8 Animes From Early 2000s that are really underrated

The early 2000s were a great time for anime. From the eponymous Naruto to the rise of Bleach, from cult classics like Monster and FLCL to the highly acclaimed Samurai Champloo, anime around this time made foregrounds around the world with its sleek animations and smart storytelling. However, there are a few that passed under the radar of the masses and this list puts together a few of them.

 

Get Backers (2002)

Lost something? Contact the Get Backers, a highly successful recovery service run by two guys – Ban Mido and Ginji Amano. However, they are not just your run-of-the-mill protagonists. Ginji is able to generate thousands of volts of electricity from his body, while Ban has two abilities – a gripping strength of 200kg and the ability to hypnotize anyone who eye-contacts with him, called the Jagan. Despite of their high success rate, the duo is almost always broke and live out of their car, a Subaru 360.

Get Backers is a hidden gem from Studio Deen, the same studio famous for producing Ranma ½ and Rurouni Kenshin. The series ran for 49 episodes and was even broadcasted on Animax Asia.

 

éX-Driver (2000)

In the distant future all cars are AI controlled and run on automated roadways. When these self-driving cars go haywire, the ex-Drivers jump into action in their mechanical cars to save the day. The team comprises of three high schoolers: Lorna Endo with her Lotus Europa, Lisa Sakakino with her Lancia Stratos HF and the team leader, a 12-year old genius named Soichi Sugano, who drives a Caterham Super Seven.

This 6-episode OVA series is not only for car anime enthusiasts but also has a lot to offer for casual anime lovers with its great designs and animations. It also has two straight-to-video prequel and sequel movies that are a must watch!

 

UFO Baby (2000)

 

UFO Baby or as known in Japan as Daa! Daa! Daa! is a cute anime about an 8^th grader, Miyu Kouzuki who is left behind by her parents at a family friend’s house, due to them moving to America to work for NASA. As the master of the house, a monk, goes on a year-long pilgrimage to India, he leaves Miyu in the care of his son Kanata. Calamity strikes when an alien baby, Ruu and his cat-like “sitter-pet”, Wannya lands inside their house.

UFO Baby is bound to light your heart up with its kawaii character designs and their colorful antics. The series ran for two seasons, each having 39 episodes.

Tantei Gakuen Q (2003)

The inquisitive and optimistic Kyuu Renjo aspires to be a detective and enrolls into the prestigious Dan Detective School. Along with his talented friends from the academy, Kyuu solves mysterious cases and gruesome murders, while untangling the webs of a secret organization called Hades.

Directed by Studio Pierrot’s veteran director Noriyuki Abe of Bleach and GTO fame, Detective School Q ran for 45 episodes from 2003 to 2004. There are very few detective series that manages to have a consistent pacing, all the while strategically dropping clues throughout and Detective School Q is certainly one of them.

Princess Tutu (2002)

Princess Tutu, a beautiful and talented ballet dancer, wants to collect the pieces of the Prince’s heart, with whom she has fallen in love. However, Tutu is in actuality a duck with the power to transform into a human. The premise may sound absurd, but the story has much deeper complexities with a fairy tale feel to it.

At its heart Princess Tutu is a story about perseverance, love and sacrifice. One of the most underrated mahou shoujo anime, Princess Tutu uses ballet and classical music in great effect to convey the protagonist’s feelings to the viewer. 

 

Bakutou Sengen Daigunder (2002)

In the future, where intelligent robots fight in the Battle Robot League, a young boy named Akira wants to win the prestigious Titan Clouder belt. With the help of his grandfather, the genius inventor Professor Akebono and manager Haruka, Akira leads several battle units including Daigunder, that can transform and combine at his command. However, the evil Professor Maelstrom and his nefarious unit, Ginzan are hellbent on destroying Daigunder.

Daigunder was the first outing for acclaimed studio Brain’s Base. If you’re looking for some light-hearted fun for the weekend then Daigunder should definitely be at the top of your list.

Cromartie High School (2003)

Cromartie High School is full of tough-guy delinquents, each of whom are equally nuts. When an above-average student like Takashi Kamiyama enrolls into the school voluntarily, everyone assumes him to be the toughest kid on the block, which cannot be further away from the truth. As Kamiyama comes to terms with his new environment, he meets a horse-riding mute “Freddie Mercury”, a notorious delinquent who is oblivious to the fact that he is a robot, an intelligent gorilla who has no business being a high-schooler and other interesting characters.

The series is a parody of the ‘yankii’ subculture in manga and anime that became popular in the 80s. If you’re into gag anime with crazy characters in outrageous settings, then ‘Cromartie’ is right up your alley.

 

Cyborg 009: The Cyborg Soldier (2001)

Joe Shimamura is accused of a crime he didn’t commit and when he thought he has died in a stand-off with the local law enforcement, he wakes up to find that he has been turned into a cyborg by a mysterious organization called the Black Ghost. Armed with the power of acceleration, he bands together with the cyborgs that came before him to fight against Black Ghost, eventually becoming their leader.

Cyborg 009, created by Shotaro Ishinomori, was the first superhero team from Japan and this 2001 retelling is one of the most underrated series in this list. The stories are exhilarating and unlike most anime, it has an excellent English dub that is on par with the original.