I'm in like Flynn! Thanks Tarnicus, you da man!
I have two anime recommendations which probably won't fit well with you. :p
Dragon-half is a somewhat old anime following an incredibly strong half-human half-dragon girl and her two friends in a quest to retrieve some MacGuffin and defeat an ubermonster. You could think of it as if Dragon Ball was made a parody because almost every character is a butt monkey. As I said it is old (so much that the ideal female figure isn't Barbie-shaped. Also, there's even a VCR appearance.) and sorta childlike yet stripperiffic but it's still worth a look, trust me. At least watch the first episode (it is hilarious). Unfortunately it didn't get past the second episode before being cancelled but the manga goes a lot farther, up to chapter 66.
The second recommendation is quite the opposite: dark, tragic, sci-fi... and mecha. Bokurano tells the story of a group of kids that accidentally sign up to pilot an alien mecha suit to defend the Earth against other mechas that appear from some mysterious place from time to time. But as soon as they win their first battle they discover the price is too high: the mecha is powered up by the pilot's life force and every victory costs up the pilot's life. It is complete, but it strays somewhat from the manga which is way better so I would read the latter before watching the former.
Edit: both are short, too. Bokurano goes for no more than 24 episodes or 66 chapters. Dragon-Half as mentioned doesn't get past episode 2 but reaches 66 chapters as well.
Post edited August 21, 2013 by joppo