Anime focusing on a group of characters

[Riskbreaker]

I'm kind've getting tired of watching anime where the majority of the supposed main cast become mere dead weight by the end of a series, so I'm looking for anime which focuses on a group of characters who are equally fleshed out and well developed rather than just the usual over-focus on a main character or two.

Although i'd prefer an action/fantasy based anime to fall under this, i'm not really fussed what genre this would fall under. Any suggestions?

[Kirito]

Durarara and Baccano has just what you need. Each episode will shift from character to character, but the story and their actions will intertwine with each other.

For Baccano you have to pay attention alot because the story focuses on different time periods, but the story connects I assure you.

[SeijiSensei]

Baccano! is the series that comes to mind immediately. There are so many characters, though, that I'm not sure you'll find them all sufficiently well developed.

There are over twenty women among the Claymores as I recall, and quite a few of them have identifiable characters. The main character Clare has a core group of perhaps three or four associates.

Ghost Hound has a core group of three boys with reasonably well elaborated back stories.

House of Five Leaves depicts a small band of petty criminals in the late Edo period. Two of them, the leader and a ronin, are the main characters, but the others lend a hand from time to time.

Kuragehime focuses on five women who live together in a shared apartment. All of them are "otaku" of some sort or another. The main character has a jellyfish fetish; others love trains and dolls.

The main pairing in Kurenai is sixteen-year-old Kurenai himself and the seven-year-old girl he must protect. He's surrounded by a number of women of varying ages from his high-school friends to women in their twenties and thirties. The ensemble voice acting in this show is especially effective.

In Saiunkoku Monogatari there's a main female protagonist who has an array of bishie male friends and admirers. There are also a lot of supporting characters of both genders who play fairly important roles in the story from time to time.

The movie Summer Wars features a main couple attending a birthday tribute for the girl's grandmother. We get to know quite a few of the members of her extended family in the course of the 2+ hours the movie runs.

Oh! Edo Rocket also has a main couple and a large supporting cast. All of them play a role in the development of the story.

Cross Game has quite a large cast besides the central couple. Most of them are either members of their families or other members of the baseball team.

[Eragon]

Thirding Baccano. But as Sensei said, there are a lot of characters and you'll need to pay attention. Also seconding Durarara.
My recommendations would be
Berserk
FMA Brotherhood
Samurai Champloo
Gurren Lagann
Slam Dunk

[Shanarock]

Yep, Baccano and Durarara. Another suggestions:

Uninhabited Planet Survive
is about a group of kids who accidentally crashed into an uninhabited planet and must learn to survive until they return to their own planet.

Persona 4:
it's about a group of teenagers trying to find out the mystery behind a series of murder in their town. Pretty lighthearted despite the dark premise.

Haibane Renmei
It's focusing on a group of teenagers who are born with wings and the secret behind their past.

Bokurano
About a bunch of kids who ended up playing a survival game to save the earth without knowing the consequence of the game beforehand.

Honey and Clover
This is a story about a group of university art students starting from friendship, rivalry and romance. Each character is fleshed out really well, you might even love one of them.

Dennou Coil
I think this one fits your category too. Just check on the summary fore more info.

[SeijiSensei]

I thought about Dennou Coil, but the focus narrows to Yasako and Isako pretty much in the second half of the show. One of the complaints people had about Coil while it aired was how little we saw of people like Fumie and Daichi after a while.

Even if this doesn't meet the request exactly, everyone should give Coil a try. It's definitely one of my top-ten favorites.

[Riskbreaker]

Cheers for all the responses everyone, i'll check them all out!

[HasuMasu]

Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae o Bokutachi wa Mada Shiranai works too, though the group isn't that large.

Oh, and Welcome to the NHK focuses on a lot of people with three main characters.

[Haak]

Anything directed by Tatsuyuki Nagai usually works:
Ano Hana
Ano Natsu
Honey & Clover
To aru Kagaku no Railgun

I second Durarara!! and Baccano!

[SeijiSensei]

Now that I've seen episode two of AKB0048 it should be added to this list. It looks like there will be a main group of about seven girls who are striving to join the group.

The older-looking girls are the current members. The show is set hundreds of years in the future, a dystopian world where entertainment is banned (shades of the Tenpou Reforms satirized in Oh! Edo Rocket), and idol singers are freedom-fighters.