Best Fantasy Anime of 2002

A giant demon fox once terrorized the world twelve years ago. During the beast's rampage on the Hidden Leaf Village, the Hokage—the village's leader and mightiest ninja—gave his life to seal the creature inside a newborn infant. This act delivered civilization from destruction but condemned the child to a life of solitude. Now, after years of being ostracized and bullied, Naruto Uzumaki torments the village with elaborate pranks and vandalism. Yet behind these antics, he trains relentlessly to achieve his dream: becoming Hokage and gaining the acknowledgment of those who have wronged him his entire life. Naruto is assigned to Team 7, a ninja squad that includes two of his peers—the prodigy Sasuke Uchiha and the intelligent Sakura Haruno. Guided by the aloof Kakashi Hatake, Team 7 undertakes a string of dangerous missions, forcing its members to grow in strength and camaraderie despite their stark differences. Naruto strives to outshine Sasuke in their rivalry and win Sakura's romantic affection. But as the trio faces constant peril and death, their tragic pasts threaten to drive them apart.

A young Haibane—a being with a halo and small gray wings—emerges from a cocoon in the village of Old Home, awakening to a world she cannot comprehend, carrying no memories of her past. She is given the name Rakka after the dream of falling she experienced inside the cocoon, and gradually grows accustomed to life in this strange town. Yet the Haibane must follow strict rules: they are forbidden from leaving the village or approaching the walls that enclose it. These rules, along with the mysterious disappearances of their kind on their "Day of Flight," start to disturb Rakka and the others, as they know almost nothing about their own existence. Living without any recollection of the past, Rakka and the other Haibane seek to free themselves from their former suffering and ultimately find redemption.

After competing in the Johto League, Satoshi decides to start fresh on a new adventure—this time traveling alone with Pikachu through the Houen region. However, he doesn't stay solo for long. Ten-year-old Haruka, who dislikes Pokémon but wants to see the world, ends up accompanying him after Pikachu destroys her bicycle. Satoshi also reunites with his old friend Takeshi, and meets Haruka's younger brother, Masato. Together, the group journeys across Houen, taking on Gym Leaders, participating in contests, and experiencing various events along the road to the Houen League.

A young wavemaster known only by the alias Tsukasa wakes up inside the MMORPG The World with partial amnesia. He has no memory of what he did before regaining consciousness. In The World, the Crimson Knights suspect him of being a hacker because he was seen accompanying an altered cat-shaped character. Unable to log out from the game, he wanders in search of answers while evading the knights and other players he meets along the way. As Tsukasa explores The World, he comes across a magical item that manifests as a "guardian," which vows to protect him from all harm. Subaru, the leader of the Crimson Knights, along with several other players who have become acquainted with Tsukasa, sets out to investigate why he cannot log out and attempts to get to the bottom of the situation before it spirals out of control.

Youko Nakajima has always wanted nothing more than to be ordinary. She follows instructions, earns high marks, serves as class president, and lends a hand to classmates whenever possible—yet her red hair has always made her stand out as different. Because of her passive nature, Youko lets others take advantage of her, leaving her with no one she can truly consider a friend. Then, on what seems like a normal day, a man claiming to be from another world bursts into Youko's classroom and kneels before her. This refined, blond-haired man named Keiki declares that Youko is his liege and destined to rule his kingdom. But their encounter is abruptly interrupted when youma—monstrous beasts from another world—pursue Keiki. He manages to flee with Youko into his own realm, but two other classmates, Ikuya Asano and Yuka Sugimoto, are swept into the chaos as well. Their troubles are far from over, as the youma attack leaves them separated from Keiki. Stranded in this unfamiliar world, these ordinary students must learn to survive on their own or face death.

Five new children embark on a fresh mission in the Digital World in Digimon Frontier, delivering the same thrilling action and adventure as the previous three seasons. Takuya, Kouji, Izumi, Junpei, and Tomoki encounter each other on a train that transports them to the Digital World, where a conflict against evil is underway. The Angel digimon Cherubimon, one of the three angels dispatched to rescue the world from the power-hungry Lucemon, has fallen to the dark side, placing the entire Digital World in jeopardy. To confront this great battle, the five CHOSEN ONES must locate the Densetsu no Spirit (Legendary Spirit).

Satoshi "Sasshi" Imamiya feels his world has collapsed, a despair fitting for a twelve-year-old. His troubles deepen when his prized card collection is lost and he discovers his childhood friend, Arumi Asahina, is moving away. Their personal crises are suddenly overshadowed by surreal events as they are whisked through bizarre dimensions of science fiction, magic, and warfare. Every effort to flee merely launches them into yet another strange realm. They soon realize these alternate worlds are distorted reflections of their hometown, populated by two mysterious figures: the curvaceous Mune-mune and the elusive blue-haired Eutus, who may hold the secret to their escape. In Abenobashi Mahou☆Shoutengai, Sasshi and Arumi embark on a comedic journey to get back home. Yet, as they uncover a story that spans generations, they begin to suspect the root of their plight is deeply personal, forcing them to question whether returning to their original life is truly what they want.

Despite looking like a young boy, Jing is a highly skilled thief whose abilities make him one of the most feared criminals globally. He roams from town to town alongside his feathered companion Kir, pilfering valuable items without regard for the security in place. When cornered, Jing relies on a secret technique: Kir merges with his right arm to unleash the lethal "Kir Royale" strike. This reputation has earned him the notorious title of "King of Bandits."

Kotarou is an ordinary boy who worries about school pressures and enjoys a simple life with his friends. To his dismay, one day the overly cheerful Misha appears at his door, wanting to be friends out of the blue. Even more surprising is that Misha is an apprentice angel, yet she causes more harm than good. Along with Kotarou's schoolmates Takashi and Koboshi, and the so-called devil Shia (who likewise does more good than bad), the group of friends spend their days getting into all sorts of adventures and troubles.

Reiji Ozora is known for giving up on everything he starts, unable to stay motivated for long. That changes when his best friend Maiko introduces him to a new virtual reality game called Dragon Drive. In this game, each player is assigned a dragon that matches their personality and strength. Reiji dreams of getting a huge, intimidating beast, but instead he receives Chibi—a cute, friendly-looking dragon even smaller than himself. He's disappointed at first, but then discovers that Chibi is actually the rarest dragon of all. For the first time, Reiji finds something that holds his interest, and he dedicates himself to training both himself and his new companion. Soon, that training proves essential, as certain individuals harbor dark plans for Dragon Drive that threaten the entire world.

The realm of Duel Masters consists of five great civilizations. By playing a card game, duelists can bring these worlds to life, turning what was once an idea into reality. Such skilled individuals are called Kaijudo masters. Shobu Kirifuda is the strongest player at his neighborhood playground and aims to become a top-tier master like his father. His first move toward that goal is winning a local tournament—or at least it should have been, but he is crushed by Knight, the world's greatest Kaijudo master. Shobu loses, yet after recalling the wise lessons his father left with him, he chooses to keep moving forward as a duelist who can appreciate the game for what it truly is. Thus begins his path to triumph—and as everyone knows, the journey itself is what matters most!

Kaede, an upbeat eighth-grader, is completely timid when it comes to romance. After purchasing a vibrant cocoa mug at a strange shop, she finds an inscription revealing that reading a wish aloud while adding hot cocoa summons a love fairy, or muglox, to fulfill desires. Skeptical yet intrigued, Kaede wishes to date Yuuki, the popular boy at school, and the tiny blue Mirumo instantly appears. However, Mirumo is more interested in eating sweets and causing chaos than helping her. As the prince of the muglox world, Mirumo fled his realm to avoid an arranged marriage with Princess Rirumu. Now, Rirumu, bounty hunter Yashichi, and a chaotic army of muglox are in pursuit, turning Kaede’s everyday school life into a whirlwind of adorable trouble.

Although she recently turned 17, Yucie remains an average girl with the appearance of a child. Her growth stopped at age 10, and she longs to finally develop an adult physique. One day, she is picked as a contender for the “Platinum Princess” title—a honor bestowed once every thousand years upon whoever proves worthy of the Eternal Tiara, a legendary crown that can fulfill any desire. She is not the only candidate, as four other girls also compete to see their own wishes granted by the crown. Thus, Yucie enters the nearby Princess Academy, aiming to cultivate her inner self and become eligible for the Eternal Tiara. With support from her family, her rivals, and even the academy’s principal, will Yucie’s deeply held wish eventually come to pass?

Five supernatural factions have been locked in conflict for countless centuries, always keeping the arrival of the Aquarian Age in mind. Kyouta begins having visions of mystical girls battling, and soon discovers they are real. He and his girlfriend Yoriko are drawn into the struggle, and the fate of Earth and the Aquarian Age rests in their hands.

Zen, an 11-year-old boy, joins forces with his younger sister Karen and a gluttonous young boy named Pitan to fight an evil empire using their Foodons—bizarre monsters created from different foods.

The secret occult society Shiromorishuua dispatches a colossal monster to assault Tokyo, prompting ASY, a Japanese peacekeeping organization, to counter with a Gousen (metal faery). ASY's Gousen drives the creature into the open ocean and destroys it. Though the operation succeeds, a sudden follow-up attack occurs: a girl hovering in midair, radiating light, fires a beam of energy. This girl is "Rouran." She knows neither her true identity, her origin, nor why sensing a Gousen or Kyoushi (reanimated corpses) turns her into an avenging angel. As Rouran grapples with her mysterious existence, Tetsuya kindly looks after her in Tokyo Arcadia, a settlement for expatriates and dissidents.

In a distant future where monsters and inhuman beings roam freely, the reigning Evil King seeks a human woman to bear him powerful heirs adept in the force. To save her village from an attack by the Ape Clan raiders, Non offers herself to the Evil King, eventually giving birth to twin sons named Loof and Jin. However, the ungrateful villagers exile Non and her children. Her companion Nue, a member of the Demon Clan transformed into a wolf for disobedience, takes Loof to be raised by his father, the Evil King. Yet the Evil One's Queen Parome harbors a deep hatred for humans, and her animosity toward Loof only intensifies.

This series is based on the Shin Megami Tensei Devil Children: Light & Dark games, known as DemiKids in North America. In the year 200X, three childhood friends—Jin, Akira, and Lena—share a fascination with the mysterious. One day at the library, together with the enigmatic transfer student Ami, they discover the Akuma Compendium. After chanting an incantation from the book, devils suddenly appear before them. Ami then reveals to Jin and Akira that they are the chosen Devil Children who will determine the fate of the world, and hands them their Devil Risers. The group passes through the Door of Time into the land of Valhalla, where they battle an evil ruler named Imperius, who seeks to conquer the entire world. Jin's nakama is Rand, a Sol Lion, and Akira's is Gale, a Hylon.

Koron Nemuta is a girl who yawns whenever she feels embarrassed. One day, while lost, she discovers a vase. Whenever she yawns, the genie Akubi emerges from the vase, but yawning again causes Akubi to return inside it.

Second season of Kasumin

Tochi and Milo journey across the globe in search of new Kimchi Pong, hoping to rescue their homes and reveal the mysteries hidden within these creatures.

A girl named Niu sets out to find the Papo Spring in order to save her tribe, which has fallen into a deep sleep due to the black magic of the wizard Ferrox. Together with Imp and Zar, she travels to each dinosaur tribe to collect relics of water, fire, wood, gold (iron), and earth. However, the constant interference from Ferox and his gang eventually leads to the great war that will decide the fate of the Continent of Gondua.