Best Action Anime of 2000

On her fifteenth birthday, Kagome Higurashi is suddenly dragged by a demon into the old well at her family's shrine, sending her back to feudal Japan, a time when demons roamed freely. There, she becomes the target of relentless attacks from creatures driven by their desire for the Shikon Jewel, a small orb of immense power that she unknowingly carries. In this dangerous situation, she meets Inuyasha, a half-demon boy who initially mistakes her for Kikyou, a shrine maiden he holds a grudge against. This resemblance sparks a strong hostility from Inuyasha toward Kagome. Yet, once he understands the peril they both face, he puts his animosity aside and offers his help. During a struggle over the Shikon Jewel, the sacred object is broken into countless fragments that scatter across the land. Alarmed by the potential chaos this could cause, Kagome and Inuyasha embark on a difficult mission to gather the shards before they can be misused.

Yuugi Mutou is a lonely and somewhat naive high school student with a deep fascination for games. While staying with his grandfather, who runs a game shop, he stumbles upon an ancient Egyptian artifact called the "Millennium Puzzle." Legend has it that whoever solves the puzzle will have any wish granted. Determined to make friends, Yuugi dedicates himself to solving it. After years of effort, he finally completes the puzzle and mysteriously finds his wish has come true. Around the same time, a new card game called "Duel Monsters" begins to gain widespread popularity. In this game, players known as duelists battle each other using monster cards, supported by magic and trap cards to disrupt their opponent's strategies. Yuugi quickly becomes skilled at the game and enjoys a peaceful life with his newfound friends. But Yuugi's tranquility is short-lived. The undefeated duelist and egocentric billionaire Seto Kaiba kidnaps Yuugi's grandfather, forcing him into a duel for the rare "Blue Eyes White Dragon" card. This event thrusts Yuugi into a world of intense battles, with stakes escalating as dark forces begin to meddle from the shadows. After unexpectedly defeating Kaiba with the help of his "other self"—the spirit of a nameless pharaoh residing within the puzzle—Yuugi unofficially becomes the top duelist, known as "The King of Games." However, this new title attracts envy, and Yuugi must use all his intelligence and willpower to protect what he holds most dear.

Taichi Yagami and his companions have progressed to junior high school, but in that time, they've lost touch with their Digimon partners. So Taichi is startled when he receives an unexpected distress call summoning him to the Digital World. Upon arriving, he discovers that Digimon are terrified of the mysterious Digimon Emperor, who is somehow preventing them from Digivolving! Back in the real world, Hikari Yagami and Takeru Takaishi find themselves together in the same fifth-grade class. They share three classmates: Daisuke Motomiya, who reminds them both of Taichi; Miyako Inoue, a genius with technology; and Iori Hida, Miyako's neighbor. When these three youngsters receive "D-3" Digivices, they—together with Hikari and Takeru, who still have their original Digivices—form the next generation of "Chosen Children" who must save the world once more. Using the power of the Armored Digi-Eggs, they must foil the Digimon Emperor's schemes to extend his dominion over the entire Digital World.

Long ago, humans and demons coexisted peacefully until the demons turned hostile and conspired to free Gyumao, a malevolent entity imprisoned for millennia. Genjo Sanzo, a renegade priest, joins forces with three demon companions—Sha Gojyo, Son Goku, and Cho Hakkai—to undertake a dangerous expedition westward. Their mission is to prevent the resurrection of Gyumao and reestablish equilibrium between the human and demon realms.

After three years apart since their previous interstellar journey, Lafiel Abriel and Jinto Linn are reunited; Lafiel now commands the attack ship Basroil and Jinto serves as her supply officer. The renewed war between the Abh Empire and the Triple Alliance thrusts the inexperienced pair into the forefront of the deadly conflict. As the catastrophic battle between pure humankind and their greatest creation, the Abh, rages on, both parties recognize that their struggle is not merely over territory but about settling the inherent differences between themselves.

The sequel to the renowned Medabots franchise continues the adventures of Ikki and Metabee. After facing a mysterious adversary named Jinkai and the so-called Death Medabots, Ikki, Metabee, Nae, and Erica team up to overcome these foes.

Genki is an avid video game enthusiast who finds himself transported into the Monster Rancher world. There, he crosses paths with Holly and a group of monsters including Mochi, Suezo, Golem, Tiger, and Hare. Picking up the narrative where the previous tale ended, Genki and his companions set out to win the Legend Cup, aiming to release Holly’s father from the clutches of the mysterious disc.

Set during the Edo or Tokugawa era (1600–1868), the series follows Ran, a female wandering samurai whose proficiency with the katana is rivaled only by her love for sake. She is accompanied by a Chinese martial artist who introduces herself as Lady Meow of the Iron Cat Fist. The narrative unfolds through standalone episodes that function as brief vignettes chronicling their various adventures.

Milk-chan is a slobbering, foul-mouthed baby sharing an apartment with Tetsuko the outdated robot, Hanage the slug, and an uncontrollable pet named Robodog. When the President calls, Milk-chan and the crew dash to the scene to handle any issue—whether it's putting a stop to a money forger who craves Belgian waffles or providing therapy to a school of drunk fish. Meanwhile, they must dodge a persistent landlord, since they're six months behind on rent.

A narrative set in the mid-1800s follows a young doctor educated in Western medicine and a young samurai striving to uphold the old ways of his class and culture. The story is based on real individuals—the doctor, Ryoan, was Tezuka's great-grandfather. In the Second Year of Ansei (1855) in Edo's Koishigawa district, two young men cross paths: Manjiro Ibutani and Ryoan Tezuka. Ibutani is a low-ranking samurai with exceptional swordsmanship and a blunt, powerful sense of justice. Tezuka, by contrast, has a more carefree demeanor—he has an eye for women but is deeply passionate about becoming a physician. These two opposite characters come of age against the backdrop of the turbulent final years of the Tokugawa Period (1600–1868 CE).

A series based off of the Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Children franchise.

Jimmy was an ordinary boy who enjoyed playing computer games. One day, while he was playing a game called "Track City," he suddenly found himself transported into the game world! After regaining consciousness, a woman who appears to be the city's mayoress explains to him that the world is being threatened by a powerful and malicious virus, and she and her allies can only hope to seek help from the "Legendary Racer," the top player of Track City. Things become complicated when Jimmy learns that the game made an error and mistook him for the Legendary Racer! Will Jimmy acquire the skills necessary to defeat the viruses endangering the world? Or will he be eliminated by the "Big Head," the heavenly punisher that destroys those who cannot achieve victory?