5 Anime Series of the 2000s That Deserve Modern Reboots

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The 2000s were a really important and innovative time for anime. While anime started becoming known in the West in the 90s, it truly took off in the 2000s with ongoing hits like *One Piece* and the beginnings of popular series such as *Naruto* and *Bleach*. This decade significantly influenced the anime we see today, though it wasn’t without its challenges. Adaptations of manga often struggled with length or staying true to the source material. Nowadays, anime tends to be made for new fans, often using a seasonal release schedule with consistent pacing and high-quality animation.

Producing anime in seasons is beneficial for the studio, allowing them to create a full season of 12 to 24 episodes while maintaining high animation quality. While the five anime listed below are all excellent, updating them with modern reboots could broaden their appeal and reach a larger audience.

5) Claymore

I’m still blown away by *Claymore*! Honestly, it felt so much more sophisticated than a lot of anime from when it first came out. It tackled some really mature stuff, and the female characters were incredibly well-developed, which was pretty rare back then. The world they built was just amazing, so detailed and immersive. The anime came out in 2007 and was based on a manga from 2001, but it only covered about a third of the whole story, and took some liberties with the original plot. It centers around Clare, who’s a really unique character – she’s created as a hybrid, half-human and half-youma, and youma are these terrifying, shapeshifting demons that crave human flesh.

Clare rescues Raki, a young boy who lost his family to a brutal attack. Exiled from his village, he joins Clare on her quest for revenge against the one who harmed someone she loved. The anime adaptation ended after 26 episodes, finishing the story much earlier than the manga. Though often overlooked, the manga is a truly exceptional work that would likely appeal to today’s anime fans, who are increasingly drawn to darker, more intense action stories.

4) InuYasha

The original *InuYasha* anime, while a classic, has an older animation style that might not appeal to modern anime fans who are used to the visuals of shows like *Demon Slayer* and *Dandadan*. A reboot could address the differences between the anime and the original manga, as well as improve the show’s pacing and remove unnecessary filler episodes. The story centers on Kagome Higurashi, a fifteen-year-old girl whose birthday takes a surprising turn when a demon pulls her into the well at her family’s shrine.

Suddenly transported to feudal Japan, Kagome finds herself in a world filled with demons. Struggling to adapt, she encounters Inuyasha, a half-demon who is initially unfriendly, believing she is someone else. Once he understands her situation, he joins forces with her, and together they begin a difficult journey.

3) Naruto

Along with *One Piece* and *Bleach*, *Naruto* is widely considered a classic and one of the most beloved anime series ever made. Although it has exciting action sequences, the animation doesn’t quite measure up to newer anime like *Jujutsu Kaisen* and *Demon Slayer*. Plus, the anime adaptation is very long – 720 episodes for a 700-chapter manga – mostly due to slow pacing and unnecessary filler content.

The upcoming reboot doesn’t need to retell the story, but it offers a chance to update the animation and storytelling to modern standards. The series follows Naruto, a young orphan who is rejected by his village but dreams of becoming Hokage – the village leader and strongest ninja. Despite struggling with his ninja abilities and failing his early tests, Naruto overcomes every obstacle with hard work and determination.

2) Bleach

Having followed *Naruto*, I wasn’t surprised to see *Bleach* struggle with its anime adaptation in similar ways. Just like *Naruto* altered some of Sakura’s scenes, *Bleach* did the same with its main female character, Orihime Inoue. But the *Thousand-Year Blood War* arc really showed what *Bleach* could be when given the proper treatment – a seasonal release with significantly improved animation. The difference between the original anime and that final arc, which came out over ten years later, is striking, and it’s clear fans overwhelmingly prefer the newer version.

Bleach centers around Ichigo Kurosaki, a high school student with the ability to see ghosts. When he meets Rukia Kuchiki, a Soul Reaper, he discovers the existence of Hollows – dangerous spirits created from the souls of the dead. Initially, Ichigo doubts their existence, but when his family is threatened, he’s forced to believe. To save them, he temporarily takes on Rukia’s powers after she’s injured, becoming a Substitute Soul Reaper – a role normally impossible for a human to fill.

1) D.Gray-man

Despite being a bit overlooked, *D.Gray-man* has a loyal following thanks to its imaginative world, creative powers, beautiful artwork, and exciting plot. Unfortunately, the series suffered from frequent breaks, which prevented it from gaining wider recognition and made it difficult for the anime adaptation to fully capture the story. The manga has moved between different magazines over the years due to these challenges, but it’s still being published, nearly twenty years after it first began.

The story takes place in the late 1800s and centers on Allen Walker, a gifted young exorcist with a special, cursed eye. This eye lets him see the souls trapped inside artificial monsters called Akuma, which are created by a villain named the Millennium Earl. The Earl plans to unleash a huge disaster, but a group called the Black Order is working to stop him. They recruit exorcists like Allen to fight the Akuma and protect humanity.

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2025-10-20 01:11