Hikaru no Go is my favorite anime of all time, and due to its niche appeal, it naturally sits as my top pick for the most underrated anime of the 2000s. The series is a brilliant coming-of-age, which, despite its silly premise of a ghost trapped in a Go board taking on a child as his next host, is immaculately written and a realistic depiction of growing up and embracing one's passions. However, by the end of the Hikaru no Go anime, I found myself wrestling with its painful depictions of loss, loneliness, and despondent depression.

This series was a revelation for me, a subscriber to Shnen Jump magazine, who saw the first chapters in January 2004 and became hooked on the premise of a game-focused, non-action shonen manga without the silliness of Yu-Gi-Oh! I was enamored with Takeshi Obata of Death Note fame, whose artwork was introduced to me with Hikaru no Go,...