really good characters that are developed well and i end up missing them when i don't watch the anime with that character in it.

For me its the combination of many elements.

The plot, The writting or adaptation,, the character development, the animation quality and style and an awesome soundtrack.
.Whether it be comedy ,drama,action


I for one have a problem with certain anime ie drama mystery that has characters that are young and drawn cute and all . It does not make sence to me. So for me the animation style and character design need to match the genre.They maybe great to others but not for me.

what makes a great anime is when the anime can touch your heart and make your cry at times,(the touching parts) the plot
and the music is like unbelievable awesome and spectacular (•‿•) and
the characters are fricken awesome except for 2-3 characters(which you might hate)(characters that dont give up and can care about something very much)
And i can say that FAIRY TAIL<3<3<3<3<3 fits that description perfectly
overall yea i think thats what CAN make a great anime but that's just my great opinion

A unique and interesting plot and great chemistry between characters. I'm still waiting for an anime like this so i really don't have any example.

-Unique characters
-Deep story that gets the audience thinking.
-Above average animation quality

I would split it, because there are some preconditions that would me make consider an anime and points that make it great.

Preconditions:
- a good animation style, nothing that give you eye-cancer
- an intriguing audio track to get you into the right mood
- characters you can socialize with

What makes it great:
- a story that make you think and brood over it (hidden agenda, real twists, etc.)
- good pacing, no rushed plot or endless pointless arcs
- enough time for character development and a story to actually take place
- something you would never expect behind the next corner




Of cause there are some exceptions. Something I just watch for fun. Or did you ever explored a harem show for a deeper meaning?

Solid use of enjoyable cliche's mixed with something out of the ordinary that is unique to that anime alone(Or just a few others). The combination of things we like being repeated along with some new aspect is what makes something make you sit back after it's over and be like. "Wow, that was a really good show."

Characters- The characters don't have to technically be unique but not cliched and Mary Sues/Gary Stus. I'm fine with having the over-used tsundere, yandere, etc. as long as they are acted out well. I like characters that are real to life as long as they are acted out well, too.

Plot- The plot needs to be interesting, well written and a bit different. It could be another anime with a club plot like K-on!, Hyouka, etc. but it needs to be well written, whether it is horror, humor or romance. I always like a bit of difficulty/sadness in an anime so it's more real to life and dramatic. Plots with no progression are boring, and in life you eventually always hit a rock in the road.

Music - It's not a big concern for me but I sure do love a catchy ending and opening song and some good background music. If it's low quality it will make me less impressed with the anime but I don't really mind too much if it's not amazing.

Animation - I'm very picky with animation and artstyles, but as long as the anime is interesting I can watch any kind. I don't like the old anime style of Monster but that anime was amazing. Speaking of it, I haven't finished it!

What makes an anime stand out is how it is written, really. Anime like K-on!! don't stand out to me because there is no sadness, no fear, no trouble at all. It's a good anime, don't get me wrong, but I forget it easily because so.

Anime like Death Note, Clannad, Chihayafuru and others stand out because whether it's horror, slice of life or any genre there is the typical struggle, everyday teenage love mixed in and just drama and drama. It's not annoying drama but heart-tugging problems that a lot of people go through.

Depth

Audio makes a great anime to me.

Not saying story doesn't matter.
But good voices actors, whether they speak in Japanese or English, make the experience more believable.

Music can really help create the atmosphere better than the animation itself.
And when the song itself sounds opposite of what it should be yet fits, that marks a great song.

An example being Chloe's theme from Noir.
She's one of world's deadliest assassins yet her theme sounds innocent with a ominous vibe.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=paDe3WDZ2Kg

What else besides hot ladies and tits?

Personally, I think it's a combination of things.
It has to have memorable characters that are well rounded and realistic.
A plot that's engaging and well written.
The artistic style and music should complement the story without going overboard or detracting from it.

-Unique Characters
=or adorable characters like Acchi Kocchi
=or average typical character that are used in a different way
-Interesting plot that is well done
=I hate a great plot that isn't executed right
=optional since sketch comedies like Senyuu and GJ Club are pretty great
-Great ending.
=however this one is optional I've seen great animes with horrible endings
-Emotional Response
=whether it makes me laugh hardily through out the whole series, or the ending makes me sad, or the whole series makes me uncomfortable like Naoki Urasawa's Monster
-Strays from the norm
=common type animes that don't go the way you expect them to like shuffle where he ends up with a girl he met like half way into the anime where it wasn't love at first sight

Storytelling, plain and simple. Everything else revolves around that.

Unique characters, original (not cliche) story, music, and no fillers.

I know a lot of people will disagree, but these are the reasons why I think Code Geass + Code Geass R2 were great. They've certainly been my favorite for a long time because they delivered everything they had to deliver.