2008 in anime


Events in 2008 in anime.

Events

In this year, 288 anime television programs were produced and home video sales of anime DVDs, Blu-ray Discs and HD DVDs in Japan were worth 77.9 billion yen. Animation studio 8-Bit was founded in September.

Accolades

At the Mainichi Film Awards, The Sky Crawlers won the Animation Film Award and Ponyo won the Ōfuji Noburō Award. Ponyo also won the Japan Academy Prize for Animation of the Year; the other nominees were ', The Sky Crawlers, ' and One Piece - The Movie: Episode of Chopper Plus: Bloom in the Winter, Miracle Sakura. Internationally, La Maison en Petits Cubes won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film and Le Cristal d'Annecy at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival. Sword of the Stranger was nominated for the Asia Pacific Screen Award for Best Animated Feature Film. Ponyo and The Sky Crawlers were in competition for the Golden Lion at the 65th Venice International Film Festival.

Releases

Films

A list of anime that debuted in theaters between January 1 and December 31, 2008.
Release dateTitleStudioDirectorRunning time NotesRef
Kite LiberatorArmsYasuomi Umetsu60
OLMKunihiko Yuyama96
October 26Kite NightmareArmsTim Burton65

Television series

A list of anime television series that debuted between January 1 and December 31, 2008.
First run start and end datesTitleEpisodesStudioDirectorAlternate titleRef
– Sisters of Wellber Zwei13Trans ArtsTakayuki Hamana-
– Rosario + Vampire13GonzoTakayuki Inagaki-
– '12ZexcsHideki Tachibana-
– Kimi ga Aruji de Shitsuji ga Ore de13A.C.G.TSusumu KudoThey Are My Noble Masters-
– Hatenkō Yūgi10Studio DeenNobuhiro Takamoto-
– Major S426SynergySPToshinori Fukushima-
– '26A-1 PicturesAtsushi Matsumoto-
– Sayonara, Zetsubou-Sensei13ShaftAkiyuki Shinbo-
– '13AsreadNaoto Hosoda-
– Porphy no Nagai Tabi52Nippon AnimationTomomi Mochizuki-
– '12J.C.StaffTatsuo Satō-
– True Tears13P.A.WorksJunji Nishimura-
– Aria the Origination13Hal Film MakerJunichi Sato-
– '13ArtlandHiroshi Ishidori-
– Spice and Wolf13ImaginTakeo TakahashiŌkami to Kōshinryō-
– Kitarō of the Graveyard11Toei AnimationKimitoshi ChiokiHakaba Kitarō-
– Yatterman60Tatsunoko ProductionHiroshi Sasagawa-
– Mnemosyne6XebecShigeru Ueda-
– Yes PreCure 5 GoGo!48Toei AnimationToshiaki Komura-
– Chi's Sweet Home104MadhouseMitsuyuki Masuhara-
– '27Asahi ProductionHiroshi Kugimiya-
– '12GonzoKoichi Chigira-
– Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's154GallopKatsumi Ono-
– Allison & Lillia26MadhouseMasayoshi NishidaAllison to Lillia-
– Kure-nai12Brain's BaseKō Matsuo-
– Kyo Kara Maoh! 39Studio DeenJunji Nishimura-
– '13Production I.GTsutomu Mizushima-
– Amatsuki13Studio DeenKazuhiro Furuhashi-
– Itazura na Kiss25TMS EntertainmentOsamu Yamazaki-
– Macross Frontier25SatelightYasuhito Kikuchi
Shōji Kawamori		-
– To Love-Ru26XebecTakao Kato-
– Blassreiter24GonzoIchirō Itano-
– '51Studio PierrotYukihiro MatsushitaBlue Dragon: Tenkai no Shichi Ryū-
– '13FeelHideki Okamoto-
– Kamen no Maid Guy12MadhouseMasayuki Sakoi-
– Kanokon12XebecAtsushi Ōtsuki-
– Penguin no Mondai100Shogakukan Music & Digital EntertainmentJun Kamiya-
– '25SunriseGorō Taniguchi-
– Nabari no Ou26J.C.StaffKunihisa Sugishima-
– Neo Angelique Abyss13Yumeta CompanyShin Katagai-
– Net Ghost PiPoPa51Studio HibariShinichiro Kimura-
– Onegai My Melody Kirara☆52Studio CometMakoto Moriwaki-
– Our Home's Fox Deity.24ZexcsYoshiaki IwasakiWagaya no Oinari-sama.-
– Special A24AIC
Gonzo		Miyao Yoshikazu-
– Zettai Karen Children51SynergySPKeiichiro KawaguchiPsychic Squad-
– Hakken Taiken Daisuki! Shimajirō101Pierrot+Akira Shigino
Masahiro Nakata		-
– Monochrome Factor24A.C.G.TYuu Kou-
– Soul Eater51BonesTakuya Igarashi-
– Vampire Knight13Studio DeenKiyoko Sayama-
– Glass Maiden12Studio FantasiaMitsuko KaseCrystal Blaze-
– '26MadhouseHiroshi Aoyama-
– Junjo Romantica12Studio DeenChiaki Kon-
– Kaiba12MadhouseMasaaki Yuasa-
– Library War12Production I.GTakayuki HamanaToshokan Sensō-
– Golgo 1350The Answer StudioShunji Oga-
– Kyōran Kazoku Nikki26NomadYasuhiro Kuroda-
– Nijū Mensō no Musume22Bones
Telecom Animation Film		Nobuo Tomizawa-
– RoboDz Kazagumo Hen26Toei AnimationDaisuke Nishio-
– '12ArmsKoichi Ohata-
– Telepathy Shōjo Ran26TMS Entertainment-
– '12MadhouseOsamu Dezaki-
– Sekirei12Seven ArcsKeizō Kusakawa-
– Slayers Revolution13J.C.StaffTakashi Watanabe-
– '12Hal Film MakerOsamu KobayashiMahōtsukai ni Taisetsu na Koto: Natsu no Sora-
– Antique Bakery11Nippon Animation
Shirogumi		Yoshiaki Okumura-
– Hidamari Sketch × 36513ShaftAkiyuki Shinbo-
– Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu12Studio BarcelonaMunenori Nawa-
– Strike Witches12GonzoKazuhiro Takamura-
– '13A-1 PicturesKazuki AkaneTetsuwan Birdy Decode-
– Yakushiji Ryōko no Kaiki Jikenbo13Doga KoboTarō Iwasaki-
– Mission-E12Studio DeenToshiyuki Katō-
– Natsume's Book of Friends13Brain's BaseTakahiro OmoriNatsume Yūjin-chō-
– World Destruction13Production I.GShunsuke Tada-
– '12J.C.StaffYū KōZero no Tsukaima: Princesses no Rondo-
– Koihime Musō12Doga KoboNobuaki Nakanishi-
– '13Yumeta CompanyShin Katagai-
– Blade of the Immortal13Bee TrainKōichi MashimoMugen no Jūnin-
– '50SunriseMitsuru Hongo-
– The Earl and the Fairy12ArtlandKōichirō SōtomeHakushaku to Yōsei-
– Casshern Sins24Madhouse
Tatsunoko Production		Shigeyasu Yamauchi-
– Hyakko13Nippon AnimationMichio Fukuda-
– Akaneiro ni Somaru Saka12TNKKeitaro Motonaga-
– Rosario + Vampire Capu213GonzoTakayuki InagakiRosario to Vampire Capu2-
– '13Feel
Gainax		Masahiko Murata-
– Toradora!25J.C.StaffTatsuyuki Nagai-
– Yozakura Quartet12NomadKou Matsuo-
– Astro Fighter Sunred26AIC A.S.T.A.Seiji KishiTentai Senshi Sunred-
– Black Butler24A-1 PicturesToshiya ShinoharaKuroshitsuji-
– Clannad After Story24Kyoto AnimationTatsuya Ishihara-
– Linebarrels of Iron24GonzoMasamitsu HidakaKurogane no Linebarrels-
– A Certain Magical Index24J.C.StaffHiroshi NishikioriToaru Majutsu no Index-
– '26Studio DeenHiroshi WatanabeJigoku Shōjo: Mitsuganae-
– '13A-1 PicturesYutaka Yamamoto-
– Kemeko Deluxe!12Hal Film MakerTsutomu Mizushima-
– Shugo Chara!! Doki—51SatelightKenji Yasuda-
– Tales of the Abyss26SunriseKenji Kodama-
– '12AIC Spirits
Asread		Hiroshi Nishikiori-
– Inazuma Eleven127OLMKatsuhito Akiyama
Yoshikazu Miyao		-
– Kyō no Go no Ni13XebecTsuyoshi Nagasawa-
– Macademi Wasshoi!12Hal Film Maker
Zexcs		Takaomi Kanzaki-
– Mobile Suit Gundam 00 25SunriseSeiji Mizushima-
– Vampire Knight Guilty13Studio DeenKiyoko Sayama-
– '12ShaftShin Ōnuma-
– Mōryō no Hako13MadhouseRyosuke Nakamura-
– Kurozuka12MadhouseTetsurō Araki-
– One Outs25MadhouseYuzo Sato-
– Stitch!25MadhouseMasami Hata-
– 11J.C.StaffChiaki Kon-
– Tytania26ArtlandNoboru Ishiguro-
– Legends of the Dark King13SatelightMasashi AbeTen no Haō Hokuto no Ken Raō Gaiden-
– Junjo Romantica 12Studio DeenChiaki Kon-
– Chaos;Head12MadhouseTakaaki Ishiyama-
– Michiko & Hatchin22ManglobeSayo YamamotoMichiko to Hatchin-

Original net animations

A list of original net animations that debuted between January 1 and December 31, 2008.
First run start and end datesTitleEpisodesStudioDirectorAlternate titleRef
– Candy Boy7AICTakafumi Hoshikawa-
– 26BonesMasayuki MiyajiBōnen no Xam'd-
– Time of Eve6Studio RikkaYasuhiro YoshiuraEve no Jikan-

Original video animations

A list of original video animations that debuted between January 1 and December 31, 2008.
First run start and end datesTitleEpisodesStudioDirectorAlternate titleRef
Detroit Metal City12Studio 4°CHiroshi Nagahama-
– '3SunriseHirokazu Hisayuki-
– Yotsunoha2Hal Film MakerHiroshi Nishikiori-
– Bus Gamer3Studio IzenaNaoyuki Kazuya-
Green vs. Red1TMS EntertainmentShigeyuki Miya-
– Penguin Musume Heart22Picture MagicHitoyuki Matsui-
Amuri in Star Ocean3Studio Hibari CG TeamYoshitomo YonetaniHoshi no Umi no Amuri-
– Cobra the Animation6Magic BusBuichi Terasawa
Kenichi Maejima		-
– Kaitō Tenshi Twin Angel2NomadTatsuyuki Nagai-
– '3SunriseTakashi Imanishi-
– Switch2ActasNaoki Oohira-
1Studio PierrotMamoru Kanbe-
– Kissxsis12FeelMunenori Nawa-