Whoa, that was a total miss on my part! D: I wasn't sure that you were entirely sick of games, and that's usually the only medium I can recommend from (since I don't watch television, barely read new manga series, and consistently pick out depressing books).

Being a big strategy/tactical RPG fan, Disgaea isn't really a strategy game so much as it's a "grind for a while, then ride meteors down on your foes" deal. The level-grinding is a pain all its own, though, so I can definitely understand if that's not appealing to you, either.

I'm thinking, I'm thinking...um, have you tried out Otoyomegatari yet? The works of Don Marquis? The Meek?