The 2000s had some great manga series. While shonen titles such as Naruto and One Piece really made a name for themselves throughout the decade, they started serializing in the late 90s. Other great shonen manga debuted during the decade and went on to gain large followings, with some still highly regarded by fans two decades later.
Some years were better than others, but every year in the 2000s had at least a few notable shonen manga debuts. With so much out there, it was hard to narrow things down to just one series for a given year. Here's a look back at one of the best decades of shonen manga, and the series that stood out from each year.
The Best Shonen Anime Movie of Every Year in the 2000s
What were the best Shonen anime movies that came out 20 years ago?
2000: Black Cat
Before he became famous for To love RuKentaro Yabuki got his start with another series followed up in Weekly Shonen Jump, Black cat. While To love Ru are somewhat notorious for their comically 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 didn't last as long as To love Ru or its sequel did, with the manga's final chapter released in June 2004. Despite being overshadowed by Yabuki's other works, Black cat still holds up as a fun read.
Hiromu Arakawa is one of the most celebrated mangaka of the 2000s, with his series from 2001, Full metal alchemisthaving established her as one of the best of her generation. The story follows the Elric brothers, who, after losing their original bodies in an unfortunate human transformation ritual, set out to learn how to get them back while uncovering dark truths about their homeland, Amestris.
Full metal alchemist received two great anime adaptations, the 2003 series, which deviated from the source material at Arakawa's request, and the 2009 series, Brotherhoodwhich was much more faithful to the manga. Both anime have their strong points, but fans really need to read the manga to get the whole thing Full metal alchemist experience.
2002: Eyeshield 21
When it comes to sports manga, baseball has emerged as the most popular sport for mangaka to write around, with a myriad of popular sports series focusing on it. But lots of unique sports series focusing on different sports have come out over the years. One of the biggest sports series of the 21st century, Eyeshield 21, focuses on American football.
The series is a fairly standard underdog story, following Sena Kobayakawa, who is forced by his high school football team's Quarterback to join as a running back due to his surprising speed. Now a key part of the team, Sena gradually bonds with his teammates and becomes more comfortable with himself as a person and soccer player as the manga continues.
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 is set in Death City, where students at the Death Weapon Meister Academy work to defend humanity from evil creatures and forces. The student body is divided into two categories: Demon Weapons, who are people who can shape-shift into various weapons, and Masters, who are trained to use these weapons in battle.
Soul Eater is one of the best shonen manga of its time, with the series' run ending in 2013. An anime adaptation of Bones aired from 2008 to 2009, but due to catching up with the manga, it diverged from the source material at the end. It's still a great series, and with any luck, it Firepower anime will be successful enough that Bones or another studio will consider giving Soul Eater the full customization 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 on a roll, with part 9, JoJoLand'scurrently serialized in Shueisha's Ultra Jump magazine. While each part has its ardent fans, Steel Ball Run considered to be the best JoJo has to offer by many.
Taking place in a separate continuity from the previous six parts, Steel Ball Run follows Johnny Joestar, a disabled former jockey who decides to enter the Steel Ball Run race after encountering a mysterious driver named Gyro Zeppeli. An anime adaptation was announced in April 2025 and will stream on Netflix starting March 19, 2026.
2005: Higurashi WHEN THEY CRY
It might be strange to see Ryukishi07's groundbreaking audio novel, Higurashi when they cry, cited 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 known for its psychological horror elements, the overarching themes are friendship and overcoming hardships through the connections you make with other classic shonen tropes.
Higurashi is located in the remote village of Hinamizawa. The series follows Keiichi Maebara, who recently moved to the village with his family. Although Keiichi seems to make friends quickly and quickly adapt to his new life, his idyllic village life begins to take a sinister turn when he learns of a series of murders and disappearances connected to 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, Pandora hearts still stands out as one of the best shonen series of its time. The series follows Oz Vessalius, who is banished to a place called the Abyss by the mysterious Baskerville clan during his coming of age ceremony. Now trapped in the Abyss, Oz teams up with Alice, who is herself an Abyssal Monster called a “Chain”, to escape the Abyss and get back home.
Pandora hearts ran in Square Enix's Monthly GFantasy from 2006 to 2015, and received an anime adaptation from Xebec in 2009. The anime is a good enough adaptation of the beginning of the manga, but at only 25 episodes, it just doesn't compare to the source material.
2007: SKET Dance HAPPENED
SKET Dance is a great series, but when it comes to 21st century 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 the high school club Sket-dan, who spends his time helping fellow students and even the odd teacher or two. The club consists of three members: the leader Yuusuke, Hime, and Kazuyoshi, and while the group is committed to helping those around them, they end up spending a lot of their time fooling around in funny ways. SKET Dance still holds up as a great comedy and is a fun read all these years later.
2008: The World God Only Knows
Harem manga were pretty much a dime a dozen back in the 2000s, so a series would need to do something unique to stand out from the seemingly never-ending wave of competitors out there. Tamiki Wakaki's The world only God knows definitely gives an interesting spin to the formula.
The series follows Keima Katsuragi, a high school student who is incredibly skilled at dating games. Although he is well known for his online gaming skills, Keima is a school outcast. But Keima's gaming skills come in handy when he accidentally forms a contract with a demon named Elsie, tasked with capturing rampant spirits that have been hiding in the hearts of various girls. Forced to help Elsie deal with all the runaway spirits, Keima puts her dating skills to the test 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 thanks to the anime adaptation and the dominance of the manga in that decade. Even so, if you're talking about the best anime of 2009, you have to mention it AoT.
The manga ran in Bessatsu Shonen Magazine from 2009 to 2021, with the anime adaptation from 2013 to 2023. The manga and anime quickly became international hits, with fans worldwide falling in love with Hajime Isayama's characters and world-building. Its ending was one of the most talked about in recent memory, and it remains a favorite among anime and manga fans.
