lesson

[Blue flame]

anime or manga where you or the main character learn a lesson out of it, it can be anything from getting girls to the philosophies of life or plain getting in trouble and never doing it again lol something the main character is taught and we can all say "hey i never knew that, let me try or let me not" it doesn't have to be entirely about learning a lesson just that it includes it at 1 point so once i finish the series i can say o i learned something new. comedy is a mustit can be anything though, something like fma how he doesn't understand the basics of life. and puts his military background into every situation
.................................................. .................................................. ..................ALSO if theres a anime or manga that the subject thats being used is being explained in a sophisticated matter so it seems that there making sense but in reality it couldn't and shouldn't and probably will never happen thats good too, for example in airgear how they try to explain how the airtrecks work and how it defies the laws of physics through such an impossible defintion and the watcher thinks it can happen until his friend slaps and tells him that airtrecks will never happen because nobody is gonna put a motor in a roller skate and the watcher cries in agony=)

[Quancio]

About your first request.. I don't know if it's right but
History`s Strongest Disciple Kenichi might be just oke. All these martial arts stuff, learning new moves, kicks, punches ;p
Welcome to the N.H.K I learned about hikikomori from this anime ;p

About your second request.. I think Ghost Hound is right choice.. A lot of explaining about stuff connected with brain, out of body experiences etc.

[Z3120]

Lessons eh? Every episode in Mushishi lend me to change my outlook on life in more ways than one and presented me with themes: actually, rather questions, on humanity, society and philosophical judgments of right and wrong we're still arguing towards this day.

Hajime no Ippo. Yes, it is a sports anime, but Ippo was to me a source of inspiration and a character I haven't really encountered before. His journey to boxing really lite a fire in my eye to pursue whatever my goal was as strongly as Ippo.

You didn't mention what titles you've watched already so my bad if I mentioned something you watched already.

[james0246]

Second Request = The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi . You can not get much closer to what you are looking for than Haruhi, which rips-off inumerable philosophical/sci-fi/metaphysical sources, makes it seem legitamite until you stop wayching the show and go "what the f*ck was that sh*t!".

First request, most sports manga/anime are focused around trying to understand complex ideas concerning what it means to be strong and other similiar philosophies (strongly second Hajime no Ippo).

[KholdStare]

The thing is that the anime with "lessons" that I like most are usually without comedy, but I think my definition of lessons differs from yours.

I second Mushishi, but there's no comedy in that. I also suggest Kino's Journey and Haibane Renmei, but there's no lessons (EDIT: I meant comedy) in that also.

The two anime with comedy that has lessons, albeit obscure ones, are Elfen Lied and Gakuen Utopia Manabi Straight! Both of them are rated 10/10 and 9/10, respectively, on my scale.

[blewin]

I third Mushishi. Sometimes the ways it deals out those wonderful messages of life are absolutely mind-boggling (heavy symbolism). Took me two times to get it. The way a story is told is in itself a message about the craft/art of storytelling (in addition to the actual philosophies of life within the stories). yep, there's no comedy in Mushishi, but there is humour.

Genshiken: really get a good look at what otaku life is like and what the anime/manga culture is like in Japan. Pretty educational. You learn that otaku culture isn't all that different from other interests (comparing Saki, the normal person, with Genshiken's members) when it comes to the basics of liking something. Question: then why are they viewed as aliens and weirdos? it's all about the majority vs minority issue.

Honey and Clover: main premise of story is about how different characters face different uncertainties of life, and the discoveries they make along the way. Again, like Mushishi, there's the philosophies and there's the craft aspect of storytelling. The anime is especially relevant to high school and college graduates: making important decisions, feeling lost, discovering themselves....

[SinsI]

Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei is full of very useful psyhological lessons - it would've been a must see if only it didn't rely so much on cultural references and language puns.

[Navel]

people interactions: Kino no Tabi, Infinite Ryvius, Evangelion
war and politics: Gundam SEED
romance/love: Kare Kano, Paradise Kiss, Nana, Nodame Cantabile
somebody who realizes he has wrecked his life: Welcome to the N.H.K.
finding a purpose in life: all those that deal with romance/love + Beck

[Frans]

Moyashimon. It's about a boy who can see bacteria. You'll learn a lot about bacteria, micro-organism, fermentation, and all that stuff.
Momoiro Sister. Not so much a lesson but more of an insight about the two main character which of course two girls.
High School Girls (Joshikousei). An insight on an all girls high.
Akagi... and in fact any other sport themed animes... in case of Akagi, you'll learn mahjong. There's Hikaru no Go (Go), Prince of Tennis (Tennis), Slam Dunk (Basketball), Major (Baseball), etc.
Rocket Girls. You'll learn about rocket and astronaut. Other anime that you could also learn about astronaut is Twin Spica and PlanetEs.
Bartender. You'll learn about cocktails
Yakitate Japan. You'll learn about breads.
Cooking Master Boy. You'll learn about various dishes.
Rescue Wings. It's about rescuing people.
Hataraki Man. About a woman who works at a magazine company.
Akagi, Bartender, and Rescue Wings is thin on comedy (almost none).

I've got a few more titles in my head.. but I think this will do.

[Telmah]

I'll second Haibane Renmei. It is a surealistic world, where the very meat of the story isn't fighting or romance or anything else but the lesson you take away from it. An excellent show.

I'll actually suggest XXXholic. It can be considered episodic, but it gets fairly philosopical...the heart of the stories is how to live your life (or rather not how to). It's all about ___holics and often blends Japanese folklore with dark side of human desire.

A recent favorite of mine is Utawarerumono. It balances personal combat and national combat, and also has a realistic feel with the romance involved, but the part of the story that really impressed me was how it dealt with issues like freewill and predesintation and dealing with mistakes made in your past...about hope and rebirth from the ashes of failed life.