We’re at the point where 2000s anime are being looked back on fondly by fans as retro titles. It might feel like it was only yesterday to some, but we’re decades removed from what many consider to be one of the best eras to be an anime fan. Whether you’re looking for some older anime to check out or just want to take a trip down memory lane, there are tons of great 2000s anime you can stream.
Crunchyroll has some of the best anime from your childhood, including numerous 2000s classics. From hit shonen standouts to forgotten gems, here are some of the best 2000s anime you can stream on Crunchyroll.
5 Iconic 2000s Anime That Became More Popular Over Time
Some of the most well-known anime series from the 2000s didn’t have the best start and became popular later on.
Full Metal Panic! is a quintessential watch if you’re going down a 2000s rabbit hole. The series follows Sousuke Sagara, a member of a military group called Mithril, who is assigned to watch over a seemingly normal high school student named Kaname Chidori. Kaname actually possesses subconscious knowledge that causes various agencies and organizations to target her. That’s where Sousuke comes in. But his military upbringing and lack of everyday social skills put him at odds with Kaname and make him stand out like a sore thumb.
Full Metal Panic! is a great action-comedy that sadly seems to have fallen into obscurity among modern audiences. The series has multiple seasons and a more comedy-heavy spin-off courtesy of Kyoto Animation. The series really shines when it focuses on the dynamic between Sousuke and Kaname, with the two being one of the most overlooked anime duos out there.
Samurai Champloo
It seems as though Samurai Champloo has been getting more (well-deserved) recognition in recent years. Though in no way an obscure series, the anime was often overshadowed by director Shinichiro Watanabe’s most notable work; Cowboy Bebop.
Rearrange the covers into the correct Japanese release order.
Rearrange the covers into the correct Japanese release order.
Easy (5)Medium (7)Hard (10)
Set in the Edo Period and notable for its various anachronistic elements, the series follows a young girl named Fuuu, who sets out alongside a disheveled outlaw named Mugen and a ronin named Jin to find a Samurai who smells of sunflowers. The series is up there with Bebop as one of Watanabe’s best works, with the animation, soundtrack, and character writing all absolutely knocking it out of the park and making Samurai Champloo stand out as one of the best anime from the decade.
Naruto
You can’t talk about great 2000s anime without bringing up Naruto. One of the infamous ‘Big 3’, alongside One Piece and Bleach, Naruto is one of the most iconic anime of all-time, remaining a popular franchise for both newcomers and veterans to enjoy.
Between the original series and Shippuden, Naruto was everywhere in the 2000s. It’s easy to see why the series was so popular. Naruto is an interesting and easy protagonist to root for, and he gets some great moments of growth throughout the series alongside a strong supporting cast and one of the most interesting power systems in anime.
Ouran High School Host Club
If romance is more your thing, the 2000s had plenty of options to choose from. From over-saturated harems to more impactful romances, the 2000s had it all. One of the best romance anime of the decade was Ouran High School Host Club.
Haruhi Fujioka is a scholarship student at the titular and very prestigious Ouran Academy. But when Haruhi accidentally breaks an expensive vase, Haruhi has no other choice but to join the school’s host club, who initially thought she was a boy, to work off her debt by helping entertain customers. If you’re into Shojo romances and like reverse harems, Ouran High School Host Club is something you should absolutely have on your watch list. The series is funny, still looks great, and, of course, is a solid romance anime that even those who aren’t usually into the genre can enjoy.
Regarded by fans as one of the best anime of the century and a standout of the 2000s, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is one of those series you have to watch at least once. The same can be said of its predecessor, which notably deviates from the source material and still manages to create something that’s incredibly enjoyable and unique.
Brotherhood does a great job of fully adapting the manga, giving fans all the great twists and turns of Hiromu Arakawa’s iconic story. The series follows brothers Ed and Alphonse Elric, who set out to find a way to get their bodies back following a botched human transmutation ritual that left Ed without an arm and a leg and forced him to tether Al’s soul to a suit of armnor after the younger Elric completely lost his original body during the ritual. Brotherhood shines when it focuses on the close sibling bond between Ed and Al, but what really makes the series such a great watch is the incredibly strong supporting cast, each with their own complexities and individual character arcs.
Soul Eater
With the adaptation of Atsushi Ohkubo’s Fire Force over, why not go back to the series that served as the mangaka’s breakout? Soul Eater is one of the often-overlooked great shonen anime of the 2000s, with the adaptation’s relatively short run and diversion from the manga towards the end not doing it any favors.
Set in Death City, where students at the Death Weapon Meister Academy are set into two groups, human-hybrids who turn into weapons called Death Scythes, and the meisters who wield them, Soul Eater follows an ensemble cast consisting of Maka Albarn and her partner, Soul, Black Star and his partner, Tsubaki, and Death the Kid and his partners, the Thompson twins. Even with it having to move away from the source material, Soul Eater is still a visually striking, fun shonen series. Though no one would complain if the series ended up getting the ‘Brotherhood’ treatment in the future.
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya
Haruhi Suzumiya was an icon of the 2000s anime scene, standing as one of the most recognizable and popular characters of the decade. It might be hard for some to picture all these years removed from the series’ peak, but anime fans absolutely loved following Haruhi and the rest of the S.O.S. Brigade’s misadventures.
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is another great KyoAni adaptation, with the series looking just as good as you’d expect. Two decades later, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya still stands out as one of the best series of the 2000s, with the eccentric and charismatic Haruhi stealing absolutely every scene and her dynamic with the more subdued Kyon serving as a highlight of the series. The one big knock against the anime is the infamous Endless Eight arc, which can test the patience of even the most devoted fans. But it’s well worth it. And if you do end up liking the anime, you can watch 2010s The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya, which itself is one of the best anime movies of that decade.
One Piece
The One Piece anime premiered in late 1999, so that does technically make it a ’90s anime, but the series would go on to be a staple of the 2000s anime scene. Chances are, if you were an anime fan growing up around that time, Luffy’s journey to become Pirate King and find the legendary One Piece served as one of your earliest experiences with the medium.
Though the series is notorious for its filler and has some issues with consistency, the anime is still a worthwhile watch. Whether you’re a fan of the manga wanting to see their favorite scenes get animated or just someone looking to experience the series for the first time, the One Piece anime is a fun time. With the Elbaf Arc airing throughout the spring season after a 3-month hiatus, fans are expecting big things from the anime.
