The worst fantasy anime of every year in the 2000s

Getting lost in a good fantasy anime for hours is often the best kind of escape. With all the elements that come with the genre, from different creatures and races, unique magic systems, extraordinary worlds and even enchanted weapons, almost all fantasy anime provides a sense of wonder and adventure that keeps viewers picking up one title after another.

Unfortunately some fantasy anime, especially those released in the 2000s, promise magic but ultimately miss the mark. They trapped viewers in their confusing, lackluster fantasy world, instead of creating wonder and sparking imagination. While it's true that the 2000s delivered some outstanding fantasy anime, the decade undeniably produced its fair share of disappointing titles as well.

2000: Mon Colle Knights

What a terrible fantasy anime that Mon Colle Knightsreleasing 51 episodes with a running time of about 23 minutes each came as a big surprise. It's one of those shows that follows a typical anime duo in their monster hunting adventure in another world.

Each episode has Mondo and Rokuna fighting villains looking for the same treasures the duo is after, resulting in recycled scenes and a predictable plot that never builds towards anything meaningful.

Worse, the pace of Mon Colle Knights is so fast that it rushes through many moments from start to finish. The transitions from one moment to another are practically non-existent, making it difficult to follow the story.

2001: Samurai Girl Real Bout High School

Even today, it's hard to find a fantasy anime with a female samurai as the protagonist, but then there are Samurai Girl Real Bout High School, which was released in 2001. This fantasy anime had so much potential, but its lack of clear direction and proper character development ended up dragging the series down. Had the anime stuck to the K-fights between high school students, instead of including monsters from another dimension, it could have been more watchable and tolerable.

The fantasy anime also has a beautiful main character who knows how to fight for herself, but she never got proper character development. Instead of giving her the development she needs, the show would rather feed viewers her unnecessary underwear shots.

2002: Generation of Chaos Next

Don't be fooled by the catchy anime opening theme song Generation of Chaos Nextbecause the actual anime content is so horribly executed that it would surely ruin a viewer's experience and leave them frustrated rather than entertained.

The animation of this fantasy anime OVA reeks of low production values, giving viewers the impression that little or no care was put into the visuals. The anime even relies on bad CGI to add laughable effects that made the scenes even more disappointing.

Even the character dialogue is terrible, although the voice actors deserve props for trying to bring energy and personality despite the weak script.

2003: Saint Beast

Even the best-looking anime characters can't save Saint Beast from disappointment, as no amount of good looks can mask bland storytelling, boring animation and a lack of character development. This fantasy anime will not even appeal to fans of boy love shows, as all its episodes hardly develop meaningful relationships between the characters.

In other words, the only good thing about Saint Beast are its beautiful, handsome characters. Even the fight scenes are painful to watch, repeating the same sequences where a character strikes a cool pose and then freezes awkwardly, looking more like a static image than an action-packed fantasy battle.

2004: The Cosmopolitan Prayers

Getting lost in the story of The Cosmopolitan Prayers is understandable, as the fantasy anime deliberately avoids a proper introduction to the characters and the world, leaving viewers confused as to who is who and why any of the events matter. The pilot episode did so little to clarify everything about the series, making it hard to see to the end.

One moment the main character is traveling by train; the next, she's standing in a temple, and suddenly she's in another world, creating a chaotic narrative flow. All of a sudden, someone is rushing her to save the world, but the anime provides no context or build-up. Even worse, the anime also interrupts any potential story development by dropping unnecessary fanservice out of nowhere.

2005: Fighting Fairy Girl: Save Me, Mave-chan!

In this fantasy anime OVA, Rei Sugiyama's otaku dream comes true when he is transported to a fantasy world full of beautiful anime girls. He was supposed to attend an anime meeting, but his trip to the bathroom suddenly sends him to a wasteland, setting off a series of chaotic meetings and various references that not everyone will understand.

While that premise sounds intriguing, the fantasy anime is too short to deliver a satisfying story. While the female characters are cute and adorable, they barely get any development, and their personalities feel one-dimensional. As for the animation, it's natural to expect above-average quality for an OVA, but this one fails to impress.

2006: Gun-Dou Musashi

Gun-Dou Musashi is another poorly made fantasy anime from the 21st century. No wonder many fans consider this fantasy anime to be one of the worst of its time due to its low-budget animation, awkward character designs, and painfully stiff fight sequences that border more on the comical. There are many scenes where the anime uses real photographs instead of hand drawn ones, resulting in a patchwork look that feels cheap and disjointed.

In addition, the act of Gun-Dou Musashi barely makes sense, especially since the main character, a supposed gun-wielding samurai, hardly ever uses his sword. There are a lot of good fantasy anime out there, so it's best to skip this one.

2007: Prism Sheet

Prism Sheet could have been a great fantasy anime, especially with its uniquely designed characters that look adorable and its pretty decent animation. However, the anime doesn't really have a cohesive plot. Instead of building an engaging plot, it jumps between ideas without proper development.

In addition, Prism Sheet leans more towards the romance, focusing on the slow development between Precia and Hyaweh instead of exploring the larger conflict with the evil organization that could have made its fantasy setting more vivid and compelling. Also, the anime bombards viewers with fanservice, which feels distracting.

2008: Koihime Musou

Following a group of adventurers on the journey of a lifetime is often a thrilling experience in a fantasy anime, but still Koihime Musou fails to deliver a fun and memorable mission.

IN Koihime Musouwe follow lovely anime girls on their quest to rid the world of bandits, but instead of feeling like an epic quest, they hardly involve themselves in conflicts that have any real weight or consequences. Sure, they face these enemies, but they do so with little effort, as if nothing really matters in the long run.

2009: 11 eyes

11 eyes had a unique story, but its messy execution felt like it was trying too hard to be edgy and mysterious, jam-packed with twists and dark themes without proper build-up. While the anime features great character designs from Satsuki Kakeru and his childhood friend, Yuka Minase, the series struggles to give these characters depth and motivation that feels compelling.

From one episode to another, viewers watch as Kakeru and Minase are thrown into dangerous situations that usually end up in darkness. It's almost as if this anime doesn't want viewers to care about the characters despite the potential for meaningful drama and tension. Also, Minase and Kakeru aren't exactly the kind of characters that are easy to like due to their indecisiveness and constant whining.