Best Fantasy Anime of 2004

That chaotic structure, that din of hissing steam and creaking joints, with smoke billowing as it moves on its own... That castle belongs to the great wizard Howl, renowned for both his magical abilities and his reputation as a womanizer—or so the gossip goes in Sophie Hatter's small town. Sophie, as the plain daughter of a hatmaker, doesn't expect much from her future and is content to work hard in the shop. However, Sophie's simple life takes an exciting turn when she becomes trapped in a troubling situation, and the mysterious wizard appears to rescue her. Unfortunately, this brief encounter spurs the vain and vengeful Witch of the Waste—driven by jealousy over a past conflict with Howl—to place a curse on the maiden, transforming her into an old woman. In an effort to return to normal, Sophie must join Howl and a host of eccentric companions—from a powerful fire demon to a hopping scarecrow—in his living castle, on a perilous adventure as a raging war tears their kingdom apart.

In the world of Duel Monsters, a fresh wave of duelists prepare to compete for the ultimate title: the King of Games. Eager to join their ranks, the carefree Juudai Yuuki enrolls at Duel Academy, a prestigious school dedicated to training these future contenders. On his very first day, though, Juudai's relaxed and careless nature makes him late for his entrance exam. There, he runs into a familiar figure who gives him the "Winged Kuriboh," a card that becomes his new partner. He soon starts living as a duelist—but will fate and darkness twist his reality far beyond anything he ever expected? Yu-Gi-Oh! GX follows Juudai's journey as he works toward his dream of becoming the next King of Games. Plunged into countless unprecedented situations, one thing is certain for Juudai and his friends—life at Duel Academy will never be boring.

Yukinari is a high school boy who is short for his age and has spent his entire life being bullied and mistreated by girls. As a result, he has developed an unusual condition: whenever a girl touches him or even gets near him, he breaks out in hives. His life takes a strange turn when he is unexpectedly transported to Seiren, a mystical city located on a world that orbits Earth invisibly and is inhabited mostly by women, with very few men. There, he meets Miharu-chan, a new friend whose touch, for some unknown reason, does not trigger his condition.

Kyou kara Maou! centers on Yuri Shibuya, an ordinary Japanese high school student. One day, he steps in to help a classmate who is being bullied. His friend manages to get away, but Yuri becomes the bullies' new target and has his head forced into a toilet. Instead of water, he finds a swirling portal inside the toilet bowl that pulls him into another world, one that closely resembles medieval Europe. There, he is informed that his black hair and black eyes—features exclusive to the demon royal bloodline—mean he is destined to become the next Demon King. Some demons are skeptical of Yuri's arrival and consider him unfit to rule. But after he wins a duel using his magical abilities, they gradually start to accept him as their monarch. Yuri must now discover what it truly means to be a Demon King while striving to maintain harmony between demons and humans in this unfamiliar land.

A vast evil threatens the world, one that the young swordsman Roan and his lifelong companion, the acolyte Yufa, must directly confront. They journey toward their destiny, crossing from the highest towers to the depths of the underworld, through forests and deserts alike. As an ever-growing group of fellow heroes joins them, fate seizes their very souls, driving this band of skilled adventurers toward a noble end—or an ignoble one if they are not careful. Monsters are on the move, and the road is filled with danger and magic; the way forward may be unclear. But where will is strong, there is a way. Lessons await in the darkness, and good must prevail. The journey starts now.

For more than five centuries, mysterious white-haired children, forever appearing as eleven-year-olds, have been sighted across Europe. Displaying maturity beyond their years and aging never, they possess supernatural abilities. Their eternal quest is for a specific girl, guided only by a clue featuring a crescent moon. In 2012, an athletic boy named Tohma becomes entangled in this long-standing mystery.

Arusu has an unwavering belief in magic. She is convinced that magic is real and should be used for good deeds and playful fun. However, she is suddenly transported into another world, one controlled by a secretive group of elite witches. These witches are not interested in fun—they are busy capturing sprites, the native magical creatures of this realm, and forcing them into slavery. When Arusu understands that her new reality is not a dream, she resolves to make a difference.

Akane Motomiya, along with her friends Tenma and Shimon, is dragged into another world by a demon, where she is made the Priestess of the Dragon God. The inhabitants of that world explain that only she can prevent the demons from conquering it, while the demons themselves aim to harness her power for their own purposes. Fortunately, Akane has the Hachiyou, eight men each wielding their own abilities, who are sworn to protect the Dragon Priestess.

In the 20th century, a great war erupted between humans and monsters. Since then, the monsters have ruled the world through fear, though they mostly stay hidden from public sight. A boy named Bokka reflects on the past and wonders what became of the Meros Warriors, who bravely defended humanity against the demons. He soon encounters Kurofune and learns about the power of the Meros and the I-bar machines they ride into battle. Only warriors can see and hear the Melody of Oblivion—a phantom girl who waits in hiding to be rescued and to become humanity's savior. During a fight between Kurofune and a demon, Bokka discovers something beyond his wildest dreams: he too can hear that melody. Throughout his journey, Bokka meets many monsters and their agents, as well as friends and companions, as he uncovers the true extent of his newfound powers. He must continue fighting evil in the hope of releasing Boukyaku no Senritsu and freeing a world that has forgotten its once beautiful melody.

In the year 972 A.D., Kyoto, the capital of ancient Japan, has deteriorated into a corrupt and decayed city plagued by selfish samurai and onmyoji obsessed with political power. Compounding the crisis are widespread famine and disease. Unable to overlook the city's dire state, the Imperial Court dispatches the renowned samurai Minamoto no Raiko, celebrated for his archery, to retrieve a legendary gem believed to possess the power to save the world. However, Raiko falls ill. Consequently, his youngest sister, Hikaru, secretly undertakes the journey in his stead. During her quest for the gem, Hikaru encounters numerous individuals and experiences many adventures.

In the dark century, humanity suffers under the rule of the Vandel, devils who command monsters. The Vandel Busters hunt these devils, and the Zenon Squad is the most powerful team on the continent. A young boy named Beet dreams of joining them. But one day, because of Beet's mistake, the Zenon Squad is defeated by the devil Beltose. The five dying busters sacrifice their life force into their five weapons, the Saiga, bestow them upon Beet, and then perish. Years later, the young Vandel Buster Beet sets out on his journey to fulfill the Zenon Squad's wish and end the dark century.

After the invention of marble-shooting devices called B-Daman, a competitive sport known as B-DaBattles emerged. But these B-Daman also conceal enhanced firing abilities that could be abused for fighting purposes. One evening, an item hidden behind the walls of a restaurant summons Yamato Daiwa—a boy raised by cats. Yamato has been experiencing visions of this item, which looks like a machine everyone recognizes. He does not realize that what lies behind the walls is not just a device, but the very fate of the world.

The initial season introduces the characters, their histories, and aspirations. Orpherus, Eduard, Camus, Lui, and Naoji are five aristocrats attending the prestigious Rozenstolz academy, where they belong to the Strahl class—a program grooming potential candidates for advisory roles in the royal palace of the small European country of Kuchen. Isaac, an English writer, visits Kuchen. While still students, the five nobles must contend with corrupt politicians, secret agents, attempted murder, and ambitious figures both inside and outside the school who threaten to shatter their nation's fragile peace and even assassinate the king.

The peaceful realm of Neotopia comes under assault from the Dark Axis, sinister invaders from a different dimension intent on conquering the world. In response, Neotopia relies on the covert Super Dimensional Guard and its champions, the Gundam Force. Under the leadership of Captain Gundam, the Gundam Force—a squad of Gundams each possessing unique powers—receives assistance from a young boy named Shute. Together, they will do whatever it takes to protect Neotopia from the Dark Axis and achieve total victory.

Koto accidentally seals away the Sun Goddess Amaterasu, leaving her trapped in another world with no way back. Meeting priestesses who battle the evil in this unfamiliar realm, she learns that Black Towers scattered across the land keep Amaterasu imprisoned, each guarded by dangerous monsters. Koto must now find a way to help defeat these creatures and restore the world to its original state.

Riku Tachibana is a normal first-year junior high student who anticipated a calm, everyday life, but shortly after beginning middle school, he gets drawn into a duel with a mysterious figure who identifies himself as a "Warrior of Earth," and Riku's world is turned upside down. Riku learns that he is a member of the supposedly extinct "Warriors of Heaven." By wielding a device known as "DRIVE" and summoning a Shikigami—referred to as a "Divine Beast"—named Kogenta to fight by his side, Riku commits his life to combating the Warriors of Earth.

Ma$%^&* (whose name is left to the viewer’s imagination), an ordinary high school student, encounters Cheko, a maid hailing from a village of maids. Cheko possesses bizarre abilities, such as melting, flying, and detaching her head. Soon after, a variety of eccentric characters appear, including a snow fairy who dislikes the cold, a talking giant squid, and other frightening individuals. Pugyuru presents a world defined by absurdity, driven by a spirit of comedy.

The toy company Wiz, also referred to as Dark Wiz Company, uncovers crystals holding faint traces of DNA from creatures known as Legendz and develops them into a battle game. After a baseball game, a young boy named Shu receives one of these crystals—called a soul figure—from his father. As Legendz rapidly grows in popularity among children, Wiz employees begin hunting Shu for his unique soul figure, which has the power to revive real Legendz instead of mere digital images. Shu must fight his way to victory and keep the soul figure as his own.

A brilliant, slightly unhinged, and highly eccentric scientist spends his days in his laboratory, constructing robots designed for specific tasks. One robot grants three wishes, another helps you write your diary, and yet another deliberately misbehaves to prevent its owner from getting bored. Each robot is built for a single purpose and cannot do much else. Fortunately for humanity, these robots often prove far more useful than they initially appear—though not always.

The story centers on Dogtato, known in Japan as Jagainu-kun, a heartwarming tale about a dog that is actually a potato, or a potato that is actually a dog—something along those lines. (The name combines jagaimo for potato and inu for dog, resulting in Jagainu or Dogtato.) Dogtato's world is populated by his charming friends who are part vegetable and part animal, constantly engaging in zany antics and misadventures.

A stop-motion animated tale follows a young woman's eerie, dreamlike, yet strangely endearing journey into a fantasy world called dambo, with music provided by the Japanese electro-pop band Electrical Lovers.