The 18 Best Anime of the 2000s

Shonen juggernauts, mind-bending thrillers, cult favorites and tearjerking dramas defined a golden decade of anime. Where do you stand?

1

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

The 2009 epic following two brothers using alchemy to restore their bodies, often cited as the greatest anime of all time.

1000pts

2

Clannad: After Story

The 2008 emotional drama continuing a young couple's life through love, family, and loss.

856pts

3

Welcome to the NHK

The 2006 dark comedy-drama about a reclusive shut-in confronting his paranoia and isolation.

807pts

4

Black Lagoon

The 2006 action series about a salaryman who joins a band of mercenary smugglers in Southeast Asia.

719pts

5

Samurai Champloo

The 2004 hip-hop-infused Edo-era series following two swordsmen and a girl searching for a samurai.

660pts

6

Bleach

The 2004 supernatural shonen about a teen who becomes a Soul Reaper protecting the living from spirits.

420pts

7

Ouran High School Host Club

The 2006 comedy about a scholarship girl who joins an elite school's host club.

420pts

8

Gurren Lagann

The 2007 over-the-top mecha series about humans drilling their way to the surface and beyond.

420pts

9

Higurashi When They Cry

The 2006 horror mystery set in a rural village trapped in deadly repeating timelines.

420pts

10

Toradora!

The 2008 romantic comedy pairing a fierce tiny girl with a misunderstood gentle boy.

420pts

11

Death Note

The 2006 psychological thriller about a student who gains a notebook that kills anyone whose name is written in it.

308pts

12

Code Geass

The 2006 mecha drama about an exiled prince who gains a power to command absolute obedience.

308pts

13

Eureka Seven

The 2005 coming-of-age mecha series blending air-surfing robots with a sweeping love story.

308pts

14

Fullmetal Alchemist

The original 2003 adaptation of the alchemist brothers' quest, with its own divergent ending.

308pts

15

Naruto

The 2002 long-running shonen series about an outcast ninja striving to become his village's leader.

308pts

16

Mushishi

The 2005 atmospheric series following a wandering researcher of supernatural creatures called Mushi.

308pts

17

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya

The 2006 genre-bending series about a high schooler who unknowingly has god-like powers.

171pts

18

Monster

The 2004 psychological suspense series about a surgeon hunting a former patient turned serial killer.

171pts