I don't see either
Nodame Cantabile or
Oh! Edo Rocket on your list.
Nodame starts off as a screwball comedy, but it becomes more serious and dramatic as time goes on.
Rocket is an hilarious satire about political repression with great characters and a weird but appropriate style of illustration.
I found the first episode of
Honey & Clover off-putting as well and never really followed up. Maybe I'll give it another try.