Not strictly anime but: OH GOD WHAT THE FUCK JAPAN!?!?!
WAKARIMASEN! WAKARIMASEN!!! *cries* NIHON WA NANI O SHIMASKA!?
Is this from a program similar to Monty Python?
Also, I really like one of the comments I saw: "We are real sorry for the radiation japan, we never meant for this to happen."
Let's see here, I'm bad at describing what I like. I've got no problem with subtitles.
Generally, I'm drawn to a couple of different things.
- Hardish on a realism scale (Burn Notice like Awesome but Practical stuff)
- Combating the supernatural with mundane means
- Little uncertainty with events, but possible uncertainty with morality (the "what" has to be clear, or it drives me insane, but the specific mechanics or motivations can be blurry)
- White vs. Grey morality
- War is hell, but glorious and sometimes necessary
At the same time, I wouldn't mind branching out of my normal type of readings (I'm starting a self-improvement attempt in the near future), what are the mainish genres prevalent in Anime? I read medium sci-fi and a very few techno-thrillers (Red Storm Rising kinda spoiled me) as well as most types of fantasy. Really, it's my goal to be able to write a story that could fit into any category, or deconstruct or slightly avert it.
Death Note.
Code Geass
I think both of these would suit you well. They definitely have a strong moral struggle present, not in that characters always struggle with their morality, but there are groups who believe their own morality is "white" and often come at odds due to their conflicting views.
Death Note is 300% psychology though. It gets crazy how many mind games go on. If that sounds interesting, go for it.
Code Geass has a lot fewer mind games doing on compared to Death Note, but the story is, at its core, one of a moral and personal struggle against odds. Where the main character's (Lelouch) morality lies is up to a lot of personal opinion. The series does a lot to break down any sort of morality and make everything different shades of gray, but different enough to be completely different colors (like blue to red). There's mecha and a degree of magic (sort-of) that goes on, but the trade-off between action and drama is well developed.
Vinland Saga sounds perfect for you, but I'm not sure there's an anime of it, only a manga (which I highly recommend for EVERYONE). The art style is super-realistic compared to other animes and has a strong historical sense (it fudges it here and there to tell the story, but its still satisfying). There's a lot of 'war is hell, but glorious' considering its about Vikings. There's nothing supernatural here though, other than some of the main character's experiences (which are more like visions).
The Miyazaki film "Princess Mononoke" sounds absolutely perfect for you, though, and hits everything on your list. This is one of my favorite movies, and I'm surprised it wasn't already mentioned. I highly suggest you watch this movie to get into anime.
Let us know your experiences as you test the waters so we can get a better approximation of what you'd like.