The 1990s and 2000s tend to bleed into each other, and the zeitgeist of anime is very much the same. Shojo anime continued to thrive at the turn of the new millennium, with even more storylines to explore. Shojo had some classics arising out of this decade that are still popular today; however, there are many more that went underappreciated.
With the way animation is improving, and audience tastes are developing, there are series out there that have not been forgotten after all these years and could do with a reboot or a continuation in the modern anime style. If the successfulSailor Moonreboot is anything to go by, then there is a market and demand for it. So which ones need a makeover first?
7Skip Beat
Kyouko Mogami works multiple jobs to support her childhood friend, Shoutarou ‘Shou’ Fuwa, on his road to becoming an idol and achieving stardom. She never complains about her way of life, sustained alone on her infatuation for her friend. However, her world shatters when she hears Shou’s true opinion of her: he thinks her little more than a maid. In her pursuit for revenge, shejoins the idol worldand vows to become a bigger star than he ever could.
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The anime only covered part of the original manga. A reboot would help to fix some of the slow pacing that the original 2008 series suffered from. Plus, a full anime adaptation of the original source material would be a great boon to the fan base as some great arcs were never given screen time.
6Gakuen Alice
Two best friends, Mikan Sakura, and Hotaru Imai, have opposite personalities, but remain close friends anyway until the day Hotaru is transferred to Alice Academy. Mikan hears that the school treats their students poorly and chases after her best friend, ending up at the academy where she learns there are people called Alices who havesupernatural abilities.
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This anime isa heartwarming comedyabout two young best friends navigating the tribulations of separation, reuniting, and a new school environment. The anime never covered the entirety of the manga, and this is why it needs a remake or a second season.
5Ouran High School Host Club
One of the most popular shojo anime of the 2000s,Ouron High School Host Clubhas earned internet prestige and become a cult classic over the years. A staple of the genre, the story centers around Haruhi Fujioka, a girl who dresses as a boy and attends the prestigious Ouran Academy. When trying to find a quiet place to study, she stumbles across a music room and is ambushed by the Host Club. The leader of the club, Tamaki Suou, startles Haruhi, and she ends up breaking an expensive vase. She is unable to pay for it and must go undercover, as a boy, to repay her debt to the club andbecome a Hostherself.
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This anime is a classic; however, the art style isn’t for everyone, and it is starting to look a bit dated. A reboot would help freshen up the visuals as well as finish off the full adaptation, since the manga wrapped in 2010.
4Chobits
CLAMP’s highly successful seriesChobitsis the epitome of the 2000s energy. Released in 2002, it follows the story of Hideki Motosuwa, a young country boy who on his walk home finds an abandoned Persocom (a personal computer shaped like a person). She is defective and can only say ‘Chii’, which becomes her name. However, because of her malfunctions, she cannot download information like other computers. Hideki goes out of his way to teach her about the world the old-fashioned way.
It comes to light that Chii may actually be a Chobit, an urban legend of a special Personcom that has real emotions, thoughts, and love towards their owner. It’s about blossoming friendships, what it means to be human and have real-life knowledge and experiences, and whether a robot and a human can love each other. This story needs a remake solely for its dated visuals, as it came out very early in the 2000s anime cycle.
3Vampire Knight
This supernatural shojo is about the jubilant Yuuki Cross and the gruff Zero Kiryuu, who are part of the disciplinary committee at Cross Academy. What’s different about this academy is there are two bodies of students: The Day Class and The Night Class. Keeping the peace between the two classes seems easy at first; however, the Day Class doesn’t know that the nighttime studentsare all vampires. Yuuki knows about the supernatural as she was attacked by a vampire when she was younger, only to be saved by the pure-blooded Kaname Kuran. Kaname is now the leader of the disciplinary committee, and Yuuki gets to see him again. Subsequently, her feelings grow complicated.
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Vampire KnightandVampire Knight Guiltyare the only two seasons within this series, and finished airing back in 2008 to heavily mixed reviews. The first season has far more dated animation; however, the second season does not live up to the first season’s narrative with sub-par pacing and character development that is unfaithful to the source material.
2Mermaid Melody
Also known asMermaid Melody: Pichi Pichi Pitch,this anime is a bit surreal. Lucia, the mermaid princess of the North Pacific, entrusts a human boy with a magic pearl when he falls overboard from a ship. Lucia must now travel to the human world and find the pearl and protect the mermaid kingdoms using the power of music to stay off an evil force.
Mermaid Melodyis a magical girl anime where the magic is cast through singing, and a girl gives up her pearl of power to save a drowning boy. It’s a very anime take onThe Little Mermaidthat has seen popularity over the years. With the resurgence of the famous Disney franchise, it might appeal to newer audiences.
1Ayashi No Ceres
Released in the year 2000 with a small run of 24 episodes, this anime is about a Tennyo (celestial maiden) called Ceres who descended from the heavens, hung up her robe on a tree nearby, and decided to bathe in a stream. A man forced her to become his wife, and they had a family with mixed human and Tennyo blood. The story picks up with one of their descendants, Aya Mikage. She has a lot of Tennyo blood and is soon targeted by her grandparents stating she must die as she poses a risk to the Mikage family due to her ability totransform into the goddessCeres herself.
This anime in its storytelling and animation feels like a remnant from the 90s, with many of the decade’s tropes spilling over into the new millenium. However, a bit of streamlining and refined storytelling, plus a refresh of visuals could refresh this anime series.
