Winter 2002 Anime

Full Metal Panic! follows Mithril, a clandestine military group utilizing cutting-edge tech to combat terrorism, as they deploy a specialized team for a delicate operation. Led by senior officer Melissa Mao, sergeants Sousuke Sagara and Kurz Weber are assigned to safeguard Kaname Chidori, a high school student who unknowingly possesses vital scientific secrets and is classified as a "Whispered," against factions aiming to exploit her. While Kurz and Melissa offer remote assistance, Sousuke infiltrates Kaname's school as a classmate to maintain surveillance. His rigid military upbringing and lack of social finesse cause him to clash with civilian norms, frequently attracting attention and fueling Kaname's doubts about his intentions. Despite his dedication to the mission, a sudden terrorist assault creates new obstacles. Upon pinpointing the ruthless orchestrator of the attack, Sousuke decides to place Kaname's safety above his direct orders.

In "Please Teacher!", Kei Kusanagi meets a mysterious glowing woman by a lake and discovers she is Mizuho Kazami, an alien officer from the Galaxy Federation who also works as his teacher. As they grow closer, their bond deepens into romance. After the school principal uncovers their secret, the only way to save both their jobs and their relationship is to get married. Now newlyweds, Kei and Mizuho must hide their marriage from both Kei's classmates and the Galaxy Federation. "Onegai☆Teacher" is a tender and comedic story of love between an alien and her student.

In 2046, Noboru Terao and Mikako Nagamine are close friends on the verge of completing junior high school. Following an alien assault on Earth, Mikako is chosen for a United Nations military space operation to retaliate against the extraterrestrials. Despite being separated, Noboru and Mikako attempt to stay in touch by exchanging emails on their mobile phones. As Mikako's mission travels farther from Earth, the time required for their messages to reach each other grows significantly. Voices of a Distant Star centers on the bond between these two as they fight to preserve their connection amid the expanding distance between them.

Once Gon and his companions were together again with Kurapika, he revealed the dangers tied to his powers. Convinced that his revenge target was gone for good, he thought he could finally devote himself to recovering his fallen friend's eyes—but that hope was cut short when word arrived that every member of the Spiders was still alive. Going over the situation with his friends, Gon, Kurapika, and their group made the decision to target the one Spider whose ability posed a direct threat to defeating and killing Kurapika. Based on the original manga by Togashi Yoshihiro.

Ayato Kamina is a high school student whose everyday routine is shattered when advanced fighter jets attack Tokyo. Amid the chaos, he meets Haruka Shitow, an agent from the secret government organization TERRA. She reveals that Ayato has been living inside a temporal distortion called Tokyo Jupiter, created by the Mulians—beings from another dimension who aim to isolate and control Tokyo. TERRA has been trying to break through the city's protective barrier. Overwhelmed by this revelation, Ayato panics and runs off, encountering his classmate Reika Mishima. She leads him to the Shrine of Xephon, where she sings a song that awakens a latent power within him, enabling him to link with the entity RahXephon, which rises from a giant egg. Haruka eventually finds Ayato and urges him to join the fight against the Mulians. As Ayato becomes caught between TERRA and the Mulians, his sense of purpose wavers, and he struggles with manipulated memories and questions his own identity in this bewildering new world.

Keitaro finally manages to pass the Toudai entrance exams and becomes a student there. But during the entrance ceremony, he hurts his leg and takes some time to think about what he really wants to do. With a fresh perspective, he decides to join Seta on an archaeological trip overseas. While Keitaro is gone, things start getting complicated at Hinata House. His sister Urashima Kanako shows up and declares herself the new manager, which immediately puts her at odds with the residents. Tensions get even worse when a letter from Keitaro arrives, causing everyone—including Kanako—to fight over who gets to read it first. The chaos is cut short when Seta's car crashes straight into the lodge.

The Bladebreakers are forced to band together once again after a mysterious group led by Oozuma defeats them. But Oozuma is not the true enemy. The real threat comes from a group that uses cyber-BitBeasts to capture the Bladebreakers' original BitBeasts.

Seven years after Yuuichi Aizawa last visited his aunt Akiko, he returns to a small northern town because his parents have relocated to Africa. Yuuichi feels no excitement about this move, as his memories of the town and its people have completely disappeared. Even Nayuki, his childhood playmate and cousin, seems unfamiliar to him. On the day he moves in, Yuuichi discovers a red headband among his belongings, an item that no one can identify. This finding leads him to explore the snowy town, gradually uncovering fragments of his lost past—unfulfilled promises and hidden truths. As Yuuichi investigates further, he senses something supernatural at work, and each of the new girls he meets appears connected to his forgotten experiences.

Set one year before the arrival of the Zentraedi on Earth, Macross Zero depicts the final phase of the conflict between the U.N. Spacy and anti-U.N. forces. After being downed by the anti-U.N.'s newest fighter aircraft, ace pilot Shin Kudo crash-lands on the isolated island of Mayan, a place where technology is virtually absent. As Shin recuperates from his injuries on the island, its peace is violently interrupted by a battle that brings in the U.N.'s latest prototype—the VF-0.

Sweat Punch comprises five animated shorts from Studio 4°C, compiled into a direct-to-DVD anthology film called Deep Imagination. 1. Tanpetori Kyouju no Yuuutsu (Professor Dan Petory's Blues) This segment is a musical piece featuring a hand puppet named Junior. The puppet is manipulated by the intoxicated Professor Dan Petory, who uses puppetry to provide explanations for questions like why the Earth appears blue and why UFOs move in a zigzag pattern. 2. End of the World Set in a science fiction context, this story follows a young extraterrestrial girl, Yuko, as she flees from human society. After encountering Kazumi, a human girl she met at a rock concert, they go to Kazumi's apartment. However, before Yuko can even remove her shoes, she exits via Kazumi's television on her cybernetic steed FACE to launch a revenge attack against multitudes of S&M creatures from another dimension, as well as the evil queen ruling Yuko's world. 3. Kigeki (Comedy) Taking place during the Irish War of Independence, a five-year-old girl ventures out in search of the legendary Demon's Castle, which is the abode of the Black Knight. She hopes to enlist his aid. The Black Knight is a dark, youthful, and highly proficient swordsman who demands payment only in the form of a specific genre of books. 4. Higan (Enlightenment) An injured man lies motionless in a hospital room, surrounded by doctors. He appears calm and serene as he gradually approaches death. Yet inside his mind, recollections of a recent conflict surge vividly. Visions of death and turmoil persist in haunting him even as his life ends. 5. Garakuta no Machi (Junk Town) On a summer day, a young boy meets a small robot at a shopping arcade. The robot is hungry, consuming one machine after another, and each meal causes it to grow larger. This narrative of a boy, a robot, and their small journey is a story of an unconventional friendship, enhanced by everyday life details and presented through the director's distinctive visual style.

In "Mirage of Blaze," Takaya Ougi leads an ordinary high school life, his primary concern being the protection of his cherished friend and the preservation of tranquility. This existence is shattered when Nobutsuna Naoe, an elder, reveals that Takaya is actually the reincarnation of Lord Kagetora. Naoe, himself a possessor, awakens Takaya's dormant abilities to fight malevolent spirits and engage in conflicts within the Feudal Underworld. Unlike other possessors who retain memories of their past lives, Takaya has no recollection of his former existence. This amnesia brings Naoe a sense of relief, given the tumultuous and harsh nature of their past relationship. As Takaya grows stronger, he begins to uncover the acts Naoe committed out of love for him. Meanwhile, the hostile Hojo and Fuma clans launch their assault, threatening to drag the real world into the chaos of the Feudal Underworld.

In a near-future Japan, rising sea levels from global warming have submerged the sprawling metropolis of Yokohama, leaving only its hills poking above the waves. What was once among the nation's largest cities has dwindled into what feels like a modest coastal town. The very existence of this island country hangs in the balance. Yet there is no trace of despair, ruin, or hopelessness in the air. The people live unhurried, easygoing lives, cherishing one another's company and savoring the tranquil, unhurried passage of time. That is especially true for Alpha, a lighthearted young woman who runs a little establishment called Cafe Alpha. She finds joy in losing herself in the lush, unspoiled scenery around her, and nothing brings her greater happiness than spending meaningful moments with her gentle-hearted friends. The warmth and contentment she radiates might suggest a deeply compassionate soul—but she is not quite human. In truth, she is a type A7M2 robot. One day, a radio broadcast warns of an approaching typhoon. A close friend living nearby, who runs a gas station, calls her over out of concern that her aging cafe may not survive the storm. And indeed, when the typhoon passes, it leaves Cafe Alpha badly battered. With her beloved establishment in ruins, Alpha makes a decision: she will set out on a journey, both to raise funds for rebuilding her cafe and to see the wider world beyond her friends and the comfort of her peaceful existence.

Throughout the broadcast of Shaman King, numerous short segments—commonly called Shaman King omake and TV specials—were produced for special days of the year connected to spirits and similar themes. These omake were brief stories created for comedic effect. It appears that all of the omake fit into the timeline before the second round of the Shaman Fight. A New Year's omake also featured documents related to the Shaman Fight. The TV specials aired after key points in the story as well as on holidays. These specials were never dubbed into English, and it is highly unlikely they ever will be.

Between episodes 88 and 89 of Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters, this special installment centers on Anzu as she looks back on the pivotal events of the Battle City tournament. It opens with the Pharaoh encountering Ishizu, then moves through key duels such as the tag-team match between Yugi and Seto, Yugi’s confrontations with Jonouchi and Bakura, and concludes with Jonouchi’s battle against Rishid aboard the Battle Ship. Anzu finishes the special by offering New Year’s wishes to the audience.

Hana-chan unexpectedly joins the Ojamajo team. As Majo Tourbillion's spirit grows increasingly uncontrollable, causing more chaos throughout the Witch World, Doremi and her friends are assigned the mission to finally lift her curse. With the aid of the special elephant Pao-chan, Doremi, Hana, and the other Ojamajo must find a way to stop the curse and set Majo Tourbillion free from her suffering.

In the continuation of the Kinnikuman series, Kinnikuman II Sei introduces Mantarou Kinniku, the 59th prince of Planet Kinniku and son of the legendary wrestler King Suguru. Known for his laziness, cowardice, and immaturity, Mantarou appears far from his heroic father's legacy. When the menacing dMP organization endangers Earth, a fighter with Kinnikuman’s caliber is needed to thwart their plans. With King Suguru missing, Mantarou is chosen as his successor. Initially resistant to the idea of battling supervillains, Mantarou runs away from his responsibilities and lands on Earth. There, he encounters Meat, his father's former coach. Recognizing potential in Mantarou despite his shortcomings, Meat believes he can transform the prince into the hero Earth needs. This marks the start of Mantarou's quest for self-improvement and saving the planet.

Conan Edogawa and the others are invited to a party at Inspector Ninzaburou Shiratori's villa. The event's main attraction is Shiratori's prized wine collection, with special focus on a rare and expensive bottle set to be unveiled that evening. Just before its presentation, however, the guests find the precious bottle broken on the floor. With only 16 people present, one of them must be the one who sabotaged it.

For eons, five mystical factions have waged an endless war, and now the dawn of the Aquarian Age approaches. Kyouta begins having visions of ethereal girls locked in fierce combat, only to discover these scenes are very real. As he and his girlfriend Yoriko become drawn into this ancient struggle, the fate of Earth and the arrival of the Aquarian Age hinge on their choices.

In the far future, humanity expanded into space and prospered. But a sudden Jikushin—an earthquake of time and space—severed all networks, and every civilization was reset. In time, the human race began to revive and entered a second age of prosperity under the Transvaal imperial country, which rose at the center of the galaxy. The science and technology that existed before the reset, known as "Lost Technology," was considered the work of the gods, and it came to be worshipped by a priest called "Tsuki no miko." Meanwhile, a certain guard fleet was stationed on the frontier of the galaxy. Though it seemed like a perfectly ordinary army, it contained a team made up only of women: the "Angel Corps." They controlled a spaceship called the "Angel Frame," a relic of Lost Technology, and used it to collect lost technology and carry out the duty of managing it. They were not elite pilots; rather, the Angel Corps was a group of eccentrics. There was Forte, an arms maniac; Mint, a costume player; Vanilla, who was taciturn; Ranpha, who was showy; and Milfeulle, who liked cooking. Every time, they caused big trouble on their missions.

Doraemon and his friends use a time machine to travel to a world where humans and robots coexist peacefully in the Robot Kingdom. Once there, they discover that the kingdom's Empress is capturing robots and stripping them of their emotions. As the situation grows more severe, the group sets out to stop the Empress and undo her cruel scheme.

Ichitaka is faced with a difficult decision when his childhood friend Itsuki, who had moved to America, comes back to Japan with plans to become a modeling artist. At the same time, Iori, who once aspired to be an idol, is now aiming for a career as an actress. As Ichitaka rides through town, he struggles to choose between the two directions his friends are taking him.

Jane loses her mother at birth, and her father, a wealthy English aristocrat, quickly remarries, introducing his new wife's son William into the household. William feels bitterness toward both his stepfather and stepsister. Jane and her brother George share a deep enthusiasm for building flying machines. George believes that a legendary cerulean sand, located in the distant deserts of Asia, is key to achieving flight. He departs on an expedition but is later declared executed for treason. Meanwhile, William vanishes without a trace. After receiving an anonymous letter containing a small amount of floating blue sand, Jane becomes convinced that George is still alive. Determined to clear his name and find both her brother and the truth, she travels east with new companions. Along her journey, Jane discovers many hidden truths, leading to questions about whether some secrets are better left unrevealed.

In "Arcade Gamer Fubuki," the skilled player Fubuki Sakuragasaki strives to reach the pinnacle of the BAG (Best of Arcade Gamer) competition, harnessing the power of her Passion Panties to fulfill her ambition of becoming the top arcade gamer in the world. Yet her path is obstructed by the sinister Gulasic Group, which intends to seize global control through the tournament. Their exceptional gaming abilities present a major obstacle. To counter this threat, Fubuki allies with the famous Mr. Mystery to take on the Four Gods of Gaming and protect the future of arcade gaming for everyone.

A miserly man eats cherry seeds, which causes a cherry tree to sprout from his head, leading to a series of troubles. This animated film is a modern retelling of the classic Japanese Rakugo story "Atama-yama," set in present-day Tokyo.

During the final Valentine's Day before her high school entrance exams, Nana Suzuki is determined but anxious about confessing to the boy she has liked for a long time. Her plans take an unexpected twist when her chocolates are accidentally destroyed, forcing her to rush home to make a new batch. Unbeknownst to her, her grandfather has modified the microwave into something strange. When she uses it, six additional versions of Nana appear, each with a distinct exaggerated personality and each granted magical abilities through crystals. Confronted with this unforeseen situation, Nana decides to put off her confession until her first year of high school. But her crush, the academically brilliant Yuuichi Kamichika, attends a prestigious school, meaning she must work very hard to get into the same one. Together with her six new companions, Nana gets ready to face the challenges of the upcoming exam period.

This collection of brief animated works portrays a range of diverse worlds and individuals. Each segment is intended to draw the viewer into a psychological space filled with fantasy and intrigue. The episodes are as follows: 1) Keikaku (圭角) 2) Chicken hoken ni kanyuu kudasai (チキン保険に加入ください) 3) Toujin Kit (陶人キット 予告編) 4) Tsukiyo no Ban ni (月夜の晩に) 5) Table & Fishman 6) Kuuchuu Izakaya (空中居酒屋) Note: The third episode, "Toujin Kit," is a teaser trailer for a short film that appeared in the Genius Party Beyond anthology.

Deijiko, the princess of Di Gi Charat, is motivated by a book to commit herself to bringing joy to every living creature. She abandons her royal life and secretly lives as an ordinary person, working various jobs around town with the aim of spreading happiness wherever she goes. In the course of her adventures, Deijiko makes many new friends, but also acquires a few rivals.

Oomura Takeshi has been plagued by misfortune his entire life. While going about his usual unlucky routine, he encounters an angel named Elle and learns that his own father cursed him with this streak of bad luck. Takeshi is given the chance to transfer the curse onto someone else, but he chooses to keep it in order to save a young girl. As a reward for his selfless deed, Elle becomes human and moves in with Takeshi to shield him from the curse—a situation that Takeshi is not particularly thrilled about.

An 11-year-old boy, Zen, teams up with his little sister Karen and a ravenous young kid named Pitan to take on a wicked empire. Their weapon of choice? The Foodons—weird creatures conjured up from all sorts of foods.

A movie retelling of the first half of the Turn A Gundam series.

The movie retelling of the final half of the Turn A Gundam series.

Some time ago, a secret underground bout was held to determine which martial art reigned supreme: Pro Wrestling or the Nanshin Shadow Style, a deadly and concealed fighting discipline. The Nanshin Shadow Style emerged triumphant in that clash. In the present day, the fighter who represented Pro Wrestling in that match has returned, vowing to obliterate the Nanshin Shadow Style by any means necessary. Now, Kiichi—the son of the previous victor—must take up the mantle to defend the honor of the Nanshin Shadow Style and prevent it from being wiped out of existence entirely.

This fictional story is set in Europe around 1943. During that time, the Nazis were secretly developing a plan known as Urda. Two agents, Janet and Erna, are assigned a mission to investigate and stop the completion of this secret project.

Following another reprimand from his parents, Nobita starts to doubt that they are his true mother and father. Together with Doraemon, he travels back in time to the day he was born to uncover the reality.

For many years, Sumire Kanzaki was entrusted with protecting the Imperial city as part of the Flower Division. But all eras must eventually end. As the star actress of the Imperial Theatre Company, she provided the energy and radiance that fueled the courage and resolve of her comrades. Her presence ignited the Flower Division's bravery and created countless treasured memories. Now, the stage is set for her final performance, as the once-brilliant star begins to dim. With the decline of one legendary figure, a new one must step into the spotlight.

Exclusive to the DVD release of the original Galaxy Angel, this set contains two additional stories: "Fallen Angel Dark Space Chazuke" and "Five Sukiyaki Lunch Boxes." These episodes are considered Episodes 25 and 26 of the main anime series.

In a future world infested with monsters and inhuman beings, the reigning Evil King seeks a human woman to sire powerful offspring skilled in combat. To save her village from an attack by the Ape Clan, Non offers herself to the Evil King and later gives birth to twin sons, Loof and Jin. Despite this sacrifice, the villagers turn against Non and her children, forcing them into exile. Non's companion, Nue—a member of the Demon Clan who was turned into a wolf as punishment for defiance—takes Loof to be raised by his father, the Evil King. However, the King's wife, Parome, harbors an intense hatred for humans, which she focuses especially on Loof.

Kick Off (2002) is a soccer anime created alongside the 2002 FIFA World Cup, which was co-hosted by Korea and Japan. The narrative follows a Japanese midfielder and a Korean forward, along with their teammates, highlighting their development and the bonds they build while chasing their soccer aspirations.

Based on a children's novel by Etsuko Kishikawa.

This recap special of Gakuen Senki Muryou highlights the best moments of the female cast, presented in order: Nayuta Moriyama, Harumi Mineo, Futaba Murata, Setsuna Subaru, and Nayuta Moriyama again.

The pilot for Umi no Triton was produced in October 1971 to appeal to an international audience, showcasing a Triton design with a more Western appearance. This pilot was made publicly available almost three decades later as part of the Umi no Triton: Original Gekijou-ban DVD collection.

Airing as a special episode between episodes 228 and 229 of the TV series, this installment of Kochira Katsushikaku Kameari Kouenmae Hashutsujo presents the adventure "Europe Oudan! Reiko Kyuushutsu Daisakusen."