For new anime fans, what series' do you recommend?

As I showed you earlier today, we had a family anime party at our place.  We've been getting together for a number of weeks now, working our way through Death Note.  Everyone seems to have fallen in love with the series, so much so that they want to check out the live-action films as well.  My cousin even read through the entire manga series already!  If that's not acceptance of anime, I don't know what is!

Since we're nearing the end of Death Note, I'm left wondering where to take my family next.  One of my other cousins was asking the same question after a few other family members left.  He was wondering what anime series we could move into next for our family anime night.  Thought we talked back and forth about the idea, we realized that it's tough to find something with the universal appeal of Death Note.

Death Note really has a little something for everyone.  There's a bit of love, a lot of suspense, a bit of action and tons of mystery.  Along the way through Death Note, everyone finds something that really pulls them into the series.  The characters are also built up really well, and it's easy to get heavily invested in them.  It's a series that will work wonders on anyone, or mostly anyone.

There are hundreds of other amazing anime features out there, but it's tough to find one that hits the range that Death Note does.  There are anime that I like even slightly more than Death Note, but they don't branch out as much to reach all types of viewers.  That's not saying that these other features are worse or better than Death Note.  I just need to find something that is going to offer a little bit of everything for everyone.

Do you have any suggestions?  What anime have you found to bridge the gap between fans and non-fans alike?