How about finding an anime based on something you love/have expertise in, and doing the watch-listen-watch technique?* . . .
*I did this with a baseball anime my first year in Japan. I'd watch an episode and take copious notes, then play the episode again and listen while looking at my notes (not the screen), and finally watch one more time. I planned to do this for all 150 episodes, but found that it wasn't necessary after about 100; by then, I was getting most of it the first time through. It worked wonders for me (although it also taught me things that didn't work in the real world, but were great conversation starters).
This sounds like a great technique. Can you say a little more? Did you watch with original language subtitles, no subtitles, or English ones? Were you pausing it a lot to take all of those notes? Ever since you posted this, I've been wanting to try it, but I've hesitated.
I'm currently watching a Korean drama in 'learn mode' with both Korean and English subtitles. That is a little better than before when I just had the English subtitles because I'm paying more attention to the words that are being said. Occasionally I'll pause and replay bits of dialogue. But it would be good to be more proactive and focused about learning from the conversations.
At the time, I carried a pocket-sized notebook with me everywhere I went, and made notes all day long. I'd hear or see a word or phrase I didn't know, write it in Japanese, write the kanji if I was able to understand the speaker telling me how to write it, and then my best guess at the English translation. When I got home (no smartphones in these times), I'd check everything in dictionaries or online, and then add the best stuff to flashcards I rotated through on a regular basis.
I used the same notebooks for the baseball anime. Subtitles were not available; it was all based off listening, just like real life. I often heard things incorrectly or incompletely, and was unable to find meanings online or in the dictionaries I had on hand. This worked to my advantage though - I cross-referenced nearly every word with locals anyway, and was usually able to get them to fill in the blanks or point me in the right direction.
I paused on occasion. I knew a listening-only run-through was coming with the second go-round, so I didn't worry too much the first time through.
Most of my methods were rudimentary and brute-force (I also pounded the 2000-odd joyo kanji using a plastic bag full of bits of construction paper, each with one character on them, drawn at random), but they really helped me build a solid foundation of reading and listening skills. With the notebooks, I was constantly conversing with Japanese people about Japanese in Japanese, so I learned how they deal with words or characters that are unfamiliar to them (more likely to children, not the adults I was talking to).
There was also a lot of trial-and-error with my initial guesses at meanings and translations, through which I was unwittingly building the foundation for my translation career. English subtitles would have made all of this easier, but perhaps the lessons wouldn't have been as sticky.
Of all of the above, access to native speakers was key, but if I hadn't come up with my own material (all the questions), I'd have spent a lot more time with the "Where are you from? What are your hobbies?" type conversations that, while important, must be surpassed at some point.
East Asian languages are tough for native English speakers, but the effort pays off big time. It's quite a rush to conquer the challenge of expressing yourself and understanding others, and then run into yet another slice of the boundless complexity to tackle. Hope you find your ways and stick with it!
What are your interests? Do any intersect with existing Korean/Japanese content?