2001 in anime

Years in anime:	1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004
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Years:	1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

The events of 2001 in anime.

Accolades

At the Mainichi Film Awards, Spirited Away won the Animation Film Award and Kujira Tori won the Ōfuji Noburō Award. Internationally, Blood: The Last Vampire was nominated for the Annie Award for Best Animated Feature.

Releases

This list contains numerous notable entries of anime which debuted in 2001. It is not a complete list and represents popular works that debuted as TV, OVA and Movie releases. Web content, DVD specials, TV specials are not on this list.

Films

A list of anime that debuted in theaters between January 1 and December 31, 2001.

Release Date	Title	Studio	Director	Running Time (minutes)	Alternate Title	Notes	hideRef.
January 13	Initial D: Third Stage	Studio Deen	Shin Misawa	105
February 21	Cat Soup	J.C.Staff	Tatsuo Satō	34	Nekojiru-So Nekojiru Grass	Released direct-to-DVD. Won an Excellence Prize (Animation Division) at the 2001 Japan Media Arts Festival. "Best Short Film" award at the 2001 Fantasia Festival. Silver Award for Animation 2003 New York Exposition of Short Film and Video.
September 1	Cowboy Bebop: The Movie	Sunrise Bones (animation production) Bandai Visual	Shinichirō Watanabe	115	Gekijōban Kaubōi Bibappu: Tengoku no Tobira Cowboy Bebop: Heaven's Door Cowboy Bebop: Knockin' on Heaven's Door
2001 Limited release in Ghibli Museum only	Kujiratori	Studio Ghibli	Hayao Miyazaki	16	Whale Hunt	Won the Ōfuji Noburō Award at the 2001 Mainichi Film Awards. Shown at the 2002 New York International Children's Film Festival.
May 26	Metropolis	Madhouse	Rintaro	113	Metoroporisu	One of the first anime films to be submitted for consideration for Best Animated Film at the Academy Awards.
July 28 (Fantasia Film Festival)	Millennium Actress	Madhouse	Satoshi Kon	87	Sennen Joyū	Released September 14, 2002 in Japan. Won the Ōfuji Noburō Award at the 2002 Mainichi Film Awards.
July 20	Spirited Away	Studio Ghibli	Hayao Miyazaki	125	Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi Sen and Chihiro's Spiriting Away	Won the Animation Film Award at the Mainichi Film Awards.

Television series

A list of anime television series that debuted between January 1 and December 31, 2001.

First run start and end dates	Title	Episodes (not including any OVAs)	Studio	Director	Alternate Title	Ref.
October 3	A Little Snow Fairy Sugar				Chitchana Yukitsukai Shugā
April 1, 2001 – September 23, 2001	Angelic Layer				Enjerikku Reiyā
October 4	Angel Tales				Otogi Story Tenshi no Shippo
March 5, 2001 – February 25, 2002	Ask Dr. Rin!				Dr. Rin ni Kiite Mite!
January 9	Baki the Grappler				Gurappurā Baki
July 11	Banner of the Stars II				Seikai no Senki
January 8, 2001 – December 24, 2001	Beyblade				Bakuten Shūto Beiburēdo
April 1, 2001 – March 31, 2002	Digimon Tamers	51			Dejimon Teimāzu
January 9	Earth Maiden Arjuna				Chikyū Shōjo Arujuna
October 2	Final Fantasy: Unlimited				~Fainaru Fantajī: Anrimiteddo~
July 5	Fruits Basket				Furūtsu Basuketto
April 3	Haré+Guu				Janguru wa Itsumo Hare nochi Gū
October 11	Hellsing				Herushingu
October 6	Kirby: Right Back at Ya!				Hoshi no Kābī
October 6	Mahoromatic				Mahoromatikku
April 6	Noir				Nowāru
April 14	PaRappa the Rapper				PaRappa Rappā
October 10	Prince of Tennis				Tenisu no Ōjisama
October 13	Rave Master				Reivu
July 4	Shaman King				Shāman Kingu
April 4	SoulTaker				Za Sōru Teikā ~Tamashii Gari~
January 8	Tales of Eternia				Teiruzu obu Etānia THE ANIMATION
October 3	X				Ekkusu
January 6	Zoids: New Century				Zoido Shinseiki Surasshu Zero
April 7	Zone of the Enders				Z.O.E. Dolores,i

Original video animations

A list of original video animations that debuted between January 1 and December 31, 2001.

First run start and end dates	Title	Episodes	Studio	Director	Alternate Title	hideRef.
March 7	Puni Puni Poemy				Puni Puni ☆ Poemii
May 23	Read or Die				Rīdo oa Dai

See also

• 2001 in animation

External links

• Japanese animated works of the year, listed in the IMDb