Best Romance Anime of 2000

On her fifteenth birthday, Kagome Higurashi is pulled through the ancient well at her family's shrine by a demon, transporting her back to feudal Japan, an era where demons run wild. She soon finds herself targeted by various creatures attracted to the powerful Shikon Jewel, which she unknowingly carries. Amid these dangers, Kagome encounters Inuyasha, a half-demon who initially mistakes her for Kikyou, a shrine maiden he resents due to their striking resemblance. This confusion fuels Inuyasha's initial hostility toward Kagome, but recognizing their shared peril, he eventually sets aside his grudge to assist her. A struggle over the Shikon Jewel causes it to shatter into numerous fragments scattered across the land. Fearing the chaos these pieces could unleash if they fall into the wrong hands, Kagome and Inuyasha embark on a difficult journey to recover the shards.

At age twenty, Keitarou Urashima, after failing the Tokyo University entrance exam twice, feels disheartened about his future. Hoping to refocus on his studies, he receives a call from his grandmother, who manages a traditional inn, suggesting he move there. However, upon arrival, Keitarou discovers the building has transformed into an all-girls dormitory, housing five unique residents: Naru Narusegawa, a studious girl also aspiring to attend Tokyo University; Mitsune Konno, a free-spirited freelance writer; Kaolla Su, an enthusiastic inventor; Shinobu Maehara, a quiet girl searching for her place; and Motoko Aoyama, a dedicated kendo practitioner. Initially met with skepticism, Keitarou eventually becomes the dorm’s manager and gradually forms bonds with each girl while still holding onto his childhood dream of entering Tokyo University alongside a special girl from his past.

As night falls, beautiful yet terrifying beings emerge to rule the darkness, striking fear into all living things. These bloodthirsty predators approach, and the water freezes, signaling the inevitable doom of their prey. Fortunately, the vampire population is dwindling thanks to the courageous bounty hunters who relentlessly pursue these nearly immortal creatures. One evening, the Elbourne family suffers a devastating tragedy when their daughter, Charlotte, is taken by Meier Link, a revered vampire lord protected by a legion of monstrous followers. To save Charlotte, the family hires the Marcus Brothers, a brutal band of vampire hunters, along with D, a dhampir armed with a sword—one who possesses the strengths of both vampires and humans but none of their weaknesses. Rushing to Charlotte's rescue, the hunters know that if she is transformed into a vampire by her captor, they will have no choice but to end her life. Furthermore, they must complete their mission before Meier can reach the impenetrable vampire fortress of Carmilla, sealing Charlotte away from human salvation forever.

In an alternate version of post-World War II history, Japan remains under foreign occupation while dealing with widespread civil unrest and acts of terrorism. Constable Kazuki Fuse, a member of an elite counter-terrorism unit, is assigned to intercept an illegal weapons deal involving a terrorist organization. During the mission, he confronts the brutal realities of human nature when he fails to stop a young girl from carrying out a suicide bombing that devastates Tokyo. Haunted by psychological trauma and growing doubts about his own abilities, Fuse is sent to a military academy for evaluation. Without his knowledge, he becomes entangled in government conspiracies that could shape Japan's future. As he struggles with the line between humanity and savagery, Fuse eventually discovers where his true loyalties lie.

Sakura Kinomoto is cast as a princess in her elementary school's Nadeshiko Festival play, a character who must handle a love confession from a prince of a neighboring kingdom. Sakura relates to the role because she herself has been grappling with a love confession she received from a boy four months earlier. Her cousins, Shaoran and Meiling Li, unexpectedly visit from Hong Kong to see their friends in Japan, which gives Sakura extra resolve to confess her feelings. However, she keeps getting sidetracked by a presence that feels like a Clow Card and by strange disappearances occurring around town. Sakura eventually discovers another of Clow Reed's creations—an entity named "Nothing," which was sealed beneath the magician's former home. This being possesses power equal to all 52 Clow Cards and intends to take them from Sakura. As the Cards are stolen, objects, places, and even people begin to vanish from Tomoeda. Determined to set things right, Sakura sets out to capture the Nothing, but what price will she have to pay personally?

Hitomi Kanzaki is consumed by a deep sense of hopelessness, wishing only to fade into sleep. Her desperation draws the attention of Lord Folken, who transports her to the world of Gaea. In this realm, the inhabitants believe Hitomi is the Wing Goddess, the one who can summon the legendary Dragon Armor known as Escaflowne. Meanwhile, King Van, the last survivor of the White Dragon Clan, is overwhelmed by grief and seeks vengeance against the Black Dragon Clan for destroying his homeland. His sole purpose is to fight. With the Wing Goddess now among them, Gaea's future rests on Hitomi's choices. Escaflowne has the power to bring peace to Gaea or lead it to total destruction.

Ceres was a tennyo—a celestial maiden—who descended from the heavens to bathe in a stream. She placed her hagoromo, or feathered robe, on a nearby tree; that robe was her means of returning to the sky. However, a man stole it and forced her to become his wife, giving rise to a family line mingling human and tennyo blood. In the present day, Aya Mikage is a descendant of Ceres and carries a significant amount of tennyo blood. On her sixteenth birthday, she and her twin brother Aki are given a party. But during this "party," Aya's grandfather intends to kill her: unlike others in the family, she possesses tennyo powers and can actually transform into Ceres herself—and destroy the Mikage family. Yet Aya is able to revert, so this transformation occurs frequently. With her protector Yuuhi at her side, Aya must control Ceres and prevent her from reemerging. However, her relationship with a former employee of her wicked grandfather may prove to be a distraction.

Amid preparations for his upcoming preliminary exams, Keitaro is confronted by the approaching Christmas season. This Christmas Eve marks the first of the new millennium, and a rumor spreads that any love confession made on this night is destined to be fulfilled. Keitaro intends to confess his feelings to Naru on that evening, though as a ronin restaking his exams, he questions whether he can afford to divert his attention to anything else. As winter settles over Hinata House, the legend of guaranteed confessions on this night gains momentum. While Keitaro resolves to tell Naru how he truly feels, he realizes he is not the only one harboring such plans for this special occasion.

In "Angel Sanctuary," 16-year-old high school student Setsuna Mudo finds it difficult to avoid the relentless bullying from his older classmates. Adding to his troubles are his forbidden emotions toward his younger sister Sara, whom he can only see once a month. However, beneath this seemingly normal life lies a concealed truth. Setsuna is suddenly targeted by mysterious angelic and demonic beings, each convinced they know his true destiny. The angels believe he is the reincarnation of their commander, Alexiel, while the demons claim he was once their leader in a rebellion against God. As Setsuna confronts these startling revelations about his identity, the ancient conflict between Heaven and Hell begins to resurface. Can he prepare himself for the coming war?

For ages, the god Celestin had been confined on the moon as a penalty for his treachery against Yggdrasil. After being set free by the fairy Morgan Le Fey, he journeys to Earth with the goal of finding his past student, the goddess Belldandy. His motives soon turn sinister as he removes Belldandy's recollections of her boyfriend Keiichi and forces her to cause destruction across both Earth and Yggdrasil.

Following a three-year separation from their last interstellar voyage, Lafiel Abriel and Jinto Linn are brought back together; Lafiel now leads the attack ship Basroil, with Jinto serving as her supply officer. The resumption of hostilities between the Abh Empire and the Triple Alliance propels the relatively untested duo to the heart of the intense warfare. Amidst the escalating conflict between pure humans and their advanced creations, the Abh, both sides come to realize that their fight is not just over territorial gains but also about reconciling fundamental disparities between their kinds.

Tech-savvy Saotome Kazuya is targeted by his friend Nanbara, who infects his computer with a virus. While trying to eliminate the virus, Kazuya accidentally places a strange order. Shortly after, a miniature cyberdoll named May, only one-sixth the size of a normal person, arrives at his door, causing a series of awkward situations. Kazuya soon realizes he cannot afford to keep May due to his financial situation. Cyberdyne, unhappy with his failure to make payments, will do whatever it takes to reclaim the CBD May.

Every love story has two sides, and Boys Be... reveals the truth from the guys' perspective! Meet three ordinary high school boys with only one thing on their minds: girls. Quiet Kyoichi has known Chiharu since childhood, but lately, his feelings for her are starting to shift. Then there is lecherous Makoto, a self-proclaimed master of romantic rules who is ready to sweep any lady off her feet. Finally, Yoshihiko, a handsome sports enthusiast, is unfortunately quite clueless when it comes to matters of the heart. Follow this hapless trio through a year of romantic misadventures that will change their lives forever!

This shoujo story follows high school sweethearts Chikahira Asai and Kirara Imai, who after years of emotional turmoil finally tie the knot. Their promising future is tragically cut short when Kirara dies in a car accident on their wedding day. Driven by her enduring love for Chikahira, Kirara remains on Earth as a spirit and is sent eight years back in time, to the exact moment she first meets her future spouse. Hoping to use her supernatural abilities to speed up the romance between her younger self and Chikahira, Kirara's well-meaning actions may end up making their path to love more complicated.

In "Steel Angel Kurumi Encore," four additional shorts focus on the adventures of the Steel Angels. Saki enters the film world as an actress, while Karinka goes on a blind date with Kamihito. Kurumi dedicates herself to training as a traditional Japanese lady. Meanwhile, the other Steel Angels compete for Nakahito's affections.

In the peaceful backdrop of modern Japan, Shaorin and Tasuke continue to develop their bond, dealing with both familiar obstacles and fresh difficulties. As their closeness deepens, Shaorin comes to understand the reasons behind choosing to remain with Tasuke, while Tasuke gains a clearer grasp of his own feelings for her.

Originally a dating sim for female players released on the Super Famicom in 1994, Angelique: Shiroi Tsubasa no Memoire centers on Angelique Limoges, an ordinary schoolgirl summoned to the Queen of the Cosmos's Sanctuary. She is chosen to contend for the position of the next Queen, pitted against her rival Rosalia de Cartagena, a polished young woman raised from childhood specifically for the Queen Examination. The central challenge of the Examination is mastering the Sacrea—the abilities belonging to the nine Guardians of the Queen—in order to cultivate a barren continent. The contestant who first increases their population to the central island linking the two continents will be crowned the new Queen. Accompanied by nine handsome Guardians, the competitors must choose between seeking power or pursuing romance. The narrative unfolds across four OVAs, each split into multiple segments.

In "Refrain Blue," a seaside holiday becomes an unexpected path to emotional recovery for two individuals grieving the loss of loved ones. A mysterious girl called the "Umi Warabe" may possess the key to their healing and a renewed sense of hope. Yoshihiro Matsunaga serves as a supervisor for a group of high school students on their summer beach trip. One night, he rescues a student named Morisawa Nao, who was attempting to end her life. Nao had joined the same excursion the previous year with her fiancé, who later tragically perished in a plane crash. As Yoshihiro and Nao grow closer, it becomes evident that Yoshihiro is also weighed down by a painful past. Throughout these events, an enigmatic young girl appears at pivotal moments, silently observing them both.

In this unaired episode of Kakyuusei (1999), originally slated for the seventh VHS and DVD releases, the story moves to a parallel world where Ai and Miko are not the main heroines. Instead, the spotlight falls on Tina, an extraterrestrial with the power of flight, as she explores a developing romantic relationship with Tsuyoshi. This special also brings in several characters who did not appear in the core series.