There is a lot of anime out there, and a ton of it came out int he 2000s. However, it wasn't just Naruto, Ouran High School Host Club, Death Note, and Gurren Lagann. There were lots of anime that were not talked about, had no merchandise, and was just overlooked by anime fans.
They were not bad shows or films, in fact, some of them were astounding. They just somehow got lost in the crowd of other shows and movies at the time. Luckily, its never too late to watch these hidden gems. Here are ten shows you may have missed from the 2000s that are worth seeing.
10 Casshern Sins
This series ran from 2008 to 2009 with 24 episodes and would be most enjoyed by those who enjoy stories about the post-apocalypse, robots, and A.I. lifeforms. This show was actually a reboot from a show in the 70s called Casshan. However, this reboot took on a far grim tone. It got mixed reviews due to its grim tone and slow passing, and that is part of why the show got overlooked during its time.
While the pacing is slow, the story and characters are pretty interesting. The main character was the most powerful of a robot army, but lost his memory. The world's post-apocalypse is mostly his fault and he seeks to redeem himself.
9 Le Portrait De Petit Cossette
This psychological horror anime is only three episodes long. A lot of psychological horror anime get overlooked since they often are filled with violence and disturbing scenes, and they get extra overlooked if they are only three episodes long.
However, the story of this little show is interesting and the show is very artistic. A college art student falls in love with a girl in a portrait. Eventually, the girl in the portrait starts to speak to him and tell him that her spirit is trapped because she was murdered by the artist who painted her. The only way for her to be set free is for another person to take on the sins of her painter.
8 Hell Girl
Hell Girl is actually a long series, at least for a horror-genre show, with three seasons. While it is in the horror-genre though, you often find yourself cheering for the supernatural ghost girl rather than the humans of this story. The supernatural girl, Enma Ai, has a website where people can type in a name of someone in order to send them to Hell. The price is their own soul though, so they do not take the decision lightly.
Every episode focuses on a different character calling upon Enma Ai to take a wicked soul to Hell. However, there is also a pretty interesting overarching plot as well as to who Enma Ai actually is and where she came from.
7 Mushi-Shi
With 26 episodes, this series ran from 2005 to 2006. Its second season did not come out until 2014, so we are not going to talk about that part. The story focuses on a character who can see what are called "mushi" which are lifeforms most others cannot see. The series' plot is episodic without an overarching main plot involved besides the main couple of characters.
The manga that the show is based on has won many awards such as the Excellence Prize at the 7th Japan Media Arts Festival, the Kodansha Manga Award, and was placed in 9th on Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs's list of best manga.
6 Princess Tutu
This magical girl series is arguably one of the best out there, so it being on this list is really a tragedy. The series is inspired by ballet, but you do not have to be a passionate dancer to enjoy this show. The focus is on Duck, who is as her name describes . . . an actual duck. She dreams to dance with the prince though.
A magical man turns her into a human who can turn into a supernatural dancer called "Princess Tutu" and she is sent to a dance academy. She learns that the prince actually has his torn out and its pieces are scattered around the campus so she decides to collect them. We won't spoil it for you, but the show has a lot of interesting twists and turns.
5 Munto
This anime can be a little hard to understand, but it was a very pretty anime for its time. It is for those who would like action, good music, and stories in a sci-fi/fantasy setting. The plot is about this magical resource called "akuto" and there is a magical king who has to find a chosen girl from the lower world.
The anime has been overlooked due to a lot of negative reviews about plot-holes, bad writing, and its many cliches. Despite all that though, there is something there fans still find enjoyable.
4 S-Cry-Ed
This show ran back in 2001 and consists of 26 episodes. It is set in an alternate universe where one percent of the people in a Japanese prefecture have supernatural powers. The story follows two guys with powers who have opposite personalities and upbringings. The two become obsessed rivals, but they also work together once in a while.
It is pretty surprising how overlooked this show was since it has a lot in common with popular titles like Naruto, Bleach, Dragon Ball Z, and Code Geass.
3 Wolf's Rain
This anime ran in 2003 with 30 episodes. It was possibly overlooked due to its confusing ending and tragic story. The main characters are actual wolves, but they use magic for humans to see them as other humans.
The main character, Kiba, has a strong instinct to find a place called "Paradise" and invites a bunch of other wolves to join him. The issue is that humans are also looking for this fabled place. So the wolves and humans are making a race against each other and a villainous half-man half-wolf to find "Paradise."
2 Tokyo Godfathers
TV shows were not the only anime that came out in the 2000s. There were also films. One of the best out there, Tokyo Godfathers, is one that too many anime fans overlook. It is about three homeless people trying to find the mother of a baby that they found in the garbage.
It is actually a great Christmas movie, as this film takes place on Christmas Eve. The film is a comedy but is not afraid to touch on dark matters like suicide, homophobia, and more. Interestingly enough, the man behind Wolf's Rain also made this movie.
1 Metropolis
The second movie on this list is one from 2001. It was actually inspired by manga that was influenced by a German silent film of the same name, and is in the genre of science fiction and action.
It takes place in a city where humans and robots live together but robots are discriminated against. The main focus is on a robot named Tima who looks like a human and the messed up world that she is brought into.