And before the decade concludes, here’s my top eleven anime of the 2000s
Posted: December 31, 2009 Filed under: Uncategorized 34 Comments »“Top 50 anime of the decade” posts are stupid because:
- That’s a lot of anime and I haven’t watched a lot of series
- There’s no difference among the spots until the last 20 or so
- 11 is a cooler number
This was influenced by omisyth’s post.
You’ll notice that there isn’t much variation in what I like. You’ll also notice that there are no pre-2005 shows.
15. Detroit Metal City
this show is great
11. Sayonara, Zetsubou Sensei
Who could forget opening up that first episode of Sayonara, Zetsubou Sensei and being greeted with something that can only be classified as insane?
Yes, the runner-up is Sayonara, Zetsubou Sensei.
It took a lot of debating to get to this decision. There were great titles that could’ve taken this spot, including Gurren Lagann, Dennou Coil, and more, but I think SZS is the underdog of the decade.
Sayonara, Zetsubou Sensei is a one-of-a-kind show, an anime that’s destined to never make it big, yet never fails to impress. It makes fun of character stereotypes. It makes fun of other anime. It makes fun of society. It makes fun of itself. It even makes fun of its director. Just when I think there’s nothing left in SZS’s bag of tricks, it manages to pull something else out.
When SZS stopped making fun of character stereotypes after the first season, people said it went downhill. I think it just went on to bigger and better things. It has gone from character stereotypes to anime stereotypes to society’s stereotypes, and will probably go even further to who knows where.
Sayonara, Zetsubou Sensei is the king of parody.
Oh, and having some of the greatest soundtracks ever made doesn’t hurt.
10. True Tears
Sometimes bringing things down to earth is the best way to do things. True Tears proves that.
In a decade filled with shitty harem anime, this is one pseudo-harem (two and a half girls) show that doesn’t try to go beyond the bounds of a romance. The humor is light, there’s no action. It’s just a romance. And it works.
Shinichiro chooses who we don’t expect him to choose because we have all been brainwashed with the aforementioned shitty harem anime that either leave things ambiguous or end up pairing the male lead with the girl who promises the most change. Was Hiromi the best choice? Hell yes. Was Noe the most likely girl? Hell yes. Is Aiko the cutest girl out of them all and is too good for Shinichiro? Hell yes.
It’s tough being an Ai-chan fan.
9. The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya
You knew it was going to pop up somewhere. The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, the most influential anime of the decade.
I don’t know what else to say about this series. Even if I did, you’ve probably heard it already, so I’ll skip everything and just say this: The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is a masterpiece.
8. Kannagi
Sudden drama at the end BLAH BLAH BLAH. Kyoto Animation Lucky Star ripoff BLAH BLAH BLAH.
Kannagi was a great comedy, and you all know it. I laughed my ass off at it, and there’s no denying that.
7. CLANNAD ~After Story~
I just wrote three paragraphs on this work of art, and I don’t want to write more.
Uh oh. I’ve been writing less and less for each anime.
6. Lucky Star
I swear, this is the last Kyoto Animation show on this list.
K-ON! may be pure, 100% moeshit, but Lucky Star sure ain’t. This show is the best slice-of-life comedy has to offer, and then some. I still hold the “chocolate coronets are a dumb discussion topic” point of view, but other than that, this show was great.
I just received volume three of the manga a few days back, and I saw this joke pop up:
“You went head over heels for a girl like mother. Dad, doesn’t that mean you’re just a big lolicon pervert?”
“Now wait! I resent that! You’ve got it all wrong! I don’t just like young-looking girls! I like all sorts of girls! So the proper statement would be I am “also” a big lolicon pervert!”
Pure genius.
I think people who say Lucky Star is moeshit are missing the point of the show. The moe is like the cherry on top of the cake. There’s already one hell of a delicious comedy cake on the bottom, and the moe just makes it better. Shows like K-ON!, on the other hand, don’t have the cake. Putting a cherry on top of a pile of shit doesn’t make the pile of shit look or taste any better.
5. Baccano!
“Mafia themed anime” doesn’t even begin to describe Baccano. If Haruhi was known for the nonlinear order of its episodes, then Baccano should be known for jumping around in the middle of episodes!
In a year with super-popular series like Gurren Lagann and Lucky Star, Baccano faded into the background. But it is, without a doubt, a gem of a show. Likable characters around every corner (and a crapload of them to boot!), crazed action, the best comic relief duo ever, and a plot more creative than anything I’ve ever seen qualify Baccano for this spot on my list.
Unconventional storytelling format + mafia + wait wtf immortality + Rail Tracer + Isaac/Miria = holy shit
4. Seto no Hanayome
Seto no Hanayome is the funniest romantic comedy ever made. Actually, calling it a romantic comedy is missing the point. It’s a romantic COMEDY, and boy, is it comedic.
This is one show that makes comedy look easy. Everything from recurring jokes to facial expressions are so perfectly and naturally placed that it’s hard to actually appreciate the humor. Well, that is, until you watch any other comedy. After marathoning Seto no Hanayome, I went on to watch Hayate no Gotoku S2 and Princess Lover and was apalled by the crappy quality of the humor.
tl;dr Seto no Hanayome is funny
3. Gintama
Gintama began in 2006, taking on a setting so ridiculous that it seemed like the world’s creativity had all poured into this one show. And it never stopped.
To have a comedy be consistently funny is hard. To have a comedy be funny for over a hundred episodes is nearly impossible, but Gintama somehow pulls it off. Yeah, yeah, complain all you want about the sudden action arcs (Android, Benizakura, etc.), but nobody can deny that Gintama is funny. It’s just not possible.
Gintama is the funniest thing ever made.
2. Mushishi
Mushishi takes fantasy to new heights, combining the age-old “wow” factor of a fantastic world with themes that dig deep under your skin. This here is a series that makes you think long after you’ve finished an episode. Are the mushi good, or are they evil? Should that woman have done that? Why did that man have to die?
Mushishi doesn’t answer the questions it raises, nor does it explain everything about the world of mushi. Good endings don’t happen all the time in this series. Most of the time, the people in the series just have to find a way to coexist with the mushi that bother them. Mushishi teaches us that there isn’t always a simple answer to everything, and does it in a stunning way.
1. Eureka Seven
Perfection.
Lucky Star’s first episode was a major turnoff for me. I almost didn’t finish it, because the discussion was so boring. But luckily I managed it, and I moved to episode two, which was a huge improvement.
I still haven’t gotten around to watching a lot of the anime on that list. orz
Lucky Star’s first episode was true moeshit. It had nothing except a boring discussion and moe. Thank God the humor got better. (:
Watch these shows! They’re good!
I agree that DMC is 9 points better than Lucky Star.
Gah, and I thought you didn’t have anything witty to say to this!
I also agree with Eureka Seven .
I agree with your agreement.
I died trying to watch Eureka7, sorry mate.
(emailbox btw lol)
Died and went to heaven, right?
Great list, but LUCKY STAR? REALLY??? Now THAT is what I call 100% pure moeshit. Including K-on!
Did you watch beyond the first episode? I watched that show for the humor, not the moe!
Hehe, I notice that there’s tendency towards romance/comedy anime in your list which is completely different from mine. Interesting list, nevertheless 🙂
Though I may seem very complex, I really like a lot of shallow stuff. If it’s funny, then there’s no way I can say it sucks because I laughed at it. If it’s sad, then there’s no way I can say it’s bad since I cried at it.
Though I do like things like Haibane Renmei (which has appeared on so many lists, not to mention yours :p), I like the laugh-out-loud comedy of Gintama, Seto no Hanayome, etc. more.
Wait what?
Did you just say that Eureka Seven is better than Baccano!, Mushishi, Gintama and Haruhi?
That is wrong on so many levels.
Here’s this list, visual mode: http://mikoto.wordpress.com/files/2010/01/top-11-anime.png
Nice post ..and I agree with your choice for clannad after story -Really liked it and it was better than the first season .Euraka seven is just awesome ..
As for true tears-Ai isn’t too good for Shin cuz that rejection was nothing more than a poetic justice.I wouid even go as far as saying that both Shin and Nobuse were too good for Aiko.Sure ,she might be the cutest but she was as messed up as anyone in this show .I liked Ai but for different reasons that yours .She was the most flawed person among the three girls and done a lot of mistakes .It was the writer idea ,he wanted her to be dark(a villian) and he reduced her childhood friend qualities by putting her in different school ,dating someone and working all to make sure that Ai will get ignored and lose .Sad but true ..
Baccano is good ..
Of course Aiko was out of the running to begin with, but I think she was the least flawed girl in the show. Noe has some serious issues, and Hiromi isn’t too well off either!
How was the she least flawed girl ?I suggest to all people who think Aiko is this sweet girl to give this a good RE-WATCH and focus more on Ai ..yes Ai’s LITTLE TOKEN SCREEN TIME ..
I don’t remmber acts like deceptions ,proxy loving with Nobuse in order to get closer to Shin and going on ‘fake’ dates with Shin ALL at the same time ,backfiring and betraying Nobuse with Shin more than once both physically and emotionally ,emotionally hurting Nobuse,making Shin feel guilty,Lying and using both Shin and Nobuse as good acts .Am I messing something here?
Also Hiromi isn’t crazy or anything but she was in an an impossible situation .she had her flawes (I will give you that)..jealousy , insecurity ,self-loathing and lying so much to hide her feelings but it was not as bad as Ai .Just because Ai is more stable ,doesn’t mean that Hiromi and Noe are bad .In fact Noe is least flawed of the three ,Hiromi is in the middle And Ai is just way too flawed .I don’t consider the actions above to be that normal really but don’t ge me wrong I do feel sorry for her ..
I don’t think Aiko planned it all out like you say. She’s wrestling with her feelings for Shinichiro even though she’s still with Miyokichi. It’s not like she’s deliberately screwing things up – she herself is confused, and that’s a natural reaction.
Noe has a brother whose love for her goes beyond familial and has fun climbing trees and holds conversations with chickens. At the end, she has that chicken in her hands next to the sea: symbolic, yes, but isn’t that a wee bit crazy?
Hiromi doesn’t talk to Shinichiro at the beginning of the series, even though they’ve been living together for a year… that sounds a little weird. She purposely puts up a facade at school, too.
Aiko’s just confused with love whereas Noe and Hiromi are inherently flawed. They’ve got some serious issues, so much so that regular people would point them towards shrinks.
Hiromi and Noe both have emotionl traumas so they have reasons to do what they did .Thier family situations are messed up .Hiromi was told by the mum that they might be brother and sister ,what do you expect her to do ? act calm ,of cource she’s gonna try to forget Shin .How’s does that make Hiromi crazy ? did she try to jump of a tree like Noe did ,did she ever try to kill someone ? It’s the mum’s fault for making up that story .Being emotionaly
crippled doesb
Her mistakes –
1-,She shouid have moved on knowing that she HAD no chance ..
2-Referring to herself as a sister to him was a big mistake ,it created a wall that prevented him from looking at her as a lover .Normally ,those who are in love try thier best to make that person love them back but Ai was pushing him further ..
3-She shouid’ve never started the relationship with Nobuse .That built another wall between her and Shin ..
4-she had plenty of time to break up with Nobuse but she didn’t ..
6- she shouid’ve known that hurting/using his best friend was wrong ..
7-She was advancing her relationship with Nobuse by going on dates with him even though she had no feeling for him -she gave him false hope ..
8-She was advancing her relationship with Shin by lying to him and using her sister relationship to get closer to him while being Nobuse’s girlfriend which is also wrong ..
9-If she truly cared for thier friendship then she shouid’ve have known that her actions had the Potential to destroy thier friendship ..
12-She shouid’ve Conisder Shin’s feelings as well and to know how he’d feel after that Kiss -she made him feel guilty for both Noe and Nobuse -he felt like he betrayed Noe and his friend Nobuse with that kiss ..
13-she toyed with both guys ..
..I do understand that emotions like love are hard to control sometimes(being there myself) but Ai made too many mistakes for her to win but I do empathize with her cuz she was lost ..
there’s another reason to why she failed ,she always believed that ONLY Hiromi could win Shin and not her, She knew it’s not going to work and even if she made that confession I don’t think she accepted a YES at all rather she did it to move on from Shin ..Hiromi only tried to push Shin a way from her but Ai was in a blind love with Shin ..
I’m so sorry that I posted that twice ^ ^
That’s my point – no matter what their backgrounds are and no matter what justification they may have for acting a certain way, they’re still traumatized, and that’s pretty flawed to begin with.
Regarding your second post, stop. That’s heading into the dangerous world of subjectivity – you could argue that Aiko’s relationship with Shinichiro was her fault or that it was a natural reaction as a teenager, and we’d get nowhere. “She should’ve” is entirely opinions and neither of us can back up anything we say about that…
I’m sorry if I was being subjective but I was just pointing out that Ai had many solutions to her problems unlike Hiromi or Noe who were totally helpless in their situations .Maybe my definition of flawed is just different .My definition of flawed is someone who is imperfect and makes a lot of mistakes and not someone with an emotional trauma .You right in that all three girls are flawed but we’re talking a bout ‘who made the most mistakes’ here and that person is Ai without a doubt .Hiromi and Noe’s actions are justified (even in real life ) no matter how flawed they are but Ai’s actions aren’t justified because Ai has no emotional trauma. She was just a confused teenage in love who needed to face reality harshly which is exactly what happened and that makes Ai much more tragic because she kept on chasing after someone she knew she wouldn’t get.But these are just opinions like you said ^ ^
Heheh, yeah. I could argue against that, but I’m not feeling up to it. It’d be like a game of ping-pong: never ending. D:
Yeah ,we all have different opinions and I respect yours ^ ^
Well,if you want to happend to Ai after the anime ..here’s her after story from the drama CD-
I’m sorry ,I didn’t mean to post a video ,can you just make it into a link ?I’m very sorry ..I don’t know how to fix it but I’m sure you can ..
[…] And before the decade concludes, here’s my top eleven anime of the 2000s by Fangzhao […]
I have the same opinions towards Lucky Star, It is a decent comedy with slice of life elements, but Eureka Seven ? Clannad After Story ? That were shows i could not have the same opinion 😉
Oh come on, Eureka Seven was a great show all around, and After Story’s second half broke more than a few molds (though that ending was crap). Maybe you’re just not into romance! 🙁
yeah, take off the second half out of after story and what do we get ? Boring stuff… For me, the best romance shows i’ve seen where Nana and Honey and Clover (Yeah i don’t like happy endings Ò.Ó )
Haha, true. The first half of After Story was pretty much a continuation of CLANNAD’s first season. I liked it, but didn’t love it until the drama kicked in.
I’ve yet to see Nana and H+C! D:
Here is a list of much anime that I have been interested in watching for a while, but have been to lazy to actually start. That’s right, too lazy to watch anime….that’s pretty damn lazy.
Haha, shape up and watch some, then! They’re eleven of the shiniest gems out there.
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