The 2000s were a great decade for anime, with many modern anime fans having grown up on series that came to embody the era. A lot of classic anime don't feel as old as they really are, with so many 2000s series still feeling like they just recently came out.
But so many anime that fans have come to love over the years are either turning 20 or well past that. 2 006 had some amazing shonen anime premieres, with some having a more lasting impact than others. With that in mind, here's a look back at some of the most notable shonen anime that are turning 20 this year.
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School Rumble: 2nd Semester
One of the many forgotten comedy anime of the 2000s, School Rumble is still a great watch two decades later. It might not have had the same kind of success as other 2000s comedies like Gintama or Azumanga Daioh, but it's still a hilarious series that does a great job of getting a laugh out of viewers.
School Rumble is filled with its fair share of absurd, slapstick moments, but that's not all there is to the series. It takes some time to develop its cast, giving viewers a chance to get to know its core characters in between laughing at their exploits.
Aria the Natural
The second season of the 2005 series, Aria the Animation, Aria the Natural picks up from where season 1 left off, with Akari still trying to become the highest-rank of Undine (basically a sightseeing guide) in Neo-Venezia.
Aria the Natural really improves upon its predecessor, with some solid character development for the series' main cast, accompanied by beautiful visuals. The Aria anime is a great, relaxing watch for fans of slow-burning slice-of-life anime. It still looks great two decades later, so whether you're an old fan jumping back in or new to the series, the visuals and atmosphere will appealto anyone.
Negima!?
Getting into the Negima! Series can be a bit confusing. There's the manga that ran from 2003 to 2012, and then there are a handful of OVAs and two anime adaptations. The first anime adaptation, Negima!, starts off as a retelling of the source material but eventually veers off into anime-only territory. The 2006 series, Negima!?, serves as an alternate version of the story, straying completely from the source material right from the get-go to tell its own story.
Though most fans enjoy the manga's narrative over the anime's alternate retelling, Negima!? Is still a great series in its own right. It starts off a little slow, but the series really finds its footing later on in its run. Studio Shaft delivers some solid animation with its signature style and handles the series' cast a lot better than its predecessor did.
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Black Jack 21
One of the many series penned by the iconic Osamu Tezuka, Black Jack has been around since 1973, with various adaptations coming out over the years.
Black Jack 21 is a solid continuation of the 2004 series, with a bit of a darker tone and an overarching narrative compared to the 2004 series' episodic approach. Both the 2004 series and Black Jack 21 are great adaptations that highlight all that's good about the manga. Some fans weren't as into the overarching narrative as others, but it still stands as a solid story that fans of the series should have fun with.
Gintama
Ginatama might seem like it's all laughs, but the series has some great dramatic moments and action sequences outside the regular slapstick shenanigans most know it for. Gin, Kagura, and Shimpachi make for a great comedic trio, and when the series gets a little more serious, each member of the odd jobs team manages to rise to the occasion, showing that they're more than just one-dimensional gag characters.
The Ginatama anime was around for 12 years, with it ending just a year before the manga did. An anime movie titled Gintama: The Very Final came out in 2021, closing out over a decade of laughs and emotional moments. Gintama fans still have the spin-off, Mr. Ginpachi's Zany Class, which had an anime adaptation air during the Fall 2025 season, if they want to see more of Gin and the rest of the gang.
D.Gray-man
The D.Gray-man manga is still going strong, with 29 volumes and over 250 chapters. Despite the manga having been around for over 20 years now, the anime never really took off in the same way. The D.Gray-man anime ran for 103 episodes from 2006 to 2008 and even got a sequel series, D.Gray-man Hallow, in 2016.
It might not have been the long-running, complete adaptation that the biggest shonen manga benefit from, but the 2006 D.Gray-man anime still does a lot right and ends up being a great experience in its own right. The music is amazing, and the tone of the series really lets it stand out from a lot of its contemporaries at the time.
Death Note
Death Note is turning 20 this year, with October set to mark two decades since Madhouse's adaptation of Tsugumi Ohba and
Takeshi Obata's hit manga aired. Death Note might not be as popular as it once was, but it's still a great watch.
Light might not be the most likable protagonist, but he's definitely an interesting character to follow. From his rise as Kira, to his memorable cat-and-mouse game with L, and him getting his comeuppance, Light is a big part of why Death Note is such a fun, interesting watch. Add in an amazing score and a solid supporting cast, and you can see why it was popular back when it came out.