I want to ask people here, How much Grammar Level would suffice for a Standard Anime/Visual Novel with about 90-95% comprehension ? Take Death Note (Anime) and Steins;Gate/G-Senjou No Mao (Visual Novel) for reference. Vocabulary, I have a learn as they come attitude. I consider every point in DO_JG as a grammar point. N3/N2/N1?

I was told that N1 is considered as the "bare minimum" , but I couldn't help but notice, I (N4) could already understand 20 - 30 % of what is being said in anime, and recognize almost all the grammar points used if I use Japanese subtitles. I am either really really lucky in choosing my anime, or severely misinformed.

I can only speak about anime, but in my (little) experience I'd say N3 grammar can allow you to understand 80+% of standard anime* grammar points, but something like 90+% would be N2. But keep in mind the problem with anime isn't really grammar, it's vocabulary (and to enjoy an anime without many dictionary look ups would be N2).

And whatever you are watching, the real issue is how quickly you can process the language. If you are only listening, you can mishear sometimes and it throws you off-track and it's nearly impossible to catch up without pausing/rewinding. If you have J-subs, you'd have to read quickly. Imho you start reaching a comfortable listening/reading speed at around N2. There's also the problems of idioms like 顔を貸して that are between vocabulary and grammar, therefore are hard to quantify in terms of JLPT levels, and whose frequency varies from content to content.

*Like gaiaslastlaugh says below I'm not sure I'd call Death Note "standard anime". For me standard anime don't have too much specialized vocabulary or overly complex situations. For example, Slam Dunk, Gokinjo monogatari, Noragami...

What EratiK said. It really varies wildly. Easier anime is around N3. Something like death note is strong N2, with some N1 grammar constructs. Something like the 物語 series - with its constant word plays, references to old Japanese poetry, and street signs that look like dispatches from GHQ - is a strong N1.

My recommendation would be to watch a few, take some slightly above your current level, and subs2srs the hell out of them. Lather, rinse, repeat.

This is good information. Even though I'm not an anime/manga fan, I just passed up N4 and was wondering what continuing to N3 would "get me". I just posted that I can read my first NHK Easy News articles. It looks like at this level I'll also be able to read my first mangas and watch my first animes.

N3 for most anime. N2 for easier visual novels. Anime still relies on animation to tell you what's going on, so lines are largely dialogue. Visual novels are dialogue as well as descriptions of all actions and scenes by text.

I don't have a good grasp on what levels grammar falls into in regards to JLPT or whatever, but the vast majority of grammar used in anything is extremely common. Grammar is barely something you have to take into account when choosing whether to read something or not - if you know the vocabulary required chances are you know the grammar too.

Especially if you follow the advice about subs2srs