. Nominally it's a story about five high school friends and time travelling adults. It's not really about high school though, so I think it probably qualifies.

The other current one I would recommend (besides Seirei no Moribito) is Darker than Black, which involves a conspiracy revolving around psychic powers and the disappearance of stars in the sky. It's a little on the episodic side, but generally enjoyable.

A third one I just remembered is Chevalier d'Eon, a fictional story based (very loosely) on a real person's life in Three Musketeers era France.

Monster though would be my very first recommendation. Like Seiji it may be the best anime I've ever seen.

[Reno]

Wow thanks everyone.

Originally Posted by KholdStare

Well that narrows down the list. I almost wrote like a lot before I decided to ask you what you really want. I was about to recommend Elfen Lied

Hehe how can you not I've seen Eflen Lied when we had an argument on the thread whether or not to post spoilers?

[UPR]

Black Lagoon

[SeijiSensei]

Originally Posted by rooboy

I would second almost all of Seiji's recommendations (though I haven't actually seen Hikaru no Go), but I would throw out two more (one that I know he's just forgotten).

Since no one seems to be obeying the high school rule, I'll throw out Noein. Nominally it's a story about five high school friends and time travelling adults. It's not really about high school though, so I think it probably qualifies.

You know me too well, roo I would have included Noein, but I was trying to abide by the no-high-school rule. Those kids are a year or two older than the ones in Dennou Coil so I thought it was bordering on unacceptable. I couldn't let myself leave out School Rumble, though, rule or no rule!

The other current one I would recommend (besides Seirei no Moribito) is Darker than Black, which involves a conspiracy revolving around psychic powers and the disappearance of stars in the sky. It's a little on the episodic side, but generally enjoyable.

A third one I just remembered is Chevalier d'Eon, a fictional story based (very loosely) on a real person's life in Three Musketeers era France.

I think I watched an episode or two of Darker than Black, but it didn't grab my attention at the time. I'll give it another try. I've also never watched any of Chevalier, so I'll take a peek at that someday as well. Thanks.

[Reno]

Hmm.... the ones that appeal to me the most are The Place Promised in Our Early Days (as I already said), Monster and Welcome to the NHK!.

I'm sorry I AM a bit picky. But I never know until I see them

[Reno]

Sorry for the double post....

Ok I'm watching Monster. Just seen the first episode and I'm loving it already. Yay I'm so glad he decided to save the boy. ^_^ I knew as soon as the women appeard in his head he'd turn around and save the boy.