The Best Shonen Manga of Every Year of the 2000s

The 2000s were a great time for manga. Though popular action series like Naruto and One Piece became well-known during this decade, they actually started a little earlier, in the late 1990s. Many other fantastic action manga also began publishing in the 2000s and built a large fanbase, with some remaining popular with readers even today.

Looking back at the 2000s, I remember it being a really strong decade for shonen manga. Each year seemed to bring a few promising new series, making it tough to pick just one as the standout. I’ve been revisiting those years, and here’s what I think were some of the best debuts from each year of that decade.

2000: Black Cat

Kentaro Yabuki, the creator of To Love Ru, actually began his career with a different series called Black Cat, which was first published in Weekly Shonen Jump. To Love Ru is often recognized for its over-the-top comedic elements, but Black Cat is a more traditional action and adventure story.

The story centers around Train Heartnet, a bounty hunter who has a hidden history. While the Black Cat manga didn’t run as long as To Love Ru and its follow-up series (ending in June 2004), it remains an enjoyable read, even compared to other works by the same author.

2001: Fullmetal Alchemist

Hiromu Arakawa is a highly acclaimed manga artist, especially known for her 2001 series, Fullmetal Alchemist. This story centers on the Elric Brothers, who attempt to restore their bodies after a failed magical ritual. Their journey leads them to uncover unsettling secrets about their country, Amestris.

There are two anime versions of Fullmetal Alchemist: the 2003 series, which took a different path from the original story with the author’s approval, and Brotherhood (2009), which closely follows the manga. While both anime are well-made, many fans agree that reading the manga provides the most complete Fullmetal Alchemist experience.

2002: Eyeshield 21

I’ve noticed that baseball is a hugely popular subject for sports manga – there are so many series centered around it. However, over the years, a lot of really interesting manga have explored all sorts of different sports. One of the biggest hits from the 2000s, Eyeshield 21, actually focused on American football.

This series follows the classic underdog story of Sena Kobayakawa. He’s unexpectedly recruited to be a running back by his school’s quarterback, who recognizes Sena’s incredible speed. As Sena becomes an important part of the team, he grows closer to his teammates and gains confidence in himself, both on and off the field.

2003: Soul Eater

While many are enjoying the anime of Atsushi Ohkubo’s Fire Force, it’s worth remembering his earlier work, Soul Eater. Soul Eater is set in Death City, where students at Death Weapon Meister Academy train to protect humanity from evil. These students fall into two groups: Demon Weapons, who can transform into weapons, and Meisters, who are skilled in wielding them.

Soul Eater is a highly-regarded shonen manga that finished in 2013. An anime version produced by Bones aired from 2008 to 2009, but it eventually moved beyond the manga’s story and had to create its own ending. Despite this, it remains a fantastic series. Hopefully, the success of the Fire Force anime will encourage Bones, or another studio, to create a full and faithful anime adaptation of Soul Eater that it truly deserves.

2004: JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 7: Steel Ball Run

Hirohiko Araki’s JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure continues to be popular, with the ninth part, The JoJoLands, currently appearing in Ultra Jump magazine. Though every installment has a dedicated fanbase, many fans consider Steel Ball Run to be the series’ peak.

Steel Ball Run, a continuation of the JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure series but set in its own universe, centers on Johnny Joestar, a former horse jockey who uses a wheelchair. He enters the Steel Ball Run race after meeting a strange and skilled racer named Gyro Zeppeli. An anime series based on this part of the story is scheduled to premiere on Netflix on March 19, 2026, with an announcement made in April 2025.

2005: Higurashi WHEN THEY CRY

You might not expect to see Higurashi When They Cry – a popular visual novel – listed with the best shonen manga of the 2000s, but its manga adaptation appeared in several shonen magazines for six years, including Monthly Shonen Gangan and Monthly GFantasy. While known for its horror and psychological themes, the story also focuses on the power of friendship and perseverance – common themes found in many shonen series.

Higurashi takes place in the secluded village of Hinamizawa. The story centers on Keiichi Maebara, a new resident who quickly makes friends and seems to settle in easily. However, his peaceful new life is disrupted when he discovers a series of unsettling murders and disappearances linked to the village’s annual Cotton Drifting Festival and a mysterious local deity named Oyashiro.

2006: Pandora Hearts

While not as widely known today as when it first aired, Pandora Hearts remains a standout shonen series from its time. The story centers on Oz Vessalius, who is unexpectedly exiled to a dangerous realm called the Abyss during his fifteenth birthday celebration by the enigmatic Baskerville Clan. Lost in the Abyss, Oz joins forces with Alice, a creature known as a ‘Chain’ who also lives there, and together they work to escape and return home.

Pandora Hearts was a manga series that ran in Monthly GFantasy magazine from 2006 to 2015. It was also adapted into an anime in 2009. While the anime does a decent job of covering the early parts of the story, it only has 25 episodes and doesn’t fully capture everything that happens in the original manga.

2007: SKET Dance

While SKET Dance is a fantastic series, it’s often overlooked when people talk about the most popular manga from the 2000s, like the ‘Big 3’. Despite this, it remains one of the strongest shonen manga of that decade.

SKET Dance centers around the members of a high school club—Yuusuke, Hime, and Kazuyoshi—who dedicate themselves to helping their classmates and teachers. Though they aim to be helpful, they often find themselves getting into silly and funny situations. Even now, the series remains a really enjoyable and funny read.

2008: The World God Only Knows

I remember a lot of harem manga popping up in the 2000s, so it was tough for any new series to really make a splash. Tamiki Wakaki’s The World God Only Knows definitely tried something different to stand out from the crowd, and it really did offer a unique take on the genre.

Keima Katsuragi is a high school student famous online for his talent at dating games, but he’s a loner at school. His gaming expertise unexpectedly becomes useful when he makes a deal with a demon named Elsie. Elsie needs help catching mischievous spirits hiding inside girls’ hearts, and Keima is forced to assist her. He finds that his dating game skills aren’t so different from navigating real-life relationships as he tries to capture the escaped spirits.

2009: Attack on Titan

Although Attack on Titan first appeared near the end of the 2000s, it became incredibly popular in the 2010s with its anime and manga. Because of this, it’s a must-mention when discussing the best anime of 2009.

From 2009 to 2021, the manga was published in Bessatsu Shonen Magazine, and an anime series aired from 2013 to 2023. Both the manga and anime became hugely popular worldwide, captivating audiences with the compelling characters and detailed world created by Hajime Isayama. The series’ conclusion sparked a lot of discussion and it continues to be a beloved favorite among anime and manga enthusiasts.

2026-02-22 17:42