The Grand Search for the Best Anime of the 2000s

[GeneD]

Group South
Tokyo Godfathers (2003) ★
Mushishi (2006) ★
The Tatami Galaxy (2010)
Planetes (2004) ★★
Full Metal Panic! (2002)
The Beast Player Erin (2009)
Samurai Champloo (2004) ★
FLCL (2001)
12 Kingdoms (2002)
Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion (2007) ★
Ergo Proxy (2006) ★
Ouran High School Host Club (2006) ★
Mobile Suit Gundam UC (2010)
REDLINE (2009)
Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann (2007) ★
Macross Frontier: The Wings of Goodbye (2011) ★
Angelic Layer (2001)
Michiko to Hatchin (2008)

[Maokun]

Tokyo Godfathers (2003) ★
Mushishi (2006)
The Tatami Galaxy (2010)
Planetes (2004)
Full Metal Panic! (2002) ★
The Beast Player Erin (2009)
Samurai Champloo (2004) ★
FLCL (2001) ★★
12 Kingdoms (2002)
Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion (2007) ★
Ergo Proxy (2006) ★
Ouran High School Host Club (2006)
Mobile Suit Gundam UC (2010)
REDLINE (2009)
Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann (2007) ★
Macross Frontier: The Wings of Goodbye (2011)
Angelic Layer (2001)
Michiko to Hatchin (2008) ★

My second star not to the best but to the one that needs it the most.

[Zeldafan2]

Group South
Tokyo Godfathers (2003)
Mushishi (2006)
The Tatami Galaxy (2010)
Planetes (2004)
Full Metal Panic! (2002)
The Beast Player Erin (2009)
Samurai Champloo (2004)
FLCL (2001)
12 Kingdoms (2002)
Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion (2007)**
Ergo Proxy (2006)
Ouran High School Host Club (2006)
Mobile Suit Gundam UC (2010)
REDLINE (2009)
Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann (2007)
Macross Frontier: The Wings of Goodbye (2011)
Angelic Layer" (2001)
Michiko to Hatchin (2008)

Honestly, I know like none of these titles but of these, I think Code Geass deserves my two star vote.

[KnightOfFive]

Group South(This is so my group, helps that I live in the south)
Tokyo Godfathers (2003)
Mushishi (2006)*
The Tatami Galaxy (2010)
Planetes (2004)
Full Metal Panic! (2002)*
The Beast Player Erin (2009)
Samurai Champloo (2004)
FLCL (2001)
12 Kingdoms (2002)
Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion (2007)**
Ergo Proxy (2006)
Ouran High School Host Club (2006)*
Mobile Suit Gundam UC (2010)*
REDLINE (2009)
Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann (2007)
Macross Frontier: The Wings of Goodbye (2011)
Angelic Layer" (2001)
Michiko to Hatchin (2008)

[Hugo Bernhardt]

Tokyo Godfathers
Mushishi
The Tatami Galaxy*
Planetes **
Full Metal Panic!
The Beast Player Erin
Samurai Champloo*
FLCL
12 Kingdoms *
Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion
Ergo Proxy
Ouran High School Host Club
Mobile Suit Gundam UC
REDLINE
Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann
Macross Frontier: The Wings of Goodbye
Angelic Layer
Michiko to Hatchin

[Neane]

It is quite pleasant for the eyes to see so much love for Planetes, even if my favorite Taniguchi anime is Infinite Ryvius.

[samurai10]

As I don't know many of these, I'll just put the one's I'm votes for.

Group South
Mushishi *
Fullmetal Panic *
The Beast Player Erin **
Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion *
Ouran High School Host Club *

The Beast Player really needs my two stars. (Not that I would have given them to anything else... [The fact that I haven't watched many of these animes makes me sad. ])

[MomentOfInertia]

<.<
....
>.>

Group South
REDLINE (2009)**
Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann (2007)*
Macross Frontier: The Wings of Goodbye (2011)*

[Maokun]

Results for Group South in the first preliminary round:

[color="Yellow"]Top Tier (Automatic Advance)[/color]
Tokyo Godfathers (2003) [color="yellow"]★★★★★★★★★★[/color]
Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion (2007) [color="yellow"]★★★★★★★★★★[/color]
Planetes (2004) [color="yellow"]★★★★★★★★★[/color]
Mushishi (2006) [color="yellow"]★★★★★★★★[/color]
Full Metal Panic! (2002) [color="yellow"]★★★★★★★★[/color]
Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann (2007) [color="yellow"]★★★★★★★★[/color]

[color="yellow"]Middle Tier (Don't give up just yet!)[/color]
The Tatami Galaxy (2010) [color="yellow"]★★★★★★★[/color]
Samurai Champloo (2004) [color="yellow"]★★★★★★★[/color]
FLCL (2001) [color="yellow"]★★★★★★★[/color]
Ouran High School Host Club (2006) [color="yellow"]★★★★★★★[/color]
Macross Frontier: The Wings of Goodbye (2011) [color="yellow"]★★★★★★[/color]
REDLINE (2009) [color="yellow"]★★★★★[/color]

[color="yellow"]Bottom Tier (Gone with the wind)[/color]
The Beast Player Erin (2009) [color="yellow"]★★★★[/color]
12 Kingdoms (2002) [color="yellow"]★★★[/color]
Ergo Proxy (2006) [color="yellow"]★★★[/color]
Michiko to Hatchin (2008) [color="yellow"]★★[/color]
Mobile Suit Gundam UC (2010) [color="yellow"]★[/color]
Angelic Layer (2001)

With the cut made at 7 stars this was indeed a brutal group! Only one group left and then the repechage before we enter the next round:

[color="Red"][SIZE="3"]Group West[/SIZE][/color]
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzuyima (2006)
Steins;Gate (2011)
Last Exile (2003)
Macross Frontier (2008)
Fate/zero (2011)
Library Wars (2008)
Voices of a Distant Star (2002)
Texhnolyze (2003)
Chihayafuru (2011)
Wolf's Rain (2003)
Natsume Yuujinchou San (2011)
Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 (2009)
Time of Eve (2009)
Digimon Tamers (2001)
Tetsujin 28-go (2004)
Birdy The Mighty Decode (2008)
The Place Promised in Our Early Days (2004)
Jungle Wa Itsumo Hale Nochi Guu (2001)
Sword of the Stranger (2007)
Darker than Black (2007)

Voting will be open until Tuesday at 20:00 EST

[FllMtl Novelist]

Macross Frontier: The Wings of Goodbye (2011) [color="yellow"]★]

Wait I'm confused, do each of those stars represent a single vote? Because Hat and I both gave Wings of Goodbye two...

[Maokun]

Sorry, it must have been a copy paste error that never got fixed as I made the final tally. That movie actually got 6 points. Thanks for pointing it out.

[Neane]

Group West
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzuyima (2006)
Steins;Gate (2011)
Last Exile (2003) *
Macross Frontier (2008) *
Fate/zero (2011)
Library Wars (2008)
Voices of a Distant Star (2002)
Texhnolyze (2003) **
Chihayafuru (2011) *
Wolf's Rain (2003)
Natsume Yuujinchou San (2011)
Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 (2009) *
Time of Eve (2009) *
Digimon Tamers (2001) *
Tetsujin 28-go (2004)
Birdy The Mighty Decode (2008) *
The Place Promised in Our Early Days (2004)
Jungle Wa Itsumo Hale Nochi Guu (2001) *
Sword of the Stranger (2007)
Darker than Black (2007)

Eve and Tokyo are good but Texhnolyze is on a whole nother level man.

[ClosetOtaku]

Group West
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzuyima (2006) *
Steins;Gate (2011) *
Last Exile (2003) *
Macross Frontier (2008)
Fate/zero (2011)
Library Wars (2008)
Voices of a Distant Star (2002) *
Texhnolyze (2003) **
Chihayafuru (2011) *
Wolf's Rain (2003)
Natsume Yuujinchou San (2011)
Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 (2009) *
Time of Eve (2009)
Digimon Tamers (2001)
Tetsujin 28-go (2004)
Birdy The Mighty Decode (2008)
The Place Promised in Our Early Days (2004) *
Jungle Wa Itsumo Hale Nochi Guu (2001) *
Sword of the Stranger (2007)
Darker than Black (2007)

[MomentOfInertia]

@Neane: Unless I'm missing something, you need to proofread that one more time.

What do you people have against REDLINE and Macross?


Group West
Macross Frontier*
Fate/zero*
Sword of the Stranger*
Darker than Black**

[skreyola]

Group West
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzuyima (2006) *
Last Exile (2003) *
Birdy The Mighty Decode (2008) *
Darker than Black (2007) **

I just have to remember I've only been watching for three-four years. I shouldn't be surprised a decade had a lot of shows I missed.

[FllMtl Novelist]

Sorry, it must have been a copy paste error that never got fixed as I made the final tally. That movie actually got 6 points. Thanks for pointing it out.

Ah, okay. No problem. Thanks for putting so much work into this!

[color="Red"][SIZE="3"]Group West[/SIZE][/color]
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzuyima (2006)
Steins]Sorry Hats but Chihaya[/SIZE])
Voices of a Distant Star (2002)
Texhnolyze (2003)
Chihayafuru (2011)**
Wolf's Rain (2003)
Natsume Yuujinchou San (2011)*
Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 (2009)
Time of Eve (2009)
Digimon Tamers (2001)
Tetsujin 28-go (2004)
Birdy The Mighty Decode (2008)
The Place Promised in Our Early Days (2004)
Jungle Wa Itsumo Hale Nochi Guu (2001)
Sword of the Stranger (2007)*
Darker than Black (2007)

[Vii]

Man, I'm surprised Ouran only made it into the second-chance bracket.

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzuyima (2006) ★
Steins;Gate (2011)
Last Exile (2003)
Macross Frontier (2008)
Fate/zero (2011)
Library Wars (2008)
Voices of a Distant Star (2002) ★
Texhnolyze (2003) ★
Chihayafuru (2011) ★
Wolf's Rain (2003) ★
Natsume Yuujinchou San (2011) ★★
Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 (2009) ★
Time of Eve (2009)
Digimon Tamers (2001)
Tetsujin 28-go (2004)
Birdy The Mighty Decode (2008)
The Place Promised in Our Early Days (2004) ★
Jungle Wa Itsumo Hale Nochi Guu (2001)
Sword of the Stranger (2007)
Darker than Black (2007)

[AngelicTotoro]

Group West
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzuyima (2006) *
Steins;Gate (2011) *
Last Exile (2003) *
Macross Frontier (2008) * (Never seen this one yet, but it's macross so...)
Library Wars (2008) **
The Place Promised in Our Early Days (2004) *

[MangaRocks!]

Aargh, again a couple more here that I've either only read or have on my to-watch list ... but luckily there's still some great stuff that I *have* seen in this group , so my votes are:

Steins;Gate ★★
Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 ★
Time of Eve ★

[Atria35]

Group West
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzuyima (2006)
Steins;Gate (2011) *
Last Exile (2003)
Macross Frontier (2008) *
Fate/zero (2011)
Library Wars (2008)
Voices of a Distant Star (2002)
Texhnolyze (2003) * (For you, Neane!)
Chihayafuru (2011) *
Wolf's Rain (2003)
Natsume Yuujinchou San (2011)
Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 (2009) *
Time of Eve (2009) *
Digimon Tamers (2001)
Tetsujin 28-go (2004)
Birdy The Mighty Decode (2008) *
The Place Promised in Our Early Days (2004)
Jungle Wa Itsumo Hale Nochi Guu (2001)
Sword of the Stranger (2007) *U*
Darker than Black (2007)

Two votes for SotS because it's not getting enough love or appreciation on here. For realz, guys, if you like awesome samurai action it's a must-see!

[Kaori]

Haven't seen too many of these, and a couple of the ones I have seen, I don't particularly care to vote for.

Group West

Voices of a Distant Star (2002)*
Wolf's Rain (2003)**

[airichan623]

Group West
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzuyima (2006)*
Steins;Gate (2011)
Last Exile (2003)
Macross Frontier (2008) *
Fate/zero (2011)
Library Wars (2008)
Voices of a Distant Star (2002)
Texhnolyze (2003)
Chihayafuru (2011)
Wolf's Rain (2003)*
Natsume Yuujinchou San (2011)
Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 (2009)
Time of Eve (2009)
Digimon Tamers (2001)
Tetsujin 28-go (2004)
Birdy The Mighty Decode (2008) **
The Place Promised in Our Early Days (2004)
Jungle Wa Itsumo Hale Nochi Guu (2001)
Sword of the Stranger (2007)
Darker than Black (2007)

[GeneD]

Group West
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzuyima (2006) ★
Steins;Gate (2011) ★
Last Exile (2003) ★
Macross Frontier (2008)
Fate/zero (2011)
Library Wars (2008) ★
Voices of a Distant Star (2002)
Texhnolyze (2003)
Chihayafuru (2011)
Wolf's Rain (2003) ★
Natsume Yuujinchou San (2011)
Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 (2009)
Time of Eve (2009)
Digimon Tamers (2001) ★
Tetsujin 28-go (2004)
Birdy The Mighty Decode (2008) ★
The Place Promised in Our Early Days (2004)
Jungle Wa Itsumo Hale Nochi Guu (2001)
Sword of the Stranger (2007) ★★
Darker than Black (2007) ★

[Maokun]

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzuyima (2006) ★
Steins;Gate (2011)
Last Exile (2003) ★
Macross Frontier (2008)
Fate/zero (2011)
Library Wars (2008)
Voices of a Distant Star (2002)
Texhnolyze (2003) ★ (also giving a vote of trust to Neane here)
Chihayafuru (2011)
Wolf's Rain (2003) ★★
Natsume Yuujinchou San (2011)
Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 (2009)
Time of Eve (2009)
Digimon Tamers (2001)
Tetsujin 28-go (2004)
Birdy The Mighty Decode (2008)
The Place Promised in Our Early Days (2004) ★
Jungle Wa Itsumo Hale Nochi Guu (2001) ★
Sword of the Stranger (2007)
Darker than Black (2007) ★

[Zeldafan2]

Group West
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzuyima (2006)**
Steins;Gate (2011)
Last Exile (2003)
Macross Frontier (2008)
Fate/zero (2011)
Library Wars (2008)
Voices of a Distant Star (2002)
Texhnolyze (2003)* (it sounds pretty good, even if I haven't seen it. And for Neane.)
Chihayafuru (2011)
Wolf's Rain (2003)
Natsume Yuujinchou San (2011)
Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 (2009)
Time of Eve (2009)
Digimon Tamers (2001)
Tetsujin 28-go (2004)
Birdy The Mighty Decode (2008)
The Place Promised in Our Early Days (2004)
Jungle Wa Itsumo Hale Nochi Guu (2001)
Sword of the Stranger (2007)
Darker than Black (2007)

[Neane]

Two votes for SotS because it's not getting enough love or appreciation on here. For realz, guys, if you like awesome samurai action it's a must-see!

In terms of action, Sword of the Stranger beats Rurouni Kenshin: Trust and Betrayal, in terms of story...well at least it is better than Pokemon. I think the story can be summed up as: "Hey you, random stranger who just so happens to be the protagonist, come and fight me to keep the audience entertained!".

[Atria35]

^ I would argue, but as I haven't seen the movie in four years I'm in no place to say anything specifically in rejoinder. However, I do think that there is more to the story than that because (as I say repeatedly) I don't care for action films without plot - loathe them and always have - and this movie made a huge impression on me.

[mechana2015]

Group West
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzuyima (2006)*
Steins;Gate (2011)
Last Exile (2003)
Macross Frontier (2008)
Fate/zero (2011)
Library Wars (2008)*
Voices of a Distant Star (2002)*
Texhnolyze (2003)*
Chihayafuru (2011)*
Wolf's Rain (2003)
Natsume Yuujinchou San (2011)*
Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 (2009)
Time of Eve (2009)*
Digimon Tamers (2001)
Tetsujin 28-go (2004)
Birdy The Mighty Decode (2008)*
The Place Promised in Our Early Days (2004)
Jungle Wa Itsumo Hale Nochi Guu (2001)*
Sword of the Stranger (2007)**
Darker than Black (2007)

[Mr. Hat'n'Clogs]

Oh wow a full bracket, thankfully not as stacked as the last one though.

Group West
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzuyima (2006)
Steins;Gate (2011)
Last Exile (2003)
Macross Frontier (2008)*
Fate/zero (2011)*
Library Wars (2008)**
Voices of a Distant Star (2002)
Texhnolyze (2003)
Chihayafuru (2011)*
Wolf's Rain (2003)
Natsume Yuujinchou San (2011)*
Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 (2009)*
Time of Eve (2009)
Digimon Tamers (2001)
Tetsujin 28-go (2004)
Birdy The Mighty Decode (2008)*
The Place Promised in Our Early Days (2004)
Jungle Wa Itsumo Hale Nochi Guu (2001)
Sword of the Stranger (2007)*
Darker than Black (2007)*

In terms of action, Sword of the Stranger beats Rurouni Kenshin: Trust and Betrayal, in terms of story...well at least it is better than Pokemon. I think the story can be summed up as: "Hey you, random stranger who just so happens to be the protagonist, come and fight me to keep the audience entertained!".

Yes, because clearly the story of a man learning that rather than giving up he should discover what is really worth fighting for is such a lame premise.

I am just as capable of going "Kino's Journey has some good ideas but clearly lacked any character development for either Kino or Hermes and the plot was weak with just stringing random things together." I'd be missing the point of the work if I was just going to latch onto some arbitrary ideas about what is good vs. bad storytelling and apply them to everything.

Library Wars (2008)* ([SIZE="1"]Sorry Hats but Chihaya[/SIZE])

We'll see if Chihaya's got your back when the Media Betterment Act is passed.

[Maokun]

I always love when this competition sparks discussion. We are all enriched by it. Anyhow, results for Group East in the first preliminary round:

[color="Red"]Top Tier (creme of the top)[/color]
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzuyima (2006) ★★★★★★★★★★
Texhnolyze (2003) ★★★★★★★★★
Chihayafuru (2011) ★★★★★★★★
Birdy The Mighty Decode (2008) ★★★★★★★★
Sword of the Stranger (2007) ★★★★★★★★★

[color="red"]Middle Tier (hanging by a thread)[/color]
Macross Frontier (2008) ★★★★★★★
Library Wars (2008) ★★★★★★★
Wolf's Rain (2003) ★★★★★★★
Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 (2009) ★★★★★★★
Darker than Black (2007) ★★★★★★★
Last Exile (2003) ★★★★★★

[color="red"]Bottom Tier (Don't cry for me, Argentina)[/color]
Steins;Gate (2011) ★★★★★
Natsume Yuujinchou San (2011) ★★★★★
The Place Promised in Our Early Days (2004) ★★★★
Jungle Wa Itsumo Hale Nochi Guu (2001) ★★★★
Time of Eve (2009) ★★★★
Fate/zero (2011) ★★★
Voices of a Distant Star (2002) ★★★
Digimon Tamers (2001) ★★
Tetsujin 28-go (2004)

Those were all the participating titles and now we have 29 titles directly advancing to the next round so we need to fill the 8 spots left with those titles that almost made it in each group. Only 8 of the following 22! Let the carnage begin!

Please vote for up to 8 of the following titles (you can still assign two votes to your favourite of the bunch):

[color="Magenta"][SIZE="3"]Repechage Round[/SIZE][/color]
Welcome to the NHK! (2006)
Cowboy Bebop: Knockin' On Heaven's Door (2001)
Howl's Moving Castle (2004)
Toradora! (2009)
Fruits Basket (2001)
Read or Die OVA (2001)
Black Lagoon (2006)
Bakemonogatari (2009)
Gankutsuou (2005)
Bunny Drop (2011)
The Tatami Galaxy (2010)
Samurai Champloo (2004)
FLCL (2001)
Ouran High School Host Club (2006)
Macross Frontier: The Wings of Goodbye (2011)
REDLINE (2009)
Macross Frontier (2008)
Library Wars (2008)
Wolf's Rain (2003)
Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 (2009)
Darker than Black (2007)
Last Exile (2003)

Voting will be open until Wednesday at 20:00 EST