NHK Anime from The 2000s - (Save these illustrations!) It all started here.
Do you remember how these anime used to keep your eyes glued on your TV screen? Like that day of your childhood when you had a cold and had to take a day off from school and, while waiting for lunch to be ready, you turned on the TV to find some random anime playing. You started watching it while eating and got immersed in the story... So much so that your hands stopped moving altogether and you ignited your parent's wrath!
Many of these anime were targeted at children, but some are actually interesting even for adults. It's no wonder that us adults will readily jump at the chance to binge-watch those anime now. Another nostalgic thing about the anime of the 2000s is the fact that originally created anime titles were just as many as those derived from popular works.
This time, we are featuring some of the countless anime works that aired back in the 2000s. You used to be engrossed in these works as boys and girls, but now that you're all adults, why don't you take a moment to reminisce about the good old days? Enjoy!
Cardcaptor Sakura (2000)
An anime adaptation of the manga Cardcaptor Sakura.
Both the second and third seasons started airing in the early 2000s.
Corrector Yui (2000)
An NHK original anime based on Nanso Satomi Hakkenden by Bakin Takizawa.
The anime contains magical girl elements as the protagonist, Yui Kasuga, requires certain suits to battle an enemy that is intent on controlling humanity in a world where the computer world ComNet exists.
UFO Baby (2001)
An anime adaptation of the manga UFO Baby (Daa! Daa! Daa! in Japanese).
Since the manga serialization and anime series ended at about the same time, there are differences in character settings and story development.
Kasumin (2001)
An NHK original anime that depicts the life of the protagonist Kasumi Haruno as she interacts with yokai and becomes acquainted with their daily strenuous efforts.
Three seasons were aired in total and the series has also been adapted into manga.
The Twelve Kingdoms (2001)
The anime is based on the novel series with the same title.
A total of 45 episodes were aired, some of which feature original stories.
Bubu Chacha (2002)
The anime tells the story of a 3-year-old boy named Buddy (Boku in Japanese) and his pet dog Chacha, who is now living as a toy car, as they investigate bizarre events that occur around them.
Each story ends in an episode and back then, Bubu Chacha was a smash hit work that was as well-received as the Cardcaptor Sakura series.
Adventure Airline Montana (2003)
Presented with a new title, the series is actually a rerun of the Montana Jones anime series which was originally aired in 1994.
This series shares many similarities with Sherlock Hound, an anime produced and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, since the company that created Sherlock Hound was also involved in the making of this series.
Shingu: Secret of the Stellar Wars (2003)
The story unfolds as our protagonist befriends a transfer student who is able to use secret powers, and the two of them get involved in a series of intergalactic events.
The series was aired in 2001 on NHK's Eisei Anime Gekijo and later NHK Educational TV.
Uninhabited Planet Survive! (2003)
An NHK original anime.
The science-fiction survival series revolves around boys and girls who are determined to work together in order to return home from an unknown planet.
Check out the illustrations here!
Phoenix (2004)
An anime adaptation of the manga Phoenix by Osamu Tezuka.
Due to the fact that the manga was still ongoing at the time, the anime series adapted 5 out of what would be 12 manga volumes. The series applied the newest technology then to reproduce the colors of the Phoenix.
Planetes (2004)
An anime adaptation of the manga Planetes.
The series is a memorable piece known for the plot that surrounds the issue of space debris as well as the detailed portrayals which were based on the hypotheses of space development situations and the tests to prove them at the time of the anime production.
Check out the illustrations here!
Major (2004)
An anime adaptation of the manga MAJOR.
The anime adaptation was announced as a piece to commemorate the 10th year anniversary of the manga serialization. After six years of broadcasting, the long-running anime series ended with 154 episodes aired in total.
Future Boy Conan (2004)

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by 高玖のぞむ-根雪堂-
A rerun of the anime Future Boy Conan which was originally aired in 1978.
This was the first work that Hayao Miyazaki directed and the ending theme song has been introduced on NHK's Minna no Uta.
Twin Spica (2005)
An anime adaptation of the manga Twin Spica (Futatsu no Spica in Japanese).
The story depicts the life of our protagonist Asumi, who lost her mother in a rocket crash incident, and her comrades as they aim to explore the universe someday. The anime series was aired at the same time as the manga serialization and presented the audience with an original anime ending.
Kyo Kara Maoh! (2005)
Based on the light novel series Maru-MA, the anime adaptation was given the title Kyo Kara Maoh! and depicts a fantasy tale that takes place in a different world.
Tsubasa Chronicle (2005)
An anime adaptation of the manga Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle.
The anime series not only tones down the battle scenes but also removes all drinking and gambling scenes. The insert songs have been used for the NHK program Historical Anecdote.
The Snow Queen (2005)
An anime adaptation of the fairy tale Snow Queen.
With a plot that contains original takes, this series was an anime adaptation of a fairy tale masterpiece after a long time. The anime series was also known for the brilliant cast of voice actors.
Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius (2006)
An anime adaptation based on an original animation movie from the United States.
Only some parts of the plot were aired on NHK.
Zenmai Zamurai (2006)
The series contains mini-episodes, each goes on for 5 minutes.
Starting from the second season, however, each episode aired for 10 minutes and two episodes were aired per one airdate. The series has also been adapted into a comic series.
Mirakuru! Mimika (2006)
The protagonist is a young princess who dreams of becoming a world-class cook, and the series depicts her growth as well as that of her friends as they learn to create various kinds of cuisines.
The series was targeted at children and meant to be an educational program about cooking and healthy eating.
Check out the illustrations here!
Samurai 7 (2006)
This series was released as a remake of Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai film in order to celebrate its 50th anniversary.
Although the series is based on the film Seven Samurai, the latter half of the series contains original plot developments. The anime was later adapted into a stage play.
Jang Geum's Dream
The anime series depicts the childhood of the protagonist of the Korean drama Dae Jang Geum.
As a Korean anime series, the series was broadcasted with two languages, namely the original audio and Japanese voice dubbing.
Gakuen Alice (2006)
An anime adaptation of the manga Gakuen Alice.
The series portrays up to the fifth volume of the manga and begins featuring original anime stories starting from the middle of the series.
Ukkari Penelope (2006)
An anime adaptation of the picture book series Penelope.
The series is known for its unique animation style, which resembles the warm drawings of a picture book. This is possible because although the animation was created using 3D computer graphics, special effects were added to make the graphics look hand-drawn.
Yasai no Yousei: N.Y. Salad (2007)
The series illustrates the lives of vegetable fairies that dwell in the kitchen.
The anime series is based on an art book by Yoshitaka Amano, who is known for his involvement as a character designer in the Final Fantasy series, and was rebroadcasted on the TV program Okaasan to Issho.
The Story of Saiunkoku (2007)
Based on the light novel series Story of Saiunkoku.
The series managed to gain popularity due to its inspiring depiction of life in an imperial palace. It depicts the power struggle in the imperial palace as well as secret plots that powerful families cook up against each other.
SpongeBob SquarePants (2007)
A comedy anime that portrays the happy days of a sponge boy SpongeBob and his friends in a city located under the sea.
The series may be directed at children, but the audience includes people of all ages. It is currently airing on NHK.
Shaun the Sheep (2007)
The anime series features chaotic and hilarious episodes involving Shaun the sheep and his friends, who live on a farm. The characters are made of clay and the series is shot in a stop-motion animation style. A movie adaptation was released in 2015.
Kaze no Shoujo Emily (2007)
An anime adaptation of the Emily novel series by Montgomery.
The stories depicted in the anime series are loosely based on the original novels and incorporate only the main elements.
Coil--A Circle of Children (2007)
Our protagonist moves to the city where her grandmother lives and gets involved in a series of bizarre incidents and encounters that are related to the Denno (cyber brain) world and Denno eyeglasses.
This cyberpunk series is an interesting work because although it contains science-fiction elements, Daikoku--the city where everything takes place--is imbued with a nostalgic atmosphere.
Little Charo (2008)
The series tells us the story of Charo, a puppy that got lost in the city of New York, as he sets out to find his master.
Although the series was designed as an English lesson program, each 5-minute episode was so refreshing and easy to understand that the series managed to snatch the hearts of people of all ages.
Seirei no Moribito (2008)
An anime adaptation of the novel Seirei no Moribito.
The anime was adapted into a live-action drama in 2016 and it became a smash hit.
Telepathy Shojo Ran (2008)
An anime adaptation of the Telepathy Shojo Ran Jiken Note juvenile novel series.
The series was rebroadcasted in 2010, except for the scenes that recall an earthquake and tsunami in the wake of the Great East Japan Earthquake.
Allison & Lillia (2008)
An anime adaptation of the Hitotsu no Tairiku no Monogatari light novel series.
The series removes any straightforward depiction of murder and presents only the characters' inspiring and dynamic adventure.
Kemono no Soja Erin (2009)
An anime adaptation of the novel Kemono no Soja.
The anime series covers the Toda arc and the Oju arc.
Cookin' Idol Ai! Mai! Main! (2009)
The anime series was created as an educational program that encourages cooking and healthy eating for children.
Each episode is comprised of an anime part that follows the growth of our cooking idol protagonist Main Hiiragi and a live-action part that features an actual cooking show shot in the TV studio.
Marie & Gali (2009)
A short anime aired on NHK's scientific show Suiensaa.
Marika hates science, but then she grows to understand why science is so fun as she learns interesting science lessons at the town of Galihabara, home of famous scientists.
Tytania (2009)
An anime series based on Tytania, a long-running space opera novel series.
The anime series follows the novel series up to the second volume and includes original anime stories. The novel serialization was still ongoing at the time the anime series was airing. As the result, the anime series came to a close with an ending that would give a room for a sequel.
Element Hunters (2009)
An original Japanese-Korean anime.
The story depicts the adventure of boys and girls who fight in a different world in order to save Earth from the calamities that keep occurring due to the disappearance of chemical elements. The anime series has gained various forms of adaptations.
Kawa no Hikari (2009)
Inspired by the novel Kawa no Hikari (Light of the River).
A family of black rats sets out on a journey to find a new home after humans chased them out of their previous dwelling place.
Guin Saga (2009)
An anime adaptation of the long-running grand novel series Guin Saga.
The anime series covers up to the sixteenth volume of the novel series. There are original characters in the anime series, but they were well-received by most fans of the novel series.
Check out the illustrations here!
Did some of these works spark a nostalgic feeling in you? Did you watch any of these works in your childhood?
Some of the works listed above have just a handful of fan-art, so what are you waiting for? Post your illustrations on pixiv now!