RED PAINTED SEA: Using the Anime Interest Index again to find the most hyped up anime of the 2000s

The Anime Interest Index is back to analyze another decade, this time looking at the progression from the beginning to the end of the 2000s. This is the time period where anime as a medium truly exploded past its niche appeal into a full-on culture of weebism. All your favorite anime cringe begins here; the Hare Hare Yukai dance, Hetalia, Am I Kawaii uguu, Naruto running, high school anime clubs… At this point in time, western anime culture was its own cult of nerds. Yet, you can’t help but look back fondly at the childish fascination western viewers had towards anime as a medium.

I won’t re-explain how the Anime Interest Index works, but all you need to know is that shows with higher numbers are deemed more interesting for those who watched it. Negative numbers are bad, and signify the viewers felt that they wasted their time watching it. Got it?

2000

1101 Hajime no Ippo

740 InuYasha

710 FLCL

519 Jin-Rou

411 Yu Gi Oh Duel Monsters

405 Ghost Stories

322 Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust

165 Gravitation

145 Boogiepop Phantom

135 Ayashi no Ceres

-293 Love Hina

Comparing the entire output of the year 2000 to some of the seasons I covered in my 2020s post is silly. You get, on average, one anime a month that westerners could be bothered to write about. Ghost Stories is the odd exception, being mostly known for its goofball English dub. And also, unlike the 2020s, you only have one negative rated anime from this time period instead of fifteen of them. Back in these days, if an anime was bad, people wouldn’t watch it. Simple!

2001

1292 Spirited Away

836 Fruits Basket

634 Cowboy Bebop: The Movie

459 Hikaru no Go

390 The Prince of Tennis

383 Cat Soup

295 Shaman King

158 Digimon Tamers

148 I My Me! Strawberry Eggs

-4 Noir

-54 Metropolis

-280 Hellsing

-283 Alien 9

2001 tells a similar story. Not a whole lot of crossover hits, and not much that needs to be pointed out.

2002

990 Azumanga Daioh

822 Haibane Renmei

820 Princess Tutu

814 Naruto

658 Sennen Joyuu (Millennium Actress)

636 Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex

505 Juuni Kokuki (The Twelve Kingdoms)

417 Full Moon wo Sagashite

346 RahXephon

337 Ai yori Aoshi

322 Onegai Teacher

300 Mobile Suit Gundam SEED

285 Tokyo Mew Mew

269 Neko no Ongaeshi (The Cat Returns)

186 Hoshi no Koe (Voices of a Distant Star)

128 Witch Hunter Robin

63 Chobits

59 Full Metal Panic

57 Abenobashi Mahou Shoutengai

-154 Saishuu Heiki Kanojo

-406 .hack//Sign

You’ll notice the amount of anime is steadily increasing… Azumanga bros win this year by topping out the list, though funny enough, this is the only year from this decade that doesn’t have an anime with a score of over 1000. It was a surprise for me to see Naruto ranked so highly here despite its reputation as being the go-to normie anime of this decade. But that counts for something, it seems!

2003

1280 Fullmetal Alchemist

886 Kino no Tabi

815 Planetes

749 Wolf's Rain

591 Tokyo Godfathers

572 Gungrave

533 Texhnolyze

499 Gunslinger Girl

479 Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu

439 Kimi ga Nozomu Eien (Rumbling Hearts)

429 D.N.Angel

385 Chrno Crusade

372 Interstella5555

296 Kaleido Star

268 Cromartie High School

181 Last Exile

121 Scrapped Princess

93 Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo

-38 Maburaho

-158 Onegai Twins

-251 Sonic X

-283 Tsukihime

-343 Ikkitousen

-541 Narutaru

-950 Green Green

Pretty straightforward selection of anime here. The amount of shows to watch continues to increase…

2004 first half

1548 Monster

1385 Samurai Champloo

617 Paranoia Agent

525 Aishiteruze Baby

402 Midori no Hibi

314 Koi Kaze

268 Kyou kara Maou!

214 Dead Leaves

173 Maria-sama ga Miteru

53 Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex 2nd GIG

-56 Kono Minikuku mo Utsukushii Sekai (This Ugly Yet Beautiful World)

-67 Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence

-126 Cossette no Shouzou

-617 Tenjou Tenge

-1262 Gantz

Now we’ve reached the first year where I’ve felt the need to split each year into halves. We haven’t gotten quite into the ‘seasonal landfill’ territory yet, since that happens in the 2010s. 2004 presents us with our first -1000 scoring anime, the edgelord frenzy, Gantz. Additionally, Monster is our first 1500 scoring anime, of which there will be plenty more as the decade moves forward.

2004 second half

990 Beck

941 Gankutsuou

736 Howl's Moving Castle

657 School Rumble

544 Bleach

439 Genshiken

339 Rozen Maiden

282 Yakitate!! Japan

279 Kumo no Mukou, Yakusoku no Basho (The Place Promised in Our Early Days)

241 Gakuen Alice

238 Major S1

221 Mind Game

167 Sunabouzu (Desert Punk)

106 Mai-HiME

86 Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha

32 Steamboy

-24 Kannazuki no Miko (Destiny of the Shrine Maiden)

-67 Yu-Gi-Oh! GX

-70 Elfen Lied

-90 Samurai 7

-197 DearS

-269 Girls Bravo

-387 Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny

-444 Gantz 2nd Stage

Yeah, now we’re getting all this crap within TWO seasons instead of four. Plenty of cult hits popping up in this selection.

2005 first half

1042 Eureka Seven

658 Hachimitsu to Clover

404 Air

328 Basilisk

322 Eyeshield 21

306 Aa! Megami-sama!

282 One Piece: Baron Omatsuri and the Secret Island

206 Ueki no Housoku

154 Trinity Blood

78 Tsubasa Chronicle

-51 Speed Grapher

-143 Mahou Sensei Negima!

-158 Ichigo 100%

-168 Loveless

-175 Peach Girl

-309 Sousei no Aquarion

-589 Bokusatsu Tenshi Dokuro-chan

The anime industry starts to cool down in 2005, with not too many huge hits popping up.

2005 second half

1310 Mushishi

650 Paradise Kiss

555 Jigoku Shoujo

526 Blood+

488 Aria the Animation

384 Full Metal Panic! The Second Raid

378 Shakugan no Shana

228 Noein

202 Akagi

190 Glass no Kamen

138 Gun x Sword

117 Ichigo Mashimaro

81 Karin

32 Paniponi Dash

11 Suzuka

2 Black Cat

-2 Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children

-22 Fullmetal Alchemist: The Conqueror of Shamballa

-43 Shuffle

-3063 Mars of Destruction

Mars of Destruction is our obligatory 2000s meme entry, scoring a hilariously low -3000. During the 2020s, there have only been a couple shows that were capable of scoring this low (Cheat Skills isekai from 2023 and Neverland S2). I had to include Paniponi Dash just for reference, though keep in mind the low score only indicates a lack of attention rather than a lack of quality. Shana is one of the first LN schlock adaptations to take off.

2006 first half

1433 Ouran High School Host Club

1366 Higurashi

1346 Gintama

1325 Nana

1243 Black Lagoon

795 Ergo Proxy

747 Air Gear

461 xxxHOLiC

459 Hellsing Ultimate

428 Rec

425 Haruhi Suzumiya

343 Strawberry Panic

262 Witchblade

227 Hanbun no Tsuki ga Noboru Sora (Looking Up At The Half-Moon)

141 Utawarerumono

117 Juu Ou Sei

78 Aria the Natural

72 Ayakashi

-100 Fate/Stay Night

-344 Giniro no Kami no Agito (Origin: Spirits of the Past)

Now comes the EXPLOSION of hit shows from 2006. There are ten shows from this year alone that managed to score over 1000 points on this scale, more than all of the 2020s combined. You will never see this happen again. And looking at the top rated shows, it’s no surprise why this is the case. Even Haruhi, one of the most popular anime of the 2000s, didn’t manage to crack the top ten from this half of the year.

2006 second half

2125 Death Note

1742 Code Geass

1524 NHK ni Youkoso!

1189 Katekyou Hitman Reborn!

1045 Toki wo Kakeru Shoujo (The Girl Who Leapt Through Time)

983 D.Gray-man

956 Kanon

873 Ghost Hunt

530 Paprika

490 Black Lagoon: The Second Barrage

490 Shijou Saikyou no Deshi Kenichi

439 Bartender

382 Yamato Nadeshiko Shichihenge (The Wallflower)

279 Busou Renkin

190 Tekkon Kinkreet

184 Kemonozume

148 Hachimitsu to Clover II

101 Bleach the Movie: Memories of Nobody

58 Red Garden

-6 Bokura ga Ita

-155 Black Blood Brothers

-756 Ged Senki (Tales from Earthsea)

-840 Zero no Tsukaima

-1964 Boku no Pico

The surge of hype hits its absolute climax with three shows scoring over 1500 points, with Death Note even managing to breach the 2000 mark. Boku no Pico also makes an eye-rolling appearance, hitting near the -2000 mark. Because if you were an internet anime dude in the late 2000s, why wouldn’t you watch the epic meme shota hentai and leave a negative review for it on MAL.

2007 first half

1741 Gurren Lagann

1234 Lovely Complex

980 Darker than Black

800 Nodame Cantabile

790 Lucky Star

733 Seirei no Moribito

723 Byousoku 5 Centimeter

715 Seto no Hanayome (My Bride is a Mermaid)

711 Claymore

559 Bokura no

523 Romeo x Juliet

511 Naruto: Shippuuden

488 Dennou Coil

284 Sola

253 Ookiku Furikabutte (Big Windup)

168 Hayate no Gotoku (Combat Butler)

137 Hidamari Sketch

122 Heroic Age

97 Over Drive

84 Murder Princess

-94 Kaze no Stigma

-278 Afro Samurai

And yet, the hits don’t stop coming. Shortly after Death Note and Code Geass’ dominance, Gurren Lagann is the next in line to take the anime world by storm.

2007 second half

1494 Baccano

1078 Clannad

897 Kaiji

895 ef: A Tale of Memories

854 Stranger: Mukou Hadan

845 Higurashi Kai

795 Mononoke

697 Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone

582 Mobile Suit Gundam 00

525 Shugo Chara

488 Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei

450 Myself; Yourself

245 Bamboo Blade

204 Shinreigari (Ghost Hound)

200 KimiKiss Pure Rouge

173 Minami-ke

150 Shakugan no Shana II

136 Zero no Tsukaima S2

129 Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 1

100 Kodomo no Jikan

78 Tsubasa: Tokyo Revelations

2 Zombie-Loan

-64 Shigurui

-249 Devil May Cry

-493 Clannad Movie

-1330 School Days

The second half of the year isn’t slacking either. Many big boy hits all around, with the OG Clannad surprising me by passing the 1000 mark. And then there’s poor School Days, which takes the throne as the lowest ranked TV series anime from the entire decade. They just don’t get it, bros….

2008 first half

1529 Code Geass R2

1169 Spice and Wolf

1143 Soul Eater

684 Kaiba

542 Aria the Origination

498 Tsumiki no Ie

402 Macross F

255 Special A

245 Candy Boy

200 Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's

186 Kure-nai

179 Shigofumi

144 Itazura na Kiss

105 True Tears

71 Druaga no Tou: The Aegis of Uruk

57 Toshokan Sensou (Library Wars)

0 Mnemosyne

-2 Junjou Romantica

-64 H2O: Footprints in the Sand

-110 Nabari no Ou

-244 Vampire Knight

-269 To LOVE-Ru

-477 Kanokon

-490 Rosario to Vampire

2008 also has an impressive count of five 1000+ scoring anime in one year.

2008 second half

1809 Clannad: After Story

1576 Toradora

956 Natsume Yuujinchou (Book of Friends)

835 Skip Beat

784 One Outs

703 Black Butler

697 Detroit Metal City

680 Ga-Rei: Zero

658 Ponyo

643 Michiko to Hatchin

516 ef: A Tale of Melodies

507 Clannad: Tomoyo Chapter

449 Eve no Jikan

417 Inazuma Eleven

341 Casshern Sins

290 Rosario to Vampire Capu2

238 Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

219 Kannagi

207 Bounen no Xamdou

125 Strike Witches

101 Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu

49 Sekirei

12 Mobile Suit Gundam 00 S2

-202 The Sky Crawlers

-296 Vampire Knight Guilty

-391 Toaru Majutsu no Index

-619 Akaneiro ni Somaru Saka

-810 ChäoS;HEAd

2008 is a big year for romance anime! Clannad, Toradora, and Spice and Wolf all get massive scores.

2009 first half

2006 Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

992 K-On!

677 Cross Game

605 Higashi no Eden (Eden of the East)

449 Kemono no Souja Erin (The Beast Player)

437 Phantom

376 Hetalia Axis Powers

373 Hanasakeru Seishounen

308 Pandora Hearts

262 Denpa-teki na Kanojo (Electromagnetic Girlfriend)

118 Isekai no Seikishi Monogatari

106 Dragon Ball Kai

103 Saki

96 Ristorante Paradiso

87 Hatsukoi Limited

71 RideBack

61 07-Ghost

9 Maria Holic

9 Valkyria Chronicles

-5 Sengoku Basara

-44 Koukaku no Regios

-105 White Album

-129 Eureka Seven Movie

-186 First Squad: The Moment of Truth

-283 Asu no Yoichi (Samurai Harem)

-491 Akikan

-744 Haruhi Suzumiya S2

Finally we hit the last big anime of the decade, the only other show to hit the 2000 mark, MAL’s personal favorite, FMA Brotherhood. Sure, Frieren might be the highest rated anime on MAL at the moment, but you can’t deny FMA’s near 15 years of dominance, something that I highly doubt Frieren will be able to maintain. Haruhi’s second season scores laughably low with its controversial concepts and presentation.

2009 second half

984 Bakemonogatari

983 Redline

864 Tokyo Magnitude 8.0

840 Kimi ni Todoke

692 Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance

658 Summer Wars

591 Sora no Otoshimono (Heaven's Lost Property)

484 Spice and Wolf II

471 Aoi Bungaku Series

461 Kobato

437 Toaru Kagaku no Railgun

406 InuYasha: The Final Act

335 Seitokai no Ichizon

313 Aoi Hana

271 Darker than Black S2

253 Yume-iro Pâtissière

236 Fairy Tail

236 Canaan

228 Nyan Koi

227 Kuuchuu Buranko

187 Clannad: After Story - Kyou Chapter

155 Tegamibachi

12 Needless

-227 Princess Lover

-477 Shugo Chara Party

-535 Umineko

-536 Seiken no Blacksmith

-675 Kampfer

-1328 11eyes

Even without a 1000+ scoring anime, you gotta admit this half of the year has a lot to show for itself! But, I’m afraid we’ve hit the end already. So much has happened, and yet you get the feeling that something evil is brewing as we step closer and closer to 2010. I’ll be getting around to that some other time. But for now, I present to you…

THE TOP 100 ANIME OF THE 2000S (ACCORDING TO THIS RANKING SYSTEM THAT SEEMS PRETTY USEFUL BUT ALSO RELIES ON THE OPINIONS OF MAL REVIEWERS)

And yes, I really did have to go all the way to 100 because there was so much stuff that came out this decade.