Classic Anime Series You’ve Forgotten About But Are Worth Revisiting

Calling all ’90s and 2000s kids. This article is for you!


Do you remember not wanting to take an afternoon nap so you could watch anime? If you grew up in the 1990s and the 2000s, I’m sure you do. Tagalized Japanese cartoons were the high point of every kid’s day back then. Classic anime series like Ghost Fighter (Yu Yu Hakusho), Pokemon, and Slam Dunk were the best.

But there were other series that demanded our attention. Sure, they weren’t as popular as those three, but they were fun to watch. Bust out your Pogs and teks. Let’s take a walk down anime memory lane.


A look back at some classic anime series

1. Monster Rancher

Monster Rancher’s protagonist is Genki Sakura. He wins a CD which unlocks a special monster in a game he plays. But, instead of doing that, it transports him to the world of monsters in the game. He meets a few monsters and a girl named Holly, who joins him on his many adventures.

It was first aired on GMA-7 in March 2000. Monster Rancher was part of We Are Anime, a week-long anime marathon that started at 6:30 in the evening. Its schedule was every Thursday, following Flame of Recca (Rekka no Honou) and Dragonball Z.


2. Knight Hunters

Aya, Ken, Omi, and Yoji are cute boys who run a flower shop by day and assassinate people by night. But they only target gangsters and mob bosses. They use the flower shop as a cover for their operations.

This anime aired on GMA-7 in 1999, during the weekend. Knight Hunters’ international title was Weiß Kreuz. It was very popular back then. Young girls made up most of its fanbase since the main characters are cute teenage boys.


3. Mojacko

Do you remember those tiny round aliens who had a tendency to go flat when they got wet? Their names were Mojacko, Mojari and Mojari. They got stranded on our planet after their ship crashed. Mojacko made friends with two humans named Miki and Sorao. Together, they outwit a villain called Momonja, who came to Earth in pursuit of Mojacko.

This anime was first aired on GMA-7 in 1998, and it ran from Monday to Friday at 5:00 PM. Mojacko became every child’s favorite. Plushies sold out because kids wanted to have one.


4.  Master Of Mosquiton

Mosquiton, or “Mosqui,” is an awkward vampire resurrected by a girl named Inaho. Mosqui becomes her slave. She wants him to help her get the O-Part, which will grant her immortality. But they encounter a few monsters along the way.

This anime was also part of We Are Anime on GMA-7. It first aired on March 22, 2000. It ran every Wednesday at 7:00 PM, following Ghost Fighter and Lupin III.


5. Saber Marionette J

The story of Saber Marionette J revolves around female androids. In a world dominated by men, these androids serve as slaves and warriors. They have emotions and personalities like humans do. It’s a cutesy anime that has a lot of sexual undertones, but a lot of kids loved it back then.

Of all the series in this list, Saber Marionette J is the only one that aired on ABS-CBN. It began airing in 1998, along with Georgie and Ninja Robots.


The 2000s anime craze

A lot of kids made classic anime series their lifestyle in the late ’90s and early 2000s. They learned Japanese to be able to sing the theme songs, and they also started a few collections. Teks, small cards that bore the faces of anime characters, were collectible items.

Questor, the Philippines’ first anime magazine, became an instant favorite. It served as the anime bible for a lot of kids. Its pages were full of interviews, song lyrics, and trivia. Priced at P150 in the early 2000s, it was a coveted item.

A lot of otaku (Japanese for anime addict or fan) were born during that period. Animators, graphic designers, and seiyuu (voice actors) came from that generation.

The anime craze died down a little when the 2010s rolled in. But anime fans can still visit Akihabara, Japan, known as anime central. For those who can’t travel outside the country, we have local conventions. ACX (Anime and Cosplay Expo) made its annual run from July 16 to 17, and ToyCon took place earlier this month.

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