Best Supernatural Anime of 2001

When a vampire menace transforms the inhabitants of Cheddar into ghouls, the Hellsing organization, sworn to combat supernatural threats, is summoned to intervene. Sir Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing, the organization's leader, deploys her most formidable asset: the powerful vampire Alucard. Wielding only a pistol, Alucard decimates the creatures terrorizing Cheddar. In the midst of the chaos, a young policewoman named Seras Victoria gets caught up in the fighting and suffers fatal wounds. Compassionate toward her situation, Alucard offers Seras a choice: die as a human or live on as a vampire. Seras chooses the latter, initiating her journey as a member of Hellsing. Although she transformed willingly, Seras struggles to accept her new existence as a vampire. Nevertheless, she must quickly adapt to her altered state to survive the escalating war between humanity and the supernatural realm.

Following the accidental death of her mother, sixteen-year-old Tooru resides with her grandfather while his home undergoes renovation. Choosing to avoid leaning on friends or facing family disapproval, she decides to camp alone in the woods, feigning a search for accommodation. One evening, after returning from work, she discovers her tent buried beneath a landslide. Yuki Sohma, the school's prince charming, and his cousin, the renowned writer Shigure Sohma, rush to her aid and invite her to stay at their residence until the renovations are finished. Within the Sohma household, Tooru uncovers a shocking secret: family members transform into zodiac animals when embraced by someone of the opposite sex. This metamorphosis is no trivial matter but a grave curse rooted in a tragic past. As Tooru grows closer to various zodiac members, she must determine if her gentle yet resilient nature can help them liberate themselves from the heavy burdens that plague their lives.

In Tokyo, a competition called the Shaman Fight occurs once every five hundred years. This event involves shamans—those who can control spirits—and the winner becomes the Shaman King. That ruler gains the ability to communicate with and command the Great Spirit, allowing them to reshape the world as they desire. One evening, Manta Oyamada is walking home late when he encounters his easygoing classmate, You Asakura. You invites Manta to join a group of friends for stargazing. To Manta's astonishment, these "friends" are actually spirits from a nearby cemetery. Despite the shock, Manta's unique talent for seeing these spirits endears him to You. After learning that Manta was harassed by a local gang, You plans to get revenge with the help of Amidamaru, a samurai spirit whose grave was damaged by the gang's leader. As Manta explores the spirit world further, he discovers the ongoing Shaman Fight and his new friend You's goal of becoming the victor in this battle.

In the attic of his grandfather's house, Hikaru Shindou discovers an old go board. When he touches it, he hears a strange voice and then passes out. After waking up, he realizes the voice is still there—it belongs to Fujiwara no Sai, the spirit of a famous go master from the Heian Era. Even though he has been dead for a long time, Sai still plays go with an energy that goes beyond time. His goal is to master a divine go technique that no one else has achieved, and he plans to do this through Hikaru. At first, Hikaru has no interest in board games, but he reluctantly follows Sai’s instructions while playing go. However, his attitude changes after he meets the talented young go player, Akira Touya. This meeting sparks a new excitement for the game in Hikaru, setting the stage for his emerging journey in the competitive world of go.

After the human colony on the moon is wiped out by a disease, Kyosuke Date and his mother escape to Earth, leaving the rest of their family behind. They hide in a cathedral, where his mother poses as a nun for reasons Kyosuke does not understand. When dangerous individuals track them down, she stabs Kyosuke before being killed herself. A few days later, Kyosuke wakes up alive in the home of a mysterious girl who claims to be his twin sister, Runa—and she is not the only one. Runa went through a similar ordeal at the hands of her adoptive mother, but her soul was split into multiple fragments, creating "flicker girls" who are now pursued by the evil Kirihara Group. Kyosuke survived because his body's DNA adapted to the disease, granting him the ability to transform into a fearsome alien mutant called the SoulTaker. Kyosuke now fights against a hospital full of evil mutants and dangerous corporate assassins to save both himself and the sister he never knew he had.

On the anniversary of his death, a headless horseman terrorizes the town, attempting to decapitate others as he himself was. When the ghost turns his headlights toward Satsuki, the group must find a way to put him back to rest—and quickly. Note: This episode takes place before the final episode of the TV series, "Farewell, Amanojaku — The Descent of Ohma."

Hajime Murata's ordinary world is about to be completely disrupted. An unusual alien ship appears above Tokyo, followed by the arrival of a mysterious transfer student named Muryou, who wears an old-fashioned uniform. With Muryou's presence, strange events start to happen: classmates suddenly awaken extraordinary psychic abilities, a colossal white guardian fights giant alien monsters in the sky over the city, and suspicious figures armed with dangerous weapons patrol the school grounds. In the midst of these bewildering incidents, Hajime seeks to uncover the truth behind his transformed reality. This is his story—a narrative of aliens and humans, starships and spies, and friends who often conceal more than they reveal. Follow Hajime as he investigates the enigma of Shingu: Secret of the Stellar Wars.

In the go club room, middle schooler Hikaru Shindou is hanging out with his friends when a baseball smashes through the window. After sorting things out with the baseball team, Hikaru accidentally breaks Tetsuo Kaga's prized teacup. With his Heian-era mentor Fujiwara no Sai by his side, Hikaru goes looking for a replacement at an antique shop. But he grows disheartened by the shopkeeper's shady behavior. Determined to stand up against such wrongdoing, Hikaru decides to step in.

Orihara Kouhei comes back to his town after being gone for a long time, intending to keep the promises he made to various girls when they were children. He deals with memory loss and bears a tragic past. A peculiar atmosphere envelops the OVA, resembling a dream, as if fragments of old memories are trying to coalesce into a single whole but failing to do so.

A young student named Koichi is living a simple life until he discovers that he is the reincarnation of an alien protector who crash-landed on Earth. Taking on the mantle of "defender of the Earth," Koichi—now Babel—forms a team with three super-powered alien companions to fight against the dark forces of an evil cult leader. The battle to save humanity takes Babel from the deserts of southern Asia to the Upper East Side of Manhattan, culminating in a final confrontation with "the Master" in a hidden base deep in the Swiss Alps. The action is relentless and intense. The fate of the world hinges on this brave young man's ability to control his latent psychic powers and use them to defeat the enemies of mankind.

The fourth installment, "The Bloody Karte," appears as a side series on the DVD releases and runs for 12 episodes, focusing on Catherine's work at a strange hospital.

In feudal Japan of ages past, a fearsome warrior known as the Demon King reigned. He commanded a group of demons called the Kyouma. It took the combined strength of ten warriors to seal away the Demon King and hold the Kyouma in check. Now, however, a mighty Kyouma named Lord Shindigan plots to release the Demon King, and the reincarnations of those ten warriors must unite to protect the world.