5) Naruto ‽ (2002)

Part of me objects to including this title in my top 5 list, but I think it’s important and only fair to acknowledge Naruto for being the Dragon Ball Z of this decade, and serving as a gateway to indoctrinating a new generation of anime viewers. While many veterans of anime regard it with disdain, anything that might get fans curious about what else anime has to offer — and there is no arguing the show has received more attention in the US than any other this decade — deserves to be included in my list.

4) Fruits Basket (2001)

Fruits Basket makes my list as much for its manga as it does for the comedic value and shoujo theme of the anime. The story of an endearingly hapless young girl taken in by a family full of pretty boys with a very strange curse, the anime delivers lots of laughs and memorable characters.

3) Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion (2006)

For the third ranking, I’m compelled to go with something a little more mainstream in Code Geass/ Code Geass R2. Full of morally-grey characters, a plot that has twists at every turn, giant robots, and character designs done by CLAMP, the show has something that appeals to most anime fans, and certainly didn’t disappoint me.

2) Makoto Shinkai (2002, 2004, 2007)

While this technically should not be a single mention, leaving Makoto Shinkai off the list despite his vision in creating Voices of a Distant Star, The Place Promised in Our Early Days, and 5 Centimeters per Second would be criminal. Never before has anime seemed as heartrending as it does when Shinkai depicts simple stories of loss and unrequited love.

1) Kino's Journey (2003)

Kino’s Journey is a personal favorite of mine. Each episode is a parable, and I have a soft spot for any show that leaves you thinking about its messages long after you have finished viewing it. Plus, there is something about a never-ending search for someplace that makes you want to stick around, that resonates with lost souls living in a time when people have never been more connected, yet never felt so alone.