Best Anime of 2002
Ranked by our critic's grades, best first.
Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone ComplexThe best version of this material, with fifty-two episodes and the time to actually argue the politics.Read the review
NarutoThe character writing is top tier and the episode-to-episode craft frequently is not, and it lands anyway.
Inuyasha the Movie 2: The Castle Beyond the Looking GlassIt is nearly a remake of the first film, redeemed by an opening that pretends Naraku is dead and asks what the heroes would do without him.