For this list, the greatest anime series to be released at the turn of the new millennium has managed to leave a lasting impact to the point where we’re still raving about them decades later.
20. Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju
Something of a cultural phenomenon that managed to shake up the anime scene with its potent drama, bittersweet characterization, and skillful narrative accessibility to the ancient art of storytelling. We can’t do enough justice as to just how unique, fulfilling, and wonderfully recognized this series is.
After the reform, Yakuza saves time, he sends out into the world in order to become a record go performer. Now under the strain of tutelage, my rather unwilling master practitioner, fueled by the conflict both on and off stage, this one truly is something special.
19. Hajime No Ippo
A true gem of the sports genre that quite frankly deserves way more attention than it’s gotten, considering it delivered, A True underdog story interwoven with incredible fights, a whole host of endearing fighters, and such an overwhelming love for boxing. It’s almost palpable.
Witnessing the meek and kind-hearted Ippo go from victim to champion makes for quite the hero’s journey, one helmed by the question of what does it truly means to be stronger? Whether you’re here to see Ippo flattened his opponents, or the endless training montage is this series is a feast that quite frankly should have gotten a fourth season by now.
18. Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magika
There have been many attempts to twist and submit the magical girl genre and while there have been a few valiant attempts, no have come close to measuring up to the hauntingly beautiful tale conjured up by the master of broken fields again or butchy. While an encounter with an adorable wish maker sounds like the chance the shine Madoka and friends have been looking for they soon learn that there are consequences for living out a fantasy and that even the purest of intentions can be corrupted. It’s a true game-changer, one that isn’t afraid to shatter any and all preconceptions, no matter how much misery it brings our colorful heroines
17. Haikyu!!
There have been plenty of Florida lovable animate lads who won friends over by taking on a particular ballgame in the competitive field. But these crows take things to the next level, thanks to their gorgeous animation and the fact that they managed to turn something like volleyball into a breathtaking spectacle. Karasuno high volleyball clubs fight their way into our hearts.
Watching Hinata and Kageyama push themselves to become better athletes in that final showdown with Shiratori sour all of it will leave you awaiting the next sieve with bated breath.
16. The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya
There’s something so charming about watching a cynical bested like young get dragged around by the Eternally optimistic force of nature. That is Haruhi Suzumiya, t unknowingly hold the ability to twist time and space on a whim, throw in time travelers, data mines, and other anomalies and you have a recipe for a damn good time.
15. Monogatari Series
Vampire going around saving the ladies in his life from supernatural oddities accompanied by a stunning animation landscape fourth wall breaks striking visual metaphors and enough sexual awkwardness to make anyone’s high school experience seem tame by comparison.
It’s something new for everyone since Araki seems to get into as many blistering battles as he does encounter the top Dear ladies This show is truly one of a kind and we wouldn’t have it any other way.
14. Kaiji
kaiji out debt can be scarier than the most horrific creatures to grow out of the anime cesspool. Gliding through life as a hopeless loser, our man kaiji finds himself in the unfortunate position of accruing an astronomical amount of debt. And in order to escape financial hell, he’s going to have to risk his life.
With numerous and dangerous gambling gauntlets to overcome watching Kaiji use his wits to claw his way out of the dire straits isn’t only exhilarating, but also makes us feel much better about our own life choices.
13. Fate/Zero
The zero budget strikes again. Only this time he’s taken the already savage nature of the fakeness and somehow managed to push it to the very apex of dark and depressing. Taking place during the Fourth Holy Grail War. This prequel once again illustrates the many fantastical battles between various human masters and their seven summon from ages past acts. While the fight scenes are a true spectacle thanks to info tables God Animation zero’s relentless exploration into the worst that mankind has to offer will undoubtedly stain your soul by the end.
12. Monster
After a surgeon chooses to save the life of a young boy over that of a political figure. Not only does he find his career in jeopardy, but he may have unwittingly unleashed a genius psychopath on the willed one, not even the remnants of the Nazi party can control who can also easily convince you to slaughter your loved ones with just a casual conversation. This series thrusters into a deadly game. Between these two polar opposites as johannes continuous atrocities further push what is ultimately a decent man to consider crossing the unforgivable line of murder.
11. Gintama
Some young shows go out of their way to blend comedy and action. And then you have Gintama which somehow managed to excel and lay the two together so seamlessly. It became a beast all of its own. Parodying everything under the sun, outrageous slapstick never shying away from taking a stab at other anime All the while giving us a gaggle of crazy samurai, aliens, and other misfits who never fail to get themselves into trouble, and yet it still succeeds in pulling off conflict, emotional twists, and intriguing narratives that put most of a series as a past year in Toki is just that good.
10. Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure
From Phantom blood to golden wind from Jonathan’s diamond chin all the way to Joe’s accompanying piano. Jojo mania has managed to infiltrate every corner of the anime scene in the mere blink of an eye, and we couldn’t be happier. With each series chronicling the tragedies and triumphs of the Joestar bloodline, every iteration has brought its own unique flair setting and fabulous dress sense with the roll about Joseph and his outlandish sense of comic timing Jotaro in his penchant for punches, or Joe and his divine hairdo is truly a Jojo experience out there for everyone.
9. Steins; Gate
As far as sci-fi epics go view has never come close to matching this shows caliber wits and will building upon the realization that he can send a text back into the past to be at a microwave, Okabe and his gaggle of colleagues misfits and legendary best Gil Currys who think they’ve cracked the greatest scientific discovery of all time, and they have no they’re gonna pay for it.
Whether it’s mysterious corporations gunning for their lives, or trying to find a way to beat death through time jumps, the way the narrative spirals towards and ultimately resolves easily ends the mantle of one of the modern animators greatest.
8. Gurren Lagann
You don’t know the meaning of bombastic until you’ve witnessed the unfiltered tour force that is this series, one that not only gave us some of the most badass scenes ever but also introduced us to the man the myth, the shirtless legend himself Kamina, As the fleeting human resistance struggles against the mothers of the beast-men race, hope arrives in the form of the timid digger Simon, who along with some of the most ludicrously awesome mecha you’ve Ever seen slowly stone to turn the tide for humanity’s survival?
7. One-Punch Man
The strongest heroes’ original outing was pretty much like incarnates focusing on the antics of a caped crusader with the strength to decimate any villain with a single swipe of his fist. This series managed to balance crazy action sequences, absurd hilarity, as well as the tricky tightrope that is maintaining tension in spite of the fact we all know there’s nothing in the cosmos that can stop like tremor and his Doomsday knuckle sandwich.
6. My Hero Academia
It’s the juggernaut that continues to deconstruct while paying homage to the cliches that make superheroes so beloved sets in a world where the majority of the population are imbued with otherworldly abilities. It falls to the ones quirk less Midoriya, to rise up to the challenge as the world’s next greatest hero. Between the high jinks of class one a commentary on heroes society as a whole, the clashes with the League of villains, as well as the beautifully woven character development, there’s a reason why each new season of this show continues to be a seasonal event.
5. Attack on Titan
Attack on Titan was started off as a brutal and uncompromising dark fantasy and has since propelled itself to legendary status, all thanks to its medley of visceral action, a fascinating premise, and gradual narrative maturity. With humanity close to extinction due to the endless hunger of giant cannibalistic creatures, know As Titan it falls to a small core to slay the beast and slowly reclaimed mankind’s grip on the world, at least until they discover that there’s just as much danger behind the walls, after all, humans that are willing to take their sacrilegious secrets to the grave a deadlier than any Titan look, once you see Levi Strauss stuff, you’re gonna be hooked either way.
4. Death Note
The shining star of anime is a cop thriller scene, the battle of wits between the wannabe god of the new world and the eccentric detective was a masterclass in storytelling, giving us a psychological game of chess where every move Potentially equaled death. After gaining the titular Death Note and discovering he can kill whoever he wishes by just writing down that name. A student like a Yagam decides to pitch the rotten world of those he views as evil late to have his future utopia threatened by the mysterious L.
The mental warfare ingeniously twists the shades of grey surrounding each character. This property truly raised the bar for the medium.
3. Code Geass
How far would you go In order to free and oppressed people from a tyrannical rule, even if said tyrants will your own family well if you lose V Britain Yeah, you inherit a mind-controlling pair of papers, start a revolution and give us one of the best sci-fi series of the modern age?
Well, the Lucius crusade to free the Japanese masses from the elitist Empire he was called home isn’t brawling, it’s more or less ambiguity, and how the wolf of freedom creates more monsters than Heroes is what truly pushes the series above its peers.
2. Hunter x Hunter
It might come across as your average lighthearted shown at first Glenn’s but as any fan knows Gon’s goal to become a hunter and find his father is utterly exceptional in just about everything it does. The character progression of its leads to the intricacies of its power system, the way it approaches each story arc and flips every convention on its head, the scale of its fights, how each villain is the furthest thing from generic, and perhaps most importantly, how it managed to elevate gun punching a humanoid cat’s face to the anime equivalent of a Renaissance painting.
1. Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood
From its characters to its philosophy all the way to its blinding fight scenes. The Elric brother’s quest to reclaim their bodies is downright mesmerizing. It’s honestly a struggle to pick out one thing this series fails at as it not only faithfully adapts Hiromu Arakawa has worked with it but ultimately excels in balancing its intricate fantasy battles with some seriously heavy subjects.
Religion, militarism, genocide, family, sacrifice, and revenge all permeate the series from the get-go so rest assured, while it knows when to bring the smells thanks to its iconic and flawed cast of alchemists.
Do you agree with all pigs check out this other recent clip from? Write a comment on your anime that is missing from this list.
