Starting with January 9th being the 20th anniversary of Detective Conan’s 425th episode Black Impact! The Moment the Black Organization reaches out. An episode I’ve discussed on this blog already and is among those you can watch Dubbed on Netflix and Crunchyroll. January 8th 2026 is also the 30th year of the Detective Conan anime premiering, which the community at large has been more focused on talking about, Anime with 30th anniversaries I may save for a separate post, though I'm not sure 96 has enough to talk about.
I happened to spend some time in late 2025 on social media asserting a view that 2006 is the Best Year of Anime, not even thinking about the fact that those shows are getting their Two Decade anniversaries soon. 2006 is not a year I consider either the start or end of an era, it’s more like it’s the peak of what I call the Bronze Age of Anime.
Alright technically two Anime episodes I consider of note aired before January 9th. January 6th was the last episode of Shuffle. And the pilot of Studio Deen’s Fate/Stay Night anime on the 7th. But my defense of Deen/Stay Night mainly begins with episode 3 where you should start after watching UBW’s episode 0 and 1 to get the property beginning of the VN.
Nerima Daikon Brother is a hilarious spiritual sequel to Excel Saga. Kashimashi: Girl Meets World could be the best stealth Trans Feminine Anime. Good Anime with second cours airing in Winter include, Karin, Black Cat, Mai-Otome and Blood+ which was actually still be airing for most of 2006.
Returning to Detective Conan in February Eisuke Hondou made his Anime Debut in 429-430 Two People Who Can’ Return.
For Spring Simoun is an Anime I still haven’t seen yet but intend to, it’s an important example of Anime exploring Gender. Another spring show I haven’t seen that I know is important is Gintama. I don't have much interest in that one.
Shows I have seen from Spring are where we really start getting to how 2006 isn’t just a good year but could be the best.
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzimiya, which I shouldn't need to explain the logic of considering one of the most important Anime of all time.
Strawberry Panic which I consider the Magnum Opus of Classic Class S style Yuri Anime.
The second season of School Rumble, which surpassed the first season, is one of the best really wild Comedy Anime, an important precursor to more modern shows like Kaguya Sama: Love Is War and DFrag.
Nana is the best Shoujo Melodrama of all time.
Higurashi When They Cry which is still the best Horror Anime of all time.
I’ve only seen a few episodes of .hack//roots, not sure what to think of it yet.
Though the year isn’t looking great so far in the Film department, with nothing I’ve seen from Winter and Spring having one of my personal lowest ranked Detective Conan films.
Summer had The Familiar of Zero which via a website that started as a fansite for it can be considered the Grandmother of both modern Isekai and modern Magic Academy Anime.
Le Chevalier D’Eon which is one of the year’s top forgotten Gems, a highly recommended Anime for all Francophiles.
And Summer finally has some good movies with The Girl Who Leapt Through Time and the 9th Pokémon film, Pokémon Ranger and The Temple of The Sea.
And in late July Eisuke Hondou made his second appearance in 446-47 The Sealed Western-Style Window.
Fall is what really seals the deal.
Pokémon Diamond and Pearl began on September 28th, which I consider the best era of the Pokémon TV Anime.
Death Note is another show that is inarguably one of the most popular and influential of all time.
Kyoto Animation’s Kanon I consider the best Anime based on a Dating Sims Style Visual Novel, and it's definetly an important precursur to more well know KyoAni Key adaptations that came later.
Code Geass first season which is my favorite Mecha Anime and I at one time considered it my second favorite Anime over all. Regardless of my personal opinion, it's as widely popular among Anime fans as Death Note, if only a little less mainstream, that show’s natural rival and counterpart in a lot of ways.
Strain: Strategic Armoured Infantry is another great hidden gem, think of it as unofficially a Gundam where Sayla Mass is the main character.
The Mai-Otome Zwei OVAs I also enjoyed.
So a lot of important Anime turn 20 this year, and some neat bonuses as well.
A notable non PreCure Mahou Shoujo is all 2006 lacks among what I’m already aware of.
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