Emotionally engaging anime outside of the Slice of life genre

[Theowne]

The problem isn't that I don't like Slice of Life. It's that I like it too much! I feel like I've gotten into a rut with the kind of series I watch.

So I'm looking for anime that are outside of the slice of life genre, but are very engaging emotionally and elicit strong reactions from you.

The most important thing for me is good characters that you end up caring very much about. I've seena lot of series with uninteresting and unsympathetic characters which get by on a lot of plot twists and fantasy details. I prefer great characters over a detailed fantasy world.

theowne.myanimelist.net for the have-watched.

Haibane Renmai is a great example of something I liked, same with Princess Mononoke.

[wkd]

Sounds to me like Seirei no Moribito is exactly what you are looking for.

[Sackett]

Originally Posted by Theowne

The problem isn't that I don't like Slice of Life. It's that I like it too much! I feel like I've gotten into a rut with the kind of series I watch.

So I'm looking for anime that are outside of the slice of life genre, but are very engaging emotionally and elicit strong reactions from you.

The most important thing for me is good characters that you end up caring very much about. I've seena lot of series with uninteresting and unsympathetic characters which get by on a lot of plot twists and fantasy details. I prefer great characters over a detailed fantasy world.

theowne.myanimelist.net for the have-watched.

Haibane Renmai is a great example of something I liked, same with Princess Mononoke.

Fullmetal Alchemist

It's a sci-fi action full of plot twists- but it's also got amazing character development.

There are two versions. The first anime version is completed and has very strong early character development- by the third episode I was hooked.

The second anime version is ongoing and is based on the manga storyline which has slower early character development (due to more focus on plot) but which I think ultimately has the better level of character development.

Both versions are very good though.

If you want character development that is not slice of life, Fullmetal Alchemist is what you are looking for.

[KholdStare]

I actually second Seirei no Moribito.

You might like Kino's Journey, Kurenai, and Shigofumi. All three are good anime that were emotionally engaging to a level.

But if you ask me, looking at your list, you might enjoy Figure 17. It's one of my favorite anime of all time and it was, in my opinion, one of the most emotionally engaging anime I've watched.

[Guardian Enzo]

Originally Posted by wkd

Sounds to me like Seirei no Moribito is exactly what you are looking for.

Thirded.

Noein would be another good choice, I think.

[4Tran]

Originally Posted by Theowne

The problem isn't that I don't like Slice of Life. It's that I like it too much! I feel like I've gotten into a rut with the kind of series I watch.

So I'm looking for anime that are outside of the slice of life genre, but are very engaging emotionally and elicit strong reactions from you.

I agree with the recommendations for Kino's Journey and Seirei no Moribito. Although with the latter, I think that Twelve Kingdoms hits much the same notes, but delivers better payoffs. While both shows do have very good characterization, I think that the greater draw for them are the great portrayals of their respective settings - they serve to add a lot of extra depth to both the themes and moods of their shows.

Another show that you might want to check out is Revolutionary Girl Utena. It's widely regarded as one of the best anime ever made, and it earns this position by having very good, deep, and somewhat surprising characterization as well as having a strong examination of themes and theme archetypes.

Utena is also somewhat on the abstract side - using very stylized artwork and music and dialogue to communicate its ideas. There's a lot of weirdness in the show, but it does work out quite nicely.

Originally Posted by KholdStare

But if you ask me, looking at your list, you might enjoy Figure 17. It's one of my favorite anime of all time and it was, in my opinion, one of the most emotionally engaging anime I've watched.

I completely agee with the Figure 17 recommendation: it employs a double-length episode format, and it uses this time very very well to portray life in Hokkaido alongside the science fiction part of the story. Do bear in mind though that about 3/5 of the show is dedicated to the slice of life portion, and this is about as slice of life as it gets. Amusingly, I thought that this part of the show is more entertaining than the science fiction part.

[Haak]

Elfen Lied? I thought it was pretty depressing.

[SeijiSensei]

I'll add three more suggestions that I don't see on your list, all of which have children as protagonists. (Given that you enjoy Miyazaki films, that shouldn't be much of problem.)

One is Dennou Coil, a lovely story about older children (10-11) living in a city where the entire physical world is overlaid by a virtual reality visible only with special glasses. This world becomes the children's playground, but there are darker forces at work there as well. Some episodes are hilariously funny, others are quite dark and moving. Strikingly animated by Madhouse under the direction of Iso Mitsuo, Coil also includes an extraordinary score by Saito Tsuneyoshi.

Next I'd suggest Ghost Hound. The main characters are a 14-yo boy and his friends. They all develop the ability to use "astral projection" and begin exploring some mysteries surrounding their rural community. Another beautifully animated show, this time from Production I.G and Shirow Masamune, with an extraordinary sound track as well.

Finally there's the still-airing Kemono no Souja Erin. This is another show from I.G based on novels by Uehashi Nohoko, who wrote the Moribito series. The story traces the development of Erin starting from about age ten. She wants to follow in her mother's footsteps and become a "beastinarian." This decision ultimately thrusts Erin into the middle of political controversies within her country. While the show is aimed at a family audience, the story itself is deep and complex. The drawing style isn't at all realistic, in sharp contrast to I.G's work on Moribito; it has a rather child-like appearance that took a bit of getting used to but is quite appropriate to the show and its intended audience.

Of the many excellent suggestions you've already received, I'd endorse Moribito, Kure-nai, Noein, and especially Twelve Kingdoms.