Top 50 Anime (2000 - 2019)

Piano prodigy Arima Kosei dominated the competition and all child musicians knew his name. But after his mother, who was also his instructor, passed away, he had a mental breakdown while performing at a recital that resulted in him no longer being able to hear the sound of his piano even though his hearing was perfectly fine. Even two years later, Kosei hasn't touched the piano and views the world in monotone, and without any flair or color. He was content at living out his life with his good friends Tsubaki and Watari until, one day, a girl changed everything. Miyazono Kaori is a pretty, free spirited violinist whose playing style reflects her personality. Kaori helps Kosei return to the music world and show that it should be free and mold breaking unlike the structured and rigid style Kosei was used to.

Two strangers find themselves linked in a bizarre way. When a connection forms, will distance be the only thing to keep them apart?

Oreki Houtarou is a minimalistic high school boy. One day, he joins the Classic Literature Club at his elder sister's request.

There he meets Chitanda Eru, *beep* Satoshi, and Ibara Mayaka. Chitanda is a calm beautiful girl but she turns into an embodiment of curiosity once she says, "I'm interested in it." *beep* is a smiling boy with a fantastic memory who calls himself a database. Ibara is a short girl and is strict with others and herself.

They begin to investigate a case that occurred 45 years ago. Hints of the mystery are buried in an old collection of works of the former members of Classics Club. The collection is titled "Hyouka."

A young man is ostracized by his classmates after he bullies a deaf girl to the point where she moves away. Years later, he sets off on a path for redemption.

The five members of the Cultural Research Club—Taichi Yaegashi, Iori Nagase, Himeko Inaba, Yui Kiriyama, and Yoshifumi Aoki—encounter a bizarre phenomenon one day when Aoki and Yui switch bodies without warning. The same begins to happen to the other club members, throwing their daily lives into disarray.

At first the five students find some amusement amidst the confusion, but this unwarranted connection also exposes the painful scars hidden within their hearts. As their calm lives are shattered, the relationships between the five students also begin to change...

(Source: Crunchyroll, edited)

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, also titled 鋼の錬金術師: Fullmetal Alchemist in Japan, is the independent second anime adaptation developed by Bones based on the Fullmetal Alchemist manga by Hiromu Arakawa and is directed by Yasuhiro Irie and written by Hiroshi Ōnogi. It was first announced in the manga series' 20th tankōbon volume.[1][2] The series premiered on April 5, 2009 on MBS-TBS' Sunday 5:00 pm JST anime timeblock, replacing Mobile Suit Gundam 00, and ran weekly until airing its final episode on July 4, 2010. Voice actors Romi Park and Rie Kugimiya reprised their roles as main characters Edward and Alphonse Elric, respectively.[3]

On March 20, 2009, it was announced that the English title of the series was Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood and that it would receive its English language premiere on Animax Asia, with Japanese audio and English subtitles, from April 10, 2009 at 8:30 p.m, five days after its Japanese premiere.[4] On April 3, 2009, Funimation announced they would stream English subtitled episodes four days after they air in Japan. Madman Entertainment will also stream it "within days" of the episodes airing in Japan.[5] On February 14th 2010, the English dubbed version of the series began its run on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim.

Following the premiere of the series' final episode in Japan, it was announced that a film adaptation was in production. Considering that the final episode ended the series in an almost identical manner when compared to the manga, there is little to go on in terms of determining the plot. The first teaser trailer debuted in November of 2010, bearing the title Fullmetal Alchemist: Milos no Sei naru Hoshi. The film has been scheduled for a Japanese release in July of 2011, and FUNimation announced on their blog on May 21, 2011 that they had acquired the rights to the film. A dubbed version of the movie will be released in theaters in early 2012 and on DVD and Blu-ray in the spring.

Guilty Crown (ギルティクラウン Giruti Kuraun?) is a 2011 Japanese anime television series produced by Production I.G which aired on Fuji TV's noitaminA program block in October 2011.[1] The story of Guilty Crown is set in 2039 and revolves around Shu Ouma, a boy who has acquired an ability called the "The Power of Kings" that allows him to draw out tools or weapons from another person called "voids". He joins a resistance group named "Undertakers" which aims to restore Japan's independence from an international organization known as the GHQ.
A manga adaptation issue of Square Enix's Monthly Shōnen Gangan began serialization in November 2011. A spin-off visual novel tentatively named Guilty Crown: Lost Christmas is being developed by Nitroplus for the PC.
A side story novel titled Guilty Crown: Princess of Deadpool was released in April 2012.

Six childhood friends have grown apart over the years following the death of one of them, Menma. The original 'leader' of this friend group, Jintan, is currently aimless in life and it is at this point in his life that he starts to see Menma's spirit. She states that he may be able to see her because of a wish she would like fulfilled but is unsure of what that may be. Due to Menma spurring Jintan into action, we will see the various paths the members of the friend group have taken over the years as they have matured, as he attempts to fulfill her last wish.

Steins;Gate (シュタインズ・ゲート Shutainzu Gēto?) is a Japanese visual novel developed by 5pb. and Nitroplus and released for the Xbox 360 on October 15, 2009. It is the second game in 5pb. and Nitroplus' "science adventure game" series following Chaos;Head and was succeeded by Robotics;Notes. The game was ported to Windows on August 26, 2010, PlayStation Portable on June 23, 2011 and PlayStation 3 on May 24, 2012.[3] The game is described by the development team as a "hypothetical science ADV" (想定科学ADV Sōtei Kagaku ADV?).[4] The gameplay in Steins;Gate follows a non-linear plot line which offers pre-determined scenarios with courses of interaction. Although there are currently no plans to release the game outside of Japan, an unofficial English fan translation has been released.
A manga adaptation of the story illustrated by Sarachi Yomi began serialization in Media Factory's Monthly Comic Alive magazine on September 26, 2009. A second manga series illustrated by Kenji Mizuta began serialization in Mag Garden's Monthly Comic Blade on December 28, 2009. An anime adaptation by White Fox aired in Japan between April 6, 2011 and September 14, 2011 and has been licensed in North America by Funimation Entertainment. An animated film will be released in Spring 2013.[5] A fan disc of the game titled Steins;Gate: Hiyoku Renri no Darling was released on June 16, 2011. An 8-bit sequel to the game titled Steins;Gate: Henikuukan no Octet was released on October 28, 2011.[6] Another game, Steins;Gate Kōsoku no Phenogram has been announced for Spring 2013.

2019, Divergence Ratio 1.048596. The near future, where a device popularly called the PokeCom, packaged with PhoneDroid OS, spreads, bringing the Augmented Reality world close to existence.

Central Tanegashima High School's Robot Research Club is in danger of losing its club status. Kaito Yashio, one of only two members, is only obsessed with robot fighting games, showing no interest in the Robo Club even in this situation. The reckless, useless club head, Akiho Senomiya, aims to complete a giant robot, struggling hard to avoid losing the club's status.

Then, one day, Kaito discovers the A.R. annotation that becomes the Kimijima Report. Written in that report is the indictment of someone named Kou Kimijima's conspiracy involving the world.

(Source: VNdb)

uyuki City—a city surrounded by the ocean and the mountains becomes the setting for an age-old ritual. To realize the mythical Holy Grail, which is said to grant any wish from its possessor, seven masters are given seven heroic spirits chosen by the Grail. These heroic spirits or servants are: Saber, Lancer, Archer, Rider, Caster, Assassin, Berserker.

Each master will enter into a contract with their assigned servants and battle the other masters and servants to the death until only one pair remains...

This is the "Holy Grail War."

This story focuses primarily on the heroine Rin Tohsaka. After her father's death, Rin enters the Holy Grail War as the sole heir to the prestigious Tohsaka Household, with her servant Archer. But, she soon finds out that Shirou Emiya, a boy from her high school has gotten himself involved in the battles and unexpectedly saves him when he is fatally injured.

Before long, Rin sets out to strike down the conspiracies surrounding the Holy Grail War along with Shirou and his summoned servant Saber. And so, the story begins to explore the truth behind Shirou’s powers and the nature behind his unyielding will to become a "hero."

(Source: Aniplex USA)

Angel Beats! (エンジェルビーツ! Enjeru Bītsu!?) is a 13-episode Japanese anime television series produced by P.A. Works and Aniplex and directed by Seiji Kishi. The story was originally conceived by Jun Maeda, who also wrote the screenplay and composed the music with the group Anant-Garde Eyes, with original character design by Na-Ga; both Maeda and Na-Ga are from the visual novel brand Key, who produced such titles as Kanon, Air, and Clannad. The anime aired in Japan between April 3 and June 26, 2010. An original video animation episode was released on December 22, 2010. The story takes place in the afterlife and focuses on Otonashi, a boy who lost his memories of his life after dying. He is enrolled into the afterlife school and meets a girl named Yuri who invites him to join the Afterlife Battlefront—an organization she leads which fights against God. The Battlefront fight against the student council president Angel, a girl with supernatural powers.
Key worked in collaboration with ASCII Media Works' Dengeki G's Magazine to produce the project into a media franchise. Two manga series are serialized in Dengeki G's Magazine: one illustrated by Haruka Komowata, which began serialization in the December 2009 issue, and the other drawn by Yuriko Asami, which started in the May 2010 issue. A series of illustrated short stories written by Maeda and illustrated by GotoP were also serialized in Dengeki G's Magazine between the November 2009 and May 2010 issues. Two Internet radio shows were produced to promote Angel Beats!. It was reported in 2010 that Jun Maeda was writing the scenario for a possible future video game adaptation of Angel Beats!,[1] and as of October 2012, it is not yet ready to be officially announced.[2]
Angel Beats! received generally positive reviews by critics. The integration of various individual elements together, such as musical performances, humor and action, was praised in one review, but panned in another, saying that the story is overloaded with too many elements. P.A Works was praised for the animation of the action sequences and attention to detail with the weapons used. A major flaw noted by critics, however, is that the anime is too short, which leaves many of the characters with untold back-stories. The anime was selected as a recommended work by the awards jury of the 14th Japan Media Arts Festival in 2010

The "Seven Deadly Sins," a group of evil knights who conspired to overthrow the kingdom of Britannia, were said to have been eradicated by the Holy Knights, although some claim that they still live. Ten years later, the Holy Knights have staged a coup d'état and assassinated the king, becoming the new, tyrannical rulers of the kingdom. Elizabeth, the king's third daughter, sets out on a journey to find the "Seven Deadly Sins," and to enlist their help in taking back the kingdom.

(Source: Redhawk NEO)

In the year 2022, the Virtual Reality Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (VRMMORPG), Sword Art Online (SAO), is released. With the Nerve Gear, a virtual reality helmet that stimulates the user's five senses via their brain, players can experience and control their in-game characters with their minds.
On November 6, 2022, all the players log in for the first time, and subsequently discover that they are unable to log out. They are then informed by Kayaba Akihiko, the creator of SAO, that if they wish to be free, they must reach the 100th floor of the game's tower and defeat the final boss. However, if their avatars die in-game, their bodies will also die in the real world. The story follows Kirito, a skilled player who is determined to beat the game. As the game progresses for two years, Kirito eventually befriends a female player named Asuna with whom he eventually falls in love. After the duo discover the identity of Kayaba's avatar in SAO, they confront and defeat him, freeing themselves and the other players from the game.
Upon returning to the real world, Kirito learns that Asuna and a small group of SAO players has still not awakened yet. Following a clue about Asuna's whereabouts in another VRMMORPG called Alfheim Online (ALO), Kirito also logs in there. Helped by his sister Suguha, he learns that the trapped players in ALO are part of a plan devised by Nobuyuki Sugō to perform illegal experiments on their minds to put them under his control including Asuna, whom he intends to marry in the real world in order to take over her family's company. After Kirito stops Nobuyuki's plans, he finally reunites with Asuna in the real world.
Soon after, Kirito plays another game called Gun Gale Online (GGO) to investigate the mysterious connection between it and deaths occurring in the real world. Assisted by a female player he meets in the game called Sinon, he eventually identifies and exposes the culprits who include some former members of a murderous guild he had previously encountered in SAO.
Kirito is later recruited to assist in the development of a state-of-the-art game, UnderWorld (UW), which has an interface that is far more realistic and complex than the previous games he had played. In UW, the flow of time proceeds thousands of times faster than in the real world. However, he ends up falling into a trap set by one of the murderers from GGO and wakes up inside the game, unable to log out, with his real self left in a comatose state. As he starts to question if he is the real Kirito or an artificial intelligence modeled after him, Asuna, Suguha and Sinon also log themselves into UW in an attempt to help him.

Naruto: Shippuden is an anime series adapted from Part II of the Naruto manga series by Masashi Kishimoto. The series is directed by Hayato Date and produced by Studio Pierrot and TV Tokyo. Naruto: Shippuden is a continuation of the Naruto manga, and continues the same storyline after the passing of two and a half years in the Naruto universe. It began broadcasting on TV Tokyo on February 15, 2007.[1]
In 2008, Viz Media and Crunchyroll began providing eight English subtitled Naruto Shippuden episodes on the official Naruto website every week until it caught up to the Japanese anime. In 2009, Viz began providing subtitled versions of the latest Naruto: Shippuden episodes a week after they first air in Japan, with a new episode being added to the Naruto website each subsequent Thursday.[2] Viz had stated the English dub will be released sometime in the near future[3][4] though at the Anime Expo 09, it was revealed episodes of Naruto: Shippuden can only be seen on DVD releases.[5] The English dub of Naruto: Shippuden made its U.S. premiere on Disney XD on October 28, 2009.[6][dead link] Episodes 1-153 of the English dub are now available at the iTunes Store,[7] Zune Marketplace and PlayStation Store. The first DVD release of the series in North America was released on September 29, 2009.[8] Episodes 1 through 53 were made and broadcast in 4:3 standard definition fullscreen, while episodes 54 onward were made and broadcast in 16:9 widescreen. While Naruto: Shippuden was cancelled on Disney XD, DVD box sets generally containing thirteen episodes are being released quarterly.[9][10] The English dub aired on Neon Alley on the Playstation Network in October 2012, and new episodes are released every week.
The series is being released to Region 2 DVD in Japan with four or five episodes per disc. There are currently six series of DVD releases divided by arc. The first covers episodes 1 through 32 over eight DVDs,[11] the second covers episodes 33 through 53 over five DVDs,[12] the third covers episodes 54 through 71 over four DVDs, the fourth covers episodes 72 through 88 over four DVDs, the fifth covers episodes 89 through 112 over six DVDs, and the sixth is currently being released from episode 113 onward. There is also a special feature included with the seventh Naruto: Shippuden compilation DVD based on the second ending of the series called Hurricane! "Konoha Academy" Chronicles.[13] Limited edition of Seventh DVD of "Master's Prophecy and Vengeance" comes with special DVD Behind the Scenes of UCHIHA containing interview mixed with footage from episodes.

The story of No Game, No Life centers around Sora and Shiro, a brother and sister whose reputations as brilliant NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) hikikomori (shut-in) gamers have spawned urban legends all over the Internet. These two gamers even consider the real world as just another "crappy game." One day, they are summoned by a boy named "God" to an alternate world. There, God has prohibited war and declared this to be a world where "everything is decided by games"—even national borders. Humanity has been driven back into one remaining city by the other races. Will Sora and Shiro, the good-for-nothing brother and sister, become the "Saviors of Humanity" on this alternate world? "Well, let's start playing."

In the near future, it is possible to instantaneously measure a person's mental state, personality, and the probability that a person will commit crimes with a device installed on each citizen's body called the Psycho-Pass. When this probability, measured by the "Crime Coefficient" index, is too high in some individuals those individuals are pursued and apprehended—with lethal force, if necessary. This task is performed by a special team of potential criminals called Enforcers, who are supervised by police officers known as Inspectors; the Inspectors ensure that Enforcers perform their duties within the constraints of the law. Enforcers and Inspectors employ special weapons called "Dominators" that are designed to fire only on those with a higher than normal Crime Coefficient. The story follows Unit One of the Public Safety Bureau's Criminal Investigation Division.

Bakemonogatari (化物語?, "ghostory"), a portmanteau of bakemono (化物?, ghost or monster) and monogatari (物語?, story), is a Japanese light novel series written by Japanese novelist Nisio Isin and illustrated by Taiwanese illustrator Vofan; the series is published by Kodansha under the Kodansha Box imprint. The story centers on Koyomi Araragi, a third-year high school student who survived a vampire attack, and finds himself helping some girls involved with all kinds of apparitions, gods, ghosts, mythological beasts, and spirits. An anime adaptation by Shaft aired 12 episodes between July and September 2009, and released three more episodes online between November 2009 and June 2010. An anime of the sequel Nisemonogatari aired from January to March 2012. An anime of Nekomonogatari (Kuro) aired on December 31, 2012. An anime titled Monogatari Series Second Season will begin airing in July 2013. An anime film will be produced based on the prequel novel Kizumonogatari.

Events in After Story take place immediately after the first season, following Tomoya's final semester of high school. After declaring his love to Nagisa, they begin to have a close relationship. Their life together will be faced with unexpected challenges, as the truth behind the illusionary world and the city's legend come to light.