Best Action Anime of 2005

The world has been transformed into a hunting ground for the Crimson Denizens, enigmatic entities from a parallel dimension that feed on human life energy. These ruthless killers leave behind only faint remnants of souls known as "Torches," which are mere residues destined to be destroyed, erasing the victims' existence from the memories of the living. To halt this silent, voracious slaughter, warriors known as Flame Hazes engage in an endless battle against these monsters. One day, Yuuji Sakai’s life changes drastically when he finds himself trapped in a time distortion and attacked by a Denizen. He is saved at the last moment by a nameless hunter who appears to be an ordinary girl, save for her fiery crimson hair and intense eyes. Before Yuuji can fully understand what is happening, he realizes he has already been reduced to a Torch—a fragment of memory poised for extinction.

Saya Otonashi leads an ordinary life with her adopted family in Okinawa City, appearing to be a typical high school girl. Her only unusual traits are a tendency toward anemia and a complete lack of memories from before the past year. But Saya's forgotten history resurfaces when she is attacked at school by a blood-drinking creature. A mysterious man named Haji intervenes to drive the monster away. When he forces her to drink his blood, Saya enters a trance and uses her own blood as a weapon to easily kill the beast. Saya discovers the existence of Red Shield, an organization created specifically to combat these monstrous beings. Together with Haji, she must join forces with Red Shield to battle the terrifying creatures and uncover the truth behind her lost memories.

Train Heartnet, a cold-blooded assassin known for his flawless execution of every mission, carries the alias "Black Cat" within the criminal underworld. He works for Chronos, a powerful secret organization. One dark night, this indifferent gunman meets Saya Minatsuki, a mysterious bounty hunter with a bright outlook on life. They form an unusual friendship, and her positive influence prompts Train to reconsider his existence. He decides to leave his role as the Black Cat behind and pursue a new path as an honest bounty hunter. But Chronos—especially Creed Diskenth, Train's possessive subordinate—is unhappy with this change of heart. Creed is determined to use extreme methods to bring back the agent of misfortune. The former assassin, now a stray cat, can only roam so far before the sound of gunfire erupts again.

In the arid realm of Clow, princess Sakura and her archaeologist companion Syaoran enjoy quiet days, despite the king's disapproval of their growing bond. Their peaceful existence is disrupted when Sakura, in a trance-like state, appears before Syaoran with wings sprouting from her back. The wings scatter into feathers and she collapses, prompting Syaoran to act. Syaoran discovers that to save Sakura, he must gather her feathers, which have been dispersed across numerous dimensions. He strikes a bargain with the Dimensional Witch Yuuko Ichihara and gains the aid of Mokona Modoki, a creature capable of crossing between worlds. Joining this quest are Fai D. Flourite, a lighthearted mage escaping oppression in his own realm, and Kurogane, a warrior sent on this journey to hone his skills and temper his nature. This unlikely group sets out to retrieve Sakura's feathers, a task that seems nearly hopeless.

The Iga and Kouga ninja clans have been locked in a fierce conflict for generations. However, a ceasefire is imposed by the powerful warlord Ieyasu Tokugawa, forcing the two clans to lay down their weapons. As time passes, Gennosuke Kouga, the heir of the Kouga clan, and Oboro Iga, the heir of the Iga clan, fall in love. They hope that their marriage will bring lasting peace between their clans. Yet their dreams are shattered when old rivalries are rekindled, pulling them back into war. Ieyasu's two grandsons each lay claim to the next shogunate succession. To settle the dispute, the Kouga and Iga are each ordered to send their ten finest warriors into a deadly battle royale, with each clan backing one of the rival heirs. Two scrolls listing the fighters are provided, to be marked in blood as each warrior falls. The victor will earn the Tokugawa shogunate's favor for a thousand years. Caught between love and clan loyalty, Gennosuke and Oboro must ultimately decide their clans' destiny.

After the apocalyptic war known as Armageddon, humanity encounters a new threat in vampires. Ongoing conflicts between the two species have divided the world into distinct factions. The vampire race, called Methuselah, aligns with the New Human Empire, while humans—referred to as Terrans by the vampires—form the Vatican Papal State. Additionally, extremist organizations such as the Rosenkreuz Order aim to reignite warfare, even as the factions try to avoid open hostilities. To counter terrorist groups, the Vatican establishes the AX unit. Under the leadership of Cardinal Caterina Sforza, AX agents investigate vampire-related incidents, hoping for eventual peaceful coexistence between Terrans and Methuselah. Among the unit is priest Abel Nightroad—a seemingly absent-minded yet kind-hearted man who becomes a formidable vampire slayer in battle. He is partnered with agent Sister Esther Blanchett, a courageous and gentle young nun burdened by a tragic past. As the pair grow closer, they begin to uncover hints of sinister plots and dark forces operating in secrecy. However, their journey is fraught with misfortune that may compel them to face the painful memories haunting their hearts.

Negi Springfield is a ten-year-old wizard who only needs to pass one final exam to become a Master Wizard. His last test is an unusual one: he must work as an English teacher at an all-girls boarding school. Upon arriving, he accidentally humiliates a student named Asuna Kagurazaka and replaces her favorite teacher, making her resent him. Things get worse when Asuna discovers Negi's magical abilities and blackmails him into helping her. Despite their rocky start, the two are forced to collaborate on various challenges, from battling evil wizards to ensuring their class passes their final exams—all while navigating humor, magic, and budding romances.

A decade after the Bubble War, the gap between the wealthy and the impoverished has widened globally, with Japan reflecting this trend. The affluent pursue their own gratification and pleasures, turning Tokyo into a city shaped by such desires. Saiga, a former war photographer, now works for Hibara Ginza within Tokyo's capitalist framework. He sneaks into the Roppongi Club, a covert establishment in the city's red-light district, aiming to gather intelligence on them. However, he is apprehended and brought before a girl named Kagura, who is performing a ritual. His encounter with Kagura triggers his latent ability: the power to cause explosions by photographing objects. Determined to uncover the secrets of the Roppongi Club and Kagura, Saiga embarks on a solitary struggle.

A secret tournament is taking place to decide who will become the next ruler of the Heavenly World. In this contest, 100 Heavenly Beings, called "God Candidates," must each choose a middle school student on Earth to receive their power. These chosen students then battle one another on behalf of their God Candidates. The winner of the tournament receives the "Blank Talent," which lets them pick any unique ability they desire, while their God Candidate becomes the "God" and king of the Heavenly World. Kousuke Ueki, a middle school student, is chosen by his homeroom teacher Kobayashi and given the power to turn trash into trees. Despite worries from his classmate Ai Mori, Ueki sets out to follow his own sense of justice after seeing others misuse their powers for selfish reasons. As he faces skilled power users like Seiichirou Sano, Rinko Jerrard, Robert Haydn, and Hideyoshi Soya, he discovers that reaching his goal will be much more difficult than he thought.

As the story of Rozen Maiden draws to a close, a new story begins in Rozen Maiden: Träumend. Shinku and the other sentient dolls from the Rozen Maiden collection continue their daily life at Jun Sakurada's residence. Having grown accustomed to his role as Shinku's partner in the perilous Alice Game, Jun overcomes his previous anxieties and gets ready to go back to school. Even though Shinku and the other dolls spend their days leisurely in the comfort of Jun's home, dark times approach with the arrival of a new adversary: Barasuishou, the seventh Rozen Maiden. However, Barasuishou remains an enigma even to her fellow dolls, none of whom had ever seen her before. Shinku interprets this as an indication that the Alice Game is nearing its conclusion, meaning the dolls will soon be compelled to battle each other. Troubled by the impending conflict and nightmares about another doll, Shinku starts to distance herself from the others. If she hopes to achieve victory, it will demand a heavy price—the lives of her sisters.

Following a routine raid, rookie sky pirate Coud discovers an unusual item in his crew's cargo hold: Ren, an Edel Reid—a race valued by humans for granting special combat abilities to their partners through a process called "Reacting." He soon realizes Ren is far more valuable than he initially thought. The pirate ship is visited by three agents from the Edel Reid Complete Protection Agency, Arc Aire, who attempt to buy her. When Coud refuses, a mysterious force attacks the ship, and Coud's captain orders him to protect Ren.

Following the resolution of the Jewel Seed incident, Nanoha Takamachi resumes her daily routine, which now includes morning magic training. She exchanges video messages with Fate Testarossa and the crew of the Arthra, looking forward to meeting them in person again. However, her peace is shattered when Raising Heart alerts her to an imminent attack while she is studying in her room. The assailant is Vita, a young girl identifying herself as a Belka Knight, who demonstrates her power by using an intelligent device with a mysterious cartridge system to swiftly overpower Nanoha. The Space-Time Administration Bureau intervenes just in time to prevent Nanoha from being completely defeated. Vita and her fellow knights, Shamal, Signum, and Zafila, are on a mission to steal magical power from mages to complete the Book of Darkness, one of the Lost Logia. What is the sinister purpose behind the knights' pursuit of this Book of Darkness?

Every night, Toramizu Ginta dreams of a magical world and longs to go there. Only his friend Koyuki believes in his dreams, yet Ginta stays optimistic despite the criticism he faces from others. His wish comes true when a giant door appears before him one day, summoning him to the realm of MAR Heaven. In this world, weapons called ARMS exist. Ginta initially delights in exploring this enchanted land, but soon discovers the devastating wars that have scarred MAR Heaven in the past—and the looming conflict that threatens to erupt again.

In a future city plagued by disaster and a vast divide between rich and poor, it's impossible to tell who has cybernetic enhancements. This makes life hard for Roy Revant, a renegade bounty hunter and bodyguard-for-hire. When a young girl with incredible strength saves him from a dangerous criminal, Roy realizes help can come from the most unexpected places. Teaming up with a few others, they fight to uncover the truth behind the giant corporations that claim to serve humanity and improve life. Solty, an amnesiac android, has escaped and is being pursued by the RUC Security Bureau. She meets bounty hunter Roy, who takes her in as his daughter after being hired as Miranda's bodyguard.

Sho Fukamachi, an ordinary teenager, stumbled upon an alien object called the Unit, forever altering his existence. The Unit bonded with Sho, transforming him into an immensely powerful life-form known as Guyver. Armed with this extraordinary strength, Sho fights against the enigmatic Chronos organization and its Zoanoids, striving to safeguard his friends and his world. Unbeknownst to Sho, his struggle against Chronos will ultimately unveil the origins of humanity, humanity's fate, and the Creators.

Not long after the Wicked King was defeated, the Queen of the Garden of Light lost her memories and arrived on Earth as a 12-year-old girl named Hikari Kujou. With the help of Nagisa and Honoka, who have been given new costumes and powers, she must now find the twelve Heartiels—items that hold the key to restoring the Queen's lost memories. Together once more, they are Pretty Cure.

Glass Heart, a Taiwanese assassin, dies by leaping from a rooftop, impaling her heart on a metal fence. Through a miraculous heart transplant, she survives, but begins having vivid dreams that drive her to Japan in search of her donor. She discovers the donor is Kaori Makimura, the former partner of City Hunter Ryo Saeba. Although Angel Heart features characters from City Hunter, the author clarifies that it is not a sequel. The story takes place in a parallel universe, making it entirely separate from the original City Hunter narrative.

Yagi Takeru has been living under the roof of the Touma family ever since losing his parents, raised by the head of the household, Touma Rokunosuke. His days are filled with the company of Yamato Takeshi, his best friend and rival from the kendo club, the Shiratori sisters Kotono and Asuka, and his childhood friend Oosu Seri. Life seems peaceful until one day an earthquake hits the school, turning everything upside down. When Takeru comes to, he finds the school has decayed into ruins as if abandoned for centuries. He realizes that all the teachers and students have vanished. He reunites with Seri and Asuka, and they flee from the ruins, only to discover that the town they once knew is completely deserted. Then, figures wrapped in cloaks appear before them, informing them that they have been transported to another world.

Cluster Edge Academy is no ordinary school—it is the premier institution where the children of the elite train for their future positions in a world where artificial soldiers and religious factions vie for ultimate dominance. This might explain why the new transfer student, Agate Fluorite, seems out of place. His exuberant personality stands in stark contrast to the dour, brooding atmosphere of the student body. Yet there is something about Agate that captures attention, even from cynical top students like Beryl Jasper. From the moment he arrives, he finds himself at the heart of a series of enigmas that even he cannot decipher. For Agate is not merely a student—he is part of something so monumental and perilous that the very world which created Cluster Edge may not endure its passing.

In the dark century, people live under the oppression of the devil Vandel, who has the power to command monsters. Those who hunt these devils are known as Vandel Busters. The Zenon Squad is renowned as the strongest group of busters on the continent. A young boy named Beet dreams of joining the Zenon Squad. However, one day, because of Beet's mistake, the Zenon Squad is defeated by the devil Beltose. The five dying busters pour their life force into their five weapons, the Saiga. They entrust these weapons to Beet and then perish. Years later, the young Vandel Buster Beet sets out on his journey to carry out the Zenon Squad's desire to bring an end to the dark century.

The catastrophe known as the "Hammer of Eden" claimed six billion lives and flooded 90% of the land. Fourteen years later, the New United Nations was established to pursue peace across the ruined landscape. Keel is a boy living in Yabitsu, a town that prospered thanks to the nuclear generator left behind by the disaster. His relative Aoi serves as secretary general of the New United Nations, viewing the catastrophe as a chance to forge a new world where nations cooperate beyond racial and religious divisions. However, her vision fails due to the nations' unwillingness to change. Military officer Gould believes order can only be achieved through armed force. Commanding the nuclear submarine Ulysses with his crew—including Keel's brother Tean—Gould stages a coup, declaring war on the New United Nations by attacking Yabitsu.

Mao Ran seems like an ordinary, cute girl, but she is actually a skilled practitioner of a martial art passed down through the Mao family. One day, her grandfather deceives her, forcing her to enter the fighting competition "Prime Mat." At first, she is unwilling to fight, but as she battles her opponents, she slowly becomes drawn to the thrill of combat.

During the fifth year of the Keicho era, the Tokugawa clan aimed to cement their hold over Japan. Hidetada Tokugawa approached the gates of Ueda Castle, expecting the Sanada clan to yield to his demands. However, the Sanada and their vassals had other intentions.