What do you look for in an Anime/Manga?

balance of serious and comedy. some satire. and i also enjoy well thought out, deep, and juicy plotlines. something "smart". like deathnote, or code geass.

I like a series that has a good balance of comedey and seriousness. That's why my all time favorite is Fullmetal Alchemist. You have the seriousness of the quest for the philosophers stone, but you also have the humor provided by ed, al, and really every other charachter in the show. I do love Death Note, but after awhile the serious, death-filled plot depresses me. Reborn is good, too. That has a less serious plot than Full Metal Alchemist, but it's not just-plain-ridiculous like Bobobo bo Bobobo(although in small doses, bobobo can be very entertaining.)

Oh, you have me starting. XD

I'm very character driven. If you have a good cast of characters, that can sell an anime or manga for me. I'm all over the place when it comes to manga/anime (more in terms of manga though). A lot of the time I read/watch what I'm in a mood for. I absolutely love action manga (my favorite manga-ka of all time being Kazuya Minekura, who drew/wrote Saiyuki and also a lesser known but really phenomenal series Wild Adapter) but I'll admit I love my girly romance-y stuff once in awhile (Hana-Kimi is one of my favorite series for that. The plot is good, the characters are great, and it's just overall an entertaining manga).

My favorite anime of all time is Cowboy Bebop, while Fullmetal Alchemist, Gurren Lagann, and Samurai Champloo are some others that I really like.

So, characters, plot, and if there's a dash of anything psychological that I can analyze (which I can find in a lot of the stuff I read) all the better.

I like cheesy stuff with a lot of slap-stick and romance! ^_^

comedy, weirdness, romance, silliness, good music, just a little bit of fan service, Japanese culture, memorable characters, well directed, makes you think, and 80's simple art style.

I like suspense... deep, believable characters... comic relief that doesn't get lost in translation

Also, dumb comedy (people acting silly - getting bopped on the head, etc) doesn't do it for me... so it has to be funny without being stupid

I really like the humor in Azumanga Daioh for instance

I hate to keep harping on it, but as far as suspense goes, Death Note is pretty high up and for deep stories, nothing beats Fullmetal Alchemist

*edit*: Osaka is my favorite ever:

I look for Michael Jackson in my manga, can you believe it?
http://www.bleedingcool.com/2009/07/13/michael-jackson-gets-a-manga-brazilian/

A good blend of kickbutt action and comedy, with lovable, relatable characters and a solid plot. I usually go for fantasy animes because I love the creativity. I'd like it if there was some suspense and angst, maybe a little romance if I like the characters enough.

Like Kayla said, I also enjoy a good combination of comedy and seriousness. But if it's all comedy I could probably cope...But definitely not all seriousness!!

I am a shojo and slice-of-life fanatic so I look for comedy and romance. If it is not comedic, it should be very serious.I feel picky now about my anime.

when i look at an anime and think about if i wanna watch it, i consider some things like interesting, cute, or funny characters, moe aspects, a good blend of multiple genres like action romance and comedy, and a good plot.

well,

i really like action-comedy anime which includes GINTAMA,naruto and katekyo hitman reborn.

or even comedy-romance like kimi ni todoke

also like anime with a smart protagonist like code geass

i even love mystery-comedy anime like mythical detective loki.

but i can keep up with any genres of anime^^

The storyline has to stay epic and exciting. There should be suspense, some mystery, and it must be deep and even dark. (Naruto, Bleach, Fullmetal Alchemist, Death Note) However, at the opposite end of the spectrum, there should be some comedy, craziness, and even a little romance (as long as a hot chick is involved) as well. (One Piece, Gin Tama, Bo-bobo, Gurren Laggan).