The events of 2004 in anime.
At the Mainichi Film Awards, The Place Promised in Our Early Days won the Animation Film Award and Mind Game won the Ōfuji Noburō Award. Internationally, was nominated for the Annie Award for Best Animated Feature, the fourth consecutive year an anime was nominated for the award. Howl's Moving Castle was in competition for the Golden Lion at the 61st Venice International Film Festival.
This list contains numerous notable entries of anime which debuted in 2004. 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.
A list of anime that debuted in theaters between January 1 and December 31, 2004.
| Release Date | Title | Studio | Director | Running Time (minutes) | Alternate Title | Notes | Ref. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dead Leaves | Production I.G | Hiroyuki Imaishi | 52 | Deddo rībusu | [1] | |||
| Nitaboh | WAO World | Akio Nishizawa | 99 | NITABOH | ||||
| Production I.G | Mamoru Oshii | 98 | Inosensu | Co-production with Studio Ghibli. Nominated for the Annie Award for Best Animated Feature | ||||
| Toei Company | Kazuhisa Takenōchi | 95 | Wan Pīsu: Norowareta Seiken | |||||
| Appleseed | Digital Frontier | Shinji Aramaki | 103 | Appurushīdo | [2] | |||
| Shin-Ei Animation | Tsutomu Mizushima | 97 | Eiga Kureyon shinchan arashi o yobu! Yūhi no kasukabe bōizu | |||||
| TMS Entertainment | Yasuichiro Yamamoto | 108 | Meitantei konan: gin'yoku no majishan | |||||
| Steamboy | Sunrise | Katsuhiro Otomo | 126 | Suchīmubōi | Co-production with Bandai Visual | [3] | ||
| Mind Game | Masaaki Yuasa | 103 | Maindo Gēmu | Won the Ōfuji Noburō Award | ||||
| Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Movie | Gallop | Hatsuki Tsuji | 101 | Yū ☆ gi ☆ Ō deyueru monsutāzu hikari no piramiddo | ||||
| Pierrot | Tensai Okamura | 82 | Gekijō-ban Naruto: Daikatsugeki! Yukihime Ninpōchō Dattebayo | |||||
| Howl's Moving Castle | Studio Ghibli | Hayao Miyazaki | 119 | Hauru no Ugoku Shiro | Was in competition for the Golden Lion at the 61st Venice International Film Festival | [4] | ||
| The Place Promised in Our Early Days | CoMix Wave Inc. | Makoto Shinkai | 90 | Kumo no Mukō, Yakusoku no Basho | Won the Animation Film Award at the Mainichi Film Awards | |||
| Blade of the Phantom Master | OLM Digital | Jōji Shimura | 85 | Atarashī ankō sensā | ||||
| Sunrise | Toshiya Shinohara | 87 | Eiga Inuyasha: Guren no Hōraijima |
A list of anime television series that debuted between January 1 and December 31, 2004.
| First run start and end dates | Title | Eps | Studio | Director | Alternate Title | Ref. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| – | Koukaku Kidoutai: Stand Alone Complex 2nd GIG | 26 | Production I.G | Kenji Kamiyama | 攻殻機動隊 S.A.C. 2nd GIG | ||
| – | Divergence Eve 2: Misaki Chronicles | 13 | Radix | Hiroshi Negishi | みさきクロニクル 〜ダイバージェンス・イヴ〜 | ||
| – | Mezzo DSA | Arms | Yasuomi Umetsu | メゾ | |||
| – | Gokusen | Madhouse | Yūzō Satō | ごくせん | |||
| – | SD Gundam Force | 52 | Sunrise | Yūichi Abe | SDガンダムフォース | ||
| – | Jubei-chan 2: The Counterattack of Siberia Yagyu | 13 | Madhouse | Hiroshi Nagahama | 十兵衛ちゃん2 ～シベリア柳生の逆襲～ | ||
| – | Maria Watches Over Us | Studio Deen | Yukihiro Matsushita | マリア様がみてる | |||
| – | Area 88 | 12 | Group TAC | Isamu Imakake | エリア88 | ||
| Gravion Zwei | Gonzo | Masami Ōbari | 超重神グラヴィオンツヴァイ | ||||
| Yumeria | Studio Deen | Keitaro Motonaga | ゆめりあ | ||||
| – | 51 | Actas |
| トランスフォーマー スーパーリンク | |||
| – | Monkey Turn | 25 | OLM | Kunitoshi Okajima | モンキーターン | ||
| – | Burn Up Scramble | 12 | AIC | Hiroki Hayashi | バーンナップスクランブル | ||
| – | Chou Henshin Cosprayers | 8 |
| Takeo Takahashi | 超変身コス∞プレイヤー | ||
| – | Daphne in the Brilliant Blue | 24 | J.C.Staff | Takashi Ikehata | 光と水のダフネ | ||
| – | Diamond Daydreams | 12 | Studio Deen | Bob Shirohata | 北へ。 ～Diamond Dust Drops～ | ||
| – | Futari wa Pretty Cure | 49 | Toei Company | Daisuke Nishio | ふたりはプリキュア | ||
| – | Kaiketsu Zorori | 52 | Ajia-do | Tsutomu Shibayama (eps 53-149) | かいけつゾロリ | ||
| – | Paranoia Agent | 13 | Madhouse | Satoshi Kon | 妄想代理人 | ||
| – | Yugo the Negotiator | 13 |
|
| 勇午 ～交渉人～ | ||
| – | Hit wo Nerae! | 8 |
| Takeo Takahashi | ヒットをねらえ! | ||
| – | Hi no Tori | 13 | Tezuka Productions | Ryousuke Takahashi | 火の鳥 | ||
| – | Massugu ni Ikou. (Season 2) | 5 | Yumeta Company | Kiyotaka Isako | まっすぐにいこう。第2期 | ||
| – | Kenran Butou Sai: The Mars Daybreak | 26 | Bones | Kunihiro Mori | 絢爛舞踏祭ザ･マーズ･デイブレイク | ||
| – | Koi Kaze | 13 | A.C.G.T | Takahiro Omori | 恋風 | ||
| Kono Minikuku mo Utsukushii Sekai | 12 | Shouji Saeki | この醜くも美しい世界 | ||||
| – | Tenjho Tenge | 24 | Madhouse | Toshifumi Kawase | 天上天下 | ||
| – | Saiyuki Gunlock | 26 | Pierrot | Tetsuya Endō | 最遊記RELOAD GUNLOCK | ||
| – | Mermaid Melody Pichi Pichi Pitch Pure | 39 | Yoshitaka Fujimoto | マーメイドメロディーぴちぴちピッチピュア | |||
| – | Sgt. Frog | 358 | Sunrise |
| ケロロ軍曹 | ||
| – | Aishiteruze Baby | 26 | TMS Entertainment | Masaharu Okuwaki | 愛してるぜ ベイベ★★ | ||
| – | Kyou kara Maou! | 78 | Studio Deen | Junji Nishimura | 今日からマ王！ | ||
| – | Dan Doh!! | 26 | Tokyo Kids | Hidetoshi Ōmori | ダンドー | ||
| – | Midori Days | 13 | Pierrot | Tsuneo Kobayashi | 美鳥の日々 | ||
| – | 50 | Gallop | Akitarō Daichi | レジェンズ 甦る竜王伝説 | |||
| – | The Marshmallow Times | 52 |
|
| マシュマロ通信 <タイムス> | ||
| – | Hanaukyou Maid-tai: La Verite | 12 | Daume | Takuya Nonaka | 花右京メイド隊 La Verite | ||
| – | Get Ride! AMDriver | 51 | Studio Deen | Isao Torada | Get Ride! アムドライバー | ||
| – | Sensei no Ojikan: Dokidoki School Hours | 13 |
| Yoshiaki Iwasaki | せんせいのお時間 | ||
| – | Mutsu Enmei Ryuu Gaiden: Shura no Toki | 26 | Studio Comet | Shin Misawa | 陸奥圓明流外伝 修羅の刻 | ||
| – | Shinkon Gattai Godannar!! (Season 2) | 13 | Yasuchika Nagaoka | 神魂合体ゴーダンナー! | SECOND SEASON | ||
| – | Madlax | 26 | Bee Train | Kōichi Mashimo | マドラックス | ||
| – | Monster | 74 | Madhouse | Masayuki Kojima | モンスター | ||
| – | 26 |
|
| RAGNARÖK THE ANIMATION | |||
| – | Burst Angel | 24 | Gonzo | Koichi Ohata | 爆裂天使 | ||
| – | Melody of Oblivion | J.C.Staff | Hiroshi Nishikiori | 忘却の旋律 | |||
| – | Kinnikuman II Sei: Ultimate Muscle | 13 | Toei Animation | Toshiaki Komura | キン肉マンII世 ULTIMATE MUSCLE | ||
| – | Tetsujin 28-go | 26 | Palm Studio | Yasuhiro Imagawa | 鉄人28号 | ||
| – | Tweeny Witches | 40 | Yoshiharu Ashino | 魔法少女隊アルス | |||
| – | Pugyuru | 13 | Creators Dot Com | Hajime Kurihara | ぷぎゅる | ||
| – | Gantz | Gonzo | Ichiro Itano | ガンツ | |||
| – | Initial D Fourth Stage | 24 | A.C.G.T | Tsuneo Tominaga | 頭文字〈イニシャル〉D FOURTH STAGE | ||
| – | Love♥Love? | 9 |
| Takeo Takahashi | LOVE♥LOVE? | ||
| – | Samurai Champloo | 26 | Manglobe | Shinichirō Watanabe | サムライチャンプルー | ||
| – | Samurai 7 | Gonzo | Toshifumi Takizawa | サムライセブン | |||
| – | Kurau Phantom Memory | 24 | Bones | Yasuhiro Irie | クラウ ファントムメモリー | ||
| – | 13 | Radix | Shōsei Jinno | 月は東に日は西に〜Operation Sanctuary〜 | |||
| Mitsuhiro Tougou | Wind -a breath of heart- | ||||||
| – | Monkey Turn V | 25 | OLM | Katsuhito Akiyama | モンキー ターン V | ||
| – | 13 | Studio Deen | Yukihiro Matsushita | マリア様がみてる～春～ | |||
| – | Agatha Christie's Great Detectives Poirot and Marple | 39 | OLM | Naohito Takahashi | アガサ・クリスティーの名探偵ポワロとマープル | ||
| – | Girls Bravo | 11 | AIC Spirits | Ei Aoki | GIRLSブラボー first season | ||
| – | Fafner in the Azure | 26 | Xebec | Nobuyoshi Habara | 蒼穹のファフナーDead Aggressor | ||
| – | Otogizoushi | Production I.G | Mizuho Nishikubo | お伽草子 | |||
| – | Galaxy Angel X |
|
| ギャラクシーエンジェル4 | |||
| – | Ninin ga Shinobuden | 12 | ufotable | Haruo Sotozaki | ニニンがシノブ伝 | ||
| – | DearS | Daume | Iku Suzuki | ディアーズ | |||
| – | Elfen Lied | 13 | Arms | Mamoru Kanbe | エルフェンリート | ||
| – | Monkey Punch: Manga Katsudou Daishashin | 12 | TMS Entertainment | Shunji Ōga | モンキー・パンチ 漫画活動大写真 | ||
| – | Sweet Valerian | 18 | Madhouse | Hiroaki Sakurai | スウィート・ヴァレリアン | ||
| – | Space Symphony Maetel | 13 | Azeta Pictures | Shinichi Masaki | 宇宙交響詩メーテル ～銀河鉄道999外伝～ | ||
| – | Gantz 2nd Stage | Gonzo | Ichirō Itano | ガンツ | |||
| – | Fuujin Monogatari | Production I.G | Junji Nishimura | 風人物語 | |||
| – | Curry no Kuni no Coburoux | Artland | Ryō Hirayama | カレーの国のコバ～ル | |||
| – | Bouken Ou Beet | 52 | Toei Animation | Tatsuya Nagamine | 冒険王ビィト | ||
| – | My-HiME | 26 | Sunrise | Masakazu Obara | 舞-HiME | ||
| – | Kakyuusei 2: Hitomi no Naka no Shoujo-tachi | 13 | Arms | Yōsei Morino | 下級生2 ～瞳の中の少女たち～ | ||
| – | Kannazuki no Miko | 12 | TNK | Tetsuya Yanagisawa | 神無月の巫女 | ||
| – | 13 | Keitaro Motonaga | トゥハート ~remember my memories~ | ||||
| – | Rockman.EXE Stream | 51 | Xebec | Takao Kato | ロックマンエグゼStream | ||
| Viewtiful Joe | Group TAC | Takaaki Ishiyama | ビューティフル ジョー | ||||
| – | Uta Kata | 12 | Hal Film Maker | Keiji Gotoh | うた∽かた | ||
| – | W~Wish | 13 |
| Osamu Sekita | W 〜ウィッシュ〜 | ||
| Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha | Seven Arcs | Akiyuki Shinbo | 魔法少女リリカルなのは | ||||
| – | Zoids Fuzors | 26 | Tokyo Kids | Kouji Makita | ゾイド・フューザーズ | ||
| – | Ton-Ton Atta to Niigata no Mukashibanashi | 13 | Group TAC | トントンあったと にいがたの昔ばなし | |||
| Final Approach |
| Takashi Yamamoto | φなる・あぷろーち | ||||
| – | Samurai Gun | Studio Egg | Kazuhito Kikuchi | サムライガン | |||
| – | Ryuusei Sentai Musumet | 13 | TNK | Shigeru Kimiya | 流星戦隊ムスメット | ||
| – | Kappa no Kaikata | 26 | Picture Magic | Miyazaki Nagisa | カッパの飼い方 | ||
| – | School Rumble | Studio Comet | Shinji Takamatsu | スクールランブル | |||
| 25 | Shaft | Akiyuki Shinbo | 月詠 −MOON PHASE− | ||||
| Fantastic Children | 26 | Nippon Animation | Takashi Nakamura | ファンタジックチルドレン | |||
| – March 27, 2012 | Bleach | 366 | Pierrot | Noriyuki Abe | BLEACH - ブリーチ - | ||
| – | Desert Punk | 24 | Gonzo | Takayuki Inagaki | 砂ぼうず | ||
| Gankutsuou | Mahiro Maeda | 巌窟王 | |||||
| – | Yu-Gi-Oh! GX | 180 | Gallop | Hatsuki Tsuji | 遊☆戯☆王 デュエルモンスターズ GX | ||
| – | Ring ni Kakero 1 | 12 | Toei Animation | Toshiaki Komura | リングにかけろ1 | ||
| – | Harukanaru Toki no Naka de: Hachiyou Shou | 26 | Yumeta Company | Aki Tsunaki | 遙かなる時空の中で〜八葉抄〜 | ||
| Tactics | 25 | Studio Deen | Hiroshi Watanabe | タクティクス | |||
| – | Beck: Mongolian Chop Squad | 26 | Madhouse | Osamu Kobayashi | ベック | ||
| – | Futakoi | 13 | Telecom Animation Film | Nobuo Tomisawa | 双恋 | ||
| – | Zipang | 26 | Studio Deen | Kazuhiro Furuhashi | ジパング | ||
| – | Rozen Maiden | 12 | Nomad | Kou Matsuo | ローゼンメイデン | ||
| – | Gundam SEED Destiny | 50 | Sunrise | Mitsuo Fukuda | 機動戦士ガンダムSEED DESTINY | ||
| – | Genshiken | 12 | Palm Studio | Takashi Ikehata | げんしけん | ||
| – | Black Jack | 61 | Tezuka Productions | Satoshi Kuwabara | ブラックジャック | ||
| – March 14, 2006 | Yakitate!! Japan | 69 | Sunrise | Yasunao Aoki | 焼きたて! | ジャぱん | |
| – | Grenadier: The Beautiful Warrior | 12 |
| Hiroshi Kōjina | グレネーダー 〜ほほえみの閃士〜 | ||
| – | Legend of DUO |
| Koichi Kikuchi | LEGEND OF DUO | |||
| – | Gakuen Alice | 26 | Group TAC | Takahiro Omori | 学園アリス | ||
| – | Ginyuu Mokushiroku Meine Liebe | 13 | Bee Train | Kōichi Mashimo | 吟遊黙示録 マイネリーベ | ||
| – | Major S1 | 26 | Studio Hibari | Kenichi Kasai | メジャー （第1シリーズ） | ||
| – | Onmyou Taisenki | 52 | Sunrise | Masakazu Hishida | 陰陽大戦記 | ||
| Kimagure Robot | 10 |
| きまぐれロボット |
A list of original video animations that debuted between January 1 and December 31, 2004.
| First run start and end dates | Title | Episodes | Studio | Director | Alternate Title | Ref. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hijikata Toshizou: Shiro no Kiseki | 1 | Chie Uratani | 土方歳三 白の軌跡 | ||||
| Tenshi no Shippo Chu!: Tenshi no Utagoe | Tokyo Kids | 天使のしっぽChu！ ~総集編~ 天使の歌声 (うたごえ) | |||||
| Tenbatsu Angel Rabbie☆ | AIC Spirits | Shinji Ishihira | 天罰エンジェルラビィ☆ | ||||
| – | Wolf's Rain OVA | 4 | Bones | Tensai Okamura | ウルフズ・レイン | ||
| Animation Seisaku Shinkou Kuromi-chan 2 | 1 | Yumeta Company | Akitarō Daichi | アニメーション制作進行くろみちゃん 2 | |||
| Shadow Skill: Kurudaryuu Kousatsuhou no Himitsu | Tandm | Kazuya Ichikawa | SHADOW SKILL ～クルダ流交殺法の秘密～ | ||||
| – | Tokyo Daigaku Monogatari | 2 | Shinkuukan | Jiro Fujimoto | 東京大学物語 | ||
| – | Phantom The Animation | 3 | Arcs Create | Keitaro Motonaga | ファントム THE ANIMATION | ||
| – | Kidou Senshi Gundam SEED MSV Astray | 2 | Sunrise | Katsuyoshi Yatabe | 機動戦士ガンダムSEED MSV ASTRAY | ||
| – | Hunter x Hunter: Greed Island Final | 14 | Nippon Animation | Takeshi Hirota | HUNTER×HUNTER G・I Final | ||
| – | Angelique | 3 | Yumeta Company | Asumi Matsumura | オリジナルビデオアニメーション アンジェリーク | ||
| Fuichin-san | 1 | Animaruya | フイチンさん | ||||
| – | Interlude | 3 | Toei Animation | Tatsuya Nagamine (ep 2) | インタールード | ||
| – | Dai Yamato Zero-go | 5 | JCF | Tomoharu Katsumata | 大ヤマト零号 | ||
| – | Shin Getter Robo | 13 | Brain's Base |
| 新ゲッターロボ | ||
| – | Cossette no Shouzou | 3 | Daume | Akiyuki Simbo | コゼットの肖像 | ||
| Kono Shihai kara no Sotsugyou: Ozaki Yutaka | 1 | Toei Animation |
| ～この支配からの卒業～ 尾崎豊 | |||
| Galaxy Angel S | Madhouse | Shigehito Takayanagi | ギャラクシーエンジェルS | ||||
| – | Aoi Umi no Tristia | 2 | ufotable | Hitoyuki Matsui | 蒼い海のトリスティア | ||
| – | Lime-iro Senkitan: Nankoku Yume Roman | Studio Hibari | Iku Suzuki | らいむいろ戦奇譚 南国夢浪漫 | |||
| Onegai☆Twins: Natsu wa Owaranai | 1 | Daume | Yasunori Ide | おねがい☆ツインズ 夏は終わらない | |||
| – | Memories Off 3.5 | 4 |
| Toshikatsu Tokoro | Memories Off 3.5 [メモリーズオフ3.5] | ||
| – | Natsu-iro no Sunadokei | 2 | Takahiro Okao | 夏色の砂時計 | |||
| – | Happy☆Lesson The Final | 3 | Studio Ranmaru | Saburo Omiya | HAPPY☆LESSON THE FINAL | ||
| Steady x Study | 1 | Idea Factory | Kenichi Oonuki | ステディ×スタディ | |||
| – | Stratos 4 OVA | 2 | Studio Fantasia | Takeshi Mori | ストラトス・フォー OVA | ||
| Makasete Iruka! | 1 | CoMix Wave Films | Akitarō Daichi | まかせてイルか！ | |||
| – | Wind: A Breath of Heart OVA | 3 | Venet | Tsuneo Tominaga | Wind -a breath of heart- OVA | ||
| – | Teizokurei Daydream | 4 | HAL Film Maker | Osamu Sekita | 低俗霊DAYDREAM | ||
| – | Ojamajo Doremi Na-i-sho | 13 | Toei Animation | Junichi Sato | おジャ魔女どれみ ナ・イ・ショ | ||
| Hikaru no Go: Memories | 1 | Pierrot | ヒカルの碁 TVシリーズ超総集編「MEMORIES」 | ||||
| Kishin Houkou Demonbane |
| Shintaro Inokawa | 機神咆吼デモンベイン | ||||
| Cosplay Complex: Extra Identification | TNK | Shinichiro Kimura | こすぷれCOMPLEX | ||||
| – | Kidou Senshi Gundam MS IGLOO: 1-nen Sensou Hiroku | 3 | Sunrise | Takashi Imanishi | 機動戦士ガンダム MS IGLOO: 1年戦争秘録 | ||
| – | Hideaki Anno | Re:キューティーハニー | |||||
| – | Honoo no Mirage: Minagiwa no Hangyakusha | Madhouse | Fumie Muroi | 炎の蜃気楼～みなぎわの反逆者～ | |||
| – | Sensei no Ojikan: Dokidoki School Hours OVA | 7 |
| せんせいのお時間: Doki Doki School Hours | |||
| – | Ajisai no Uta | 4 | Group TAC | あじさいの唄 | |||
| – | Mahou Sensei Negima!: Introduction Film | 3 | Xebec | Hiroshi Nishikiori | 魔法先生ネギま! ～introduction Film～ | ||
| – | Nurse Witch Komugi-chan Magikarte Z | 2 | Tatsunoko Production |
| ナースウィッチ小麦ちゃんマジカルてZ | ||
| Kaleido Star: Aratanaru Tsubasa - Extra Stage | 1 | Gonzo |
| カレイドスター ～新たなる翼～ EXTRA STAGE | |||
| Ichigeki Sacchuu!! Hoihoi-san | Daume | Takuya Satō | 一撃殺虫! | ホイホイさん | |||
| – | Top wo Nerae 2! Diebuster | 6 | Gainax | Kazuya Tsurumaki | トップをねらえ2！DIEBUSTER | ||
| – | 3 | Radix | Yūsuke Yamamoto | サクラ大戦『ル・ヌーヴォー・巴里』 | |||
| Netrun-mon the Movie | 1 | Studio Hibari | ねとらん者 THE MOVIE | ||||
| – | Akane Maniax | 3 |
| Tetsuya Watanabe | アカネマニアックス | ||
| – | Tales of Phantasia The Animation | 4 | Actas | Takuo Tominaga | テイルズ オブ ファンタジア THE ANIMATION | ||
| Tenkuu Danzai Skelter+Heaven | 1 | Minami Machi Bugyousho | Yoshiaki Sato | 天空断罪スケルターヘブン | |||
| Tsuki wa Higashi ni Hi wa Nishi ni: Operation Sanctuary OVA | 4 | Radix | Jinno Shousei | 月は東に日は西に〜Operation Sanctuary〜 OVA | |||
| – | Kujibiki Unbalance | 3 | Palm Studio | Takashi Ikehata | くじびきアンバランス |