The year 2000 had an amazing manga series. While shonen titles like Naruto and One piece really made a name for themselves over the decade, starting serialization in the late 90s. Other amazing shonen manga debuted throughout the decade and gained a large following, with some still highly regarded fans two decades later.
Some years were better than others, but every year after 2000 had at least a few notable shonen manga debuts. With so much going on, it was hard to narrow things down to just one series for the year. Here's a look back at one of the best decades for shonen manga and the series that stood out from each year.
Best Shonen Anime of every year after 2000
What were the best Shonen anime movies that came out 20 years ago?
2000: Black Cat
Before he became famous Love RuKentaro Yabuki started another series that was serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump, Black cat. While Love Ru is somewhat infamous for his comedically over-the-top fan service, Black cat is a more straightforward action adventure series.
The series follows Train Heartnet, a bounty hunter with a mysterious past. Black cat it didn't take that long Love Ru or its sequel series, with the final manga chapter released in June 2004. Despite being overshadowed by other Yabuki works, Black cat it still holds up as a fun read.
Hiromu Arakawa is one of the most famous mangaka of the 21st century with his 2001 series. All Metal Alchemistmaking her one of the best of her generation. The story follows the Elric Brothers who, after losing their original bodies in an unfortunate ritual of human transmutation, set out to find out how to get them back while uncovering dark truths about their homeland of Amestris.
All Metal Alchemist received two amazing anime adaptations, a 2003 series that deviated from the source material at Arakawa's request, and a 2009 series that Brotherhoodwhich was much more faithful to the manga. Both anime have their strengths, but fans really need to read the manga to get the full experience All Metal Alchemist experience.
2002: Eyeshield 21
When it comes to sports manga, baseball has become the most popular sport for mangaka, with countless popular sports series focusing on it. However, over the years tons of unique sports series have been released focusing on different sports. One of the biggest sports series of the 2000s, Eye shield 21, focuses on American football.
The series is a pretty standard underdog story that follows Sena Kobayakawa, who is forced by the quarterback of his high school football team to join as a running back due to his surprising speed. Now a key part of the team, Sena gradually builds bonds with his teammates and becomes more comfortable with himself as a person and a soccer player over the course of the manga.
2003: Soul Eater
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With the anime adaptation of Atsushi Ohkubo's Fire Force currently airing, it's easy to overlook the mangaka's other notable series, Soul Eater. Soul Eater takes place in Death City, where the students of the Death Weapon Meister Academy work to defend humanity from evil creatures and forces. The student body is divided into two categories: Demon Weapons, which are people who can transform into various weapons, and Meisters, who are trained to use these weapons in battle.
Soul Eater is one of the best shonen manga of its era, and the series ended in 2013. The anime adaptation of Bones aired from 2008 to 2009, but as it caught up with the manga, it deviated from the source material at the end. It's still a great series and with a bit of luck Fire Force the anime will be successful enough that Bones or another studio will be in the business of giving Soul Eater the complete adaptation it deserves.
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2004: JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part 7: Steel Ball Run
Hirohiko Araki's JoJo's Bizarre Adventure is still going strong with part 9, JoJoLandswhich is currently being serialized in Shueisha's Ultra Jump magazine. Although each episode has its ardent fans, Steel ball run is considered the best JoJo has a lot to offer.
Taking place in a separate continuation of the previous six parts, Steel ball run follows Johnny Joestar, a disabled former jockey, who decides to enter the Steel Ball Run after meeting a mysterious racer named Gyro Zeppeli. An anime adaptation was announced in April 2025 and will stream on Netflix from March 19, 2026.
2005: Higurashi WHEN SHE CRIES
It may be strange to see Ryukishi07's breakthrough audio novel, Higurashi when they cry mentioned among the best shonen manga series of the 2000s, but the manga adaptation was serialized in various shonen magazines during its six-year run, from Monthly Shonen Gangan to Monthly GFantasy and more. Although the series is notable for its horror psychological elements, the overarching themes of friendship and overcoming hardships through the connections you make with others are classic shonen tropes.
Higurashi takes place in the remote village of Hinamizawa. The series follows Keiichi Maebara, who has recently moved to a village with his family. Although Keiichi seems to quickly make friends and adjust quickly to his new life, his idyllic village life begins to take a sinister turn when he learns of a series of murders and disappearances linked to the Hinamizawa's annual cotton drifting festival and their mysterious deity Oyashiro.
2006: Pandora Hearts
Although no longer as popular as it was during its run, Heart of Pandora it still stands out as one of the best shonen series of its era. The series follows Oz Vessalius, who is banished to a place called the Abyss by the mysterious Baskerville clan during a coming-of-age ceremony. Now trapped in the Abyss, Oz teams up with Alice, herself a monster inhabiting the Abyss called 'Chain', to escape the Abyss and return home.
Heart of Pandora ran in Square Enix's Monthly GFantasy from 2006 to 2015 and received an anime adaptation by Xebec in 2009. The anime is a good enough adaptation of the beginning of the manga, but with only 25 episodes, it falls short of the source material.
2007: SKET Dance
SKET dance is a great series, but when it comes to 2000s Jump manga, it's often overshadowed by the iconic 'Big 3' and other contemporaries. But that doesn't change the fact that it was one of the better shonen manga of the 2000s.
The series follows the daily activities of high school club Sket-dan, who spend their time helping out fellow students and even the odd teacher or two. The club consists of three members: leader Yuusuke, Hime, and Kazuyoshi, and while the group is committed to helping those around them, they end up spending a lot of time messing around in amusing ways. SKET dance it still holds up as a great comedy and is fun to read after all these years.
2008: The World Only God Knows
Harem manga were a dime a dozen in the 2000s, so a series would have to do something unique to stand out from the seemingly never-ending wave of competitors. Tamiki Wakaki Only God knows the world it definitely adds an interesting spin to the formula.
The series follows Keima Katsuragi, a high school student who is incredibly skilled at dating games. Although Keima is well known for his online gaming skills, he is an outcast at school. But Keima's gaming skills come in handy when he accidentally makes a deal with a demon named Elsie, who is tasked with capturing escaped spirits that have taken refuge in the hearts of various girls. Forced to help Elsie fight all the runaway ghosts, Keima tries his dating skills in the real world.
2009: Attack on Titan
Attack on Titan debuted right in the late 2000s, so the series is more associated with the 2010s due to its anime adaptation and manga dominance during that decade. Even so, if you talk about the best anime of 2009, you have to mention AoT.
The manga ran in Bessatsu Shonen Magazine from 2009 to 2021, with an anime adaptation from 2013 to 2023. The manga and anime quickly became international hits, and fans around the world fell in love with Hajime Isayama's characters and world-building. Its ending was one of the most talked about in recent times and remains a favorite among anime and manga fans.
