hosannainexcelsis
Member
A few suggestions.
2008:
Kaiba - A vision of a world where memories and personalities can be easily traded between bodies, and an exploration of the implications of that. Unique art style.
Natsume's Book of Friends - A collection of bittersweet stories about what happens when the human and youkai worlds intertwine.
One Outs - A baseball show which is in reality more about mind games than sports.
Spice and Wolf - Ostensibly about economics, but its core is the character development of the relationship between a human merchant and a wolf god.
2009:
Aoi Bungaku - A compilation of adaptations of classic Japanese literature from various directors. Inconsistent, but the high points are very high, especially "Run, Melos!"
Chi's Sweet Home - An adorable series of 3-minute shorts about a cat and his new human family.
Mai Mai Miracle - A nostalgic film about growing up in 1950s Japan.
Trapeze - Fantastic, quirky study of mental illness.
2010:
Colorful - A soul gets a second chance at life. Very strong direction and visuals, sensitive character work.
Soredemo Machi wa Mawatteiru - Excellent comedy about a lively, varied cast of characters in a shopping district.
Tatami Galaxy - An exploration of the choice between various life paths that you have to make when you reach college. Unique visual style.
Time of Eve (film version) - thoughtful sci-fi piece about human-robot interaction
2011:
Bunny Drop - Laid-back series about the joys of parenting.
Fate/Zero - Well-made action show with some engaging characters. (Well, mostly Rider.)
Nichijou - A sketch show which is one of my favorite comedies. Received a mixed reception, but it's worth checking out for yourself, for the amazing animation and music if nothing else.
Wandering Son - A sensitive exploration of gender identity and puberty.
From 2011 Anime Mirai (short films funded by the Japanese government to train young animators): Kizuna Ichigeki and Ojisan no Lamp
2012:
Hyouka - Subtle character drama in one of the best audiovisual packages ever put on television.
Jewelpet Kira Deco - I'll throw in a recent discovery of mine. It's a hilarious weird gag comedy packed into the shell of a franchise show for little girls. If you're not adverse to the trappings of that demographic, you might find much to enjoy here.
Tsuritama - Boys bond over fishing in Enoshima, with a little sci-fi thrown in.
Wolf Children - Fantastic study of motherhood, with all its pleasures and trials.
From 2012 Anime Mirai: Shiranpuri and Wasurenagumo
From 2013 Anime Mirai: Death Billiards and Little Witch Academia
I don't want to make recommendations for currently airing shows, since their outcome is uncertain and these'll be enough to occupy you for now, but I do have to encourage you to check out Flowers of Evil, which has been an extremely gripping psychological thriller so far.
Well, seasons were always ~12 episodes; there were 12-13 episode shows consistently from the introduction of late-night anime in the late 1990s. The reason why there are now more 1-cour (1-cour = 11-13 episodes) shows than 2-cour (22-26 episodes) shows is mainly due to two factors. First, the evaporation of the Western money that was flooding into the anime market during the boom of the early-mid 2000s, the money that a studio like Gonzo made the focus of their business strategy, and the general weakness of the economy makes companies more reticent to make big investments for uncertain returns. Second, the increasing popularity of the split-cour format, where shows such as Fate/Zero and Valvrave which would previously have run as a straight block of 24-25 episodes, are now split in two with a season's break between the two halves.
