In South Africa, Animax was a channel offered on DSTV in 2007. The channel provided a place to watch anime dubbed into English until it was terminated in 2010. Animax introduced many anime fans based in South Africa to the world of anime, myself included.
The termination of the ANIMAX channel left many fans wondering why and where they could get more. This in turn led to the fanbase seeking out merchandise, DVD’s, manga and pretty much all that they could, with very little success.
ANIMAX l has left a lasting impression on the ‘older’ South African fan base. This has been proven time and time again. Whenever ANIMAX is mentioned, you will quickly find that many will discuss and fondly reminisce.
As such, to fully revel in the nostalgia, here is a list of Anime that could be found on ANIMAX. I relied on my memory for quite a bit of the list, but I also searched for more reliable listings of the anime aired on Animax in South Africa. As a result, I can say with confidence that the list below is as accurate as I could get it. I sourced the below anime titles for the list from An Exploring South African, AnimeNewsNetwork and Wikipedia.
40 Anime on ANIMAX South Africa
1. Neon Genesis Evangelion
- Episodes: 26
- Genres: Mecha, Action, Sci-Fi, Dementia, Psychological, Drama
The planet is on the verge of annihilation in 2015. The final chance of humanity lies in the hands of Nerv, a United Nations special agency, and its evangelizations – huge robots capable of battling against Angels. Gendou Ikari, the director of Nerv and Shinji’s father, is looking for pilots that can synchronize with and bring out the full potential of the Evangelions. Shinji is thrust into his new role of Evangelion Unit-01’s pilot while balancing the pressure of knowing the fate of mankind depends on him.
2. Tenjo Tenge
- Episodes: 24
- Genres: Action, Ecchi, Martial Arts, Comedy, Super Power, School, Shounen
Bob and Souichiro Nagi are both determined to become the top fighters in their high school. They start taking on the school’s other students with their goals cut short when two seniors step in and end their tirade.
3. Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
- Episodes: 26
- Genres: Action, Military, Sci-Fi, Police, Mecha, Seinen
Humanity has progressed to the point that complete body transplants from flesh to machine are achievable. This allows for significant gains in both physical and cybernetic capabilities, blurring the distinction between the two realms. Criminals, on the other hand, can take full advantage of such technology, leading to new and often extremely hazardous crimes. In response to such ingenious new tactics, the Japanese government developed Section 9, a self-contained police unit that deals with such offences.
4. Record of Lodoss War
- Episodes: 13
- Genres: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Magic, Shounen, Supernatural
Lodoss and its kingdoms have been tormented by conflict for thousands of years, having been formed as a result of the last great battle of the gods. An unknown evil begins to rise as a tranquil serenity and unity develop apparent throughout the nation. An ancient witch has awoken, determined to preserve the island of Lodoss by causing political instability amongst the different kingdoms and preventing anybody from retaining central power. Only a mixed-race group of six young champions led by the youthful warrior Parn stand between this new menace and Lodoss’ return to the darkness of war and devastation.
5. .hack//SIGN
- Episodes: 26
- Genres: Game, Sci-Fi, Adventure, Mystery, Magic, Fantasy
Tsukasa is a Wavemaster in The World, a massively multiplayer online role-playing game. He wakes up within the game with amnesia one day. Tsukasa, suspected of being a hacker and pursued by the Crimson Knights, discovers he is unable to log out and, unlike other gamers, is not in front of a terminal. As he travels across the world, he attracts the interest of other players, even making it into the discussion boards. As Tsukasa begins to engage with other players and build friendships, the mystery of The World emerges, and some players begin to seek the ‘key of the twilight.’
6. Negima! Magister Negi Magi
- Episodes: 26
- Genres: Comedy, Ecchi, Fantasy, Harem, Magic, Romance, School, Shounen, Super Power, Supernatural
Negi Springfield, a 10-year-old wizard-in-training, just has to pass one more exam to become a Master Wizard. Unfortunately, his last assignment is an odd one: become an English teacher at an all-girls boarding school. As soon as he comes, he humiliates one of his students, Asuna Kagurazaka, and replaces the teacher she adores, earning her wrath. To make matters worse, Asuna discovers that Negi is a wizard and threatens to reveal the truth unless he assists her. But, unfortunately, circumstances force them to collaborate on a variety of tasks, ranging from fighting evil wizards to assisting the class in passing their final test, with a healthy dose of humour, magic, and romance tossed in for good measure.
7. Mobile Suit Gundam SEED
- Episodes: 50
- Genres: Action, Drama, Mecha, Military, Romance, Sci-Fi, Space
The space colony Heliopolis stays neutral in the vast conflict raging throughout the galaxy between Coordinators, human beings whose biological features have been altered before birth, and Naturals, unmodified individuals who stay on the planet Earth, in the year Cosmic Era 0071. Because of the Naturals’ intense animosity for the Coordinators, the advanced creatures fled into space, seeking refuge in man-made colonies.
Kira Yamato is a Coordinator and university student on Heliopolis when ZAFT, a military group made up of dissident Coordinators, strikes the colony in an attempt to acquire a set of five cutting-edge military mobile suits known as Gundams.
8. Eureka Seven
- Episodes: 50
- Genres: Adventure, Drama, Mecha, Romance, Sci-Fi
Renton Thurston wants to leave his home and join the mercenary group Gekkostate in the hopes of finding some excitement to liven up his monotonous life. However, trapped between his grandfather’s demands that he become a mechanic like him and the weight of his father’s heritage, Renton’s sole source of enjoyment is riding the Trapar wave particles that are distributed throughout the air, which is similar to surfing.
9. Angelic Layer
- Episodes: 26
- Genres: Sci-Fi, Comedy, Sports, Drama, Shounen
Misaki Suzuhara, a seventh-grade student who recently relocated to Tokyo to live with her aunt, Shouko Asami. She immediately notices a little white angel, Athena, on a big screen battling another angel in a game called Angelic Layer. She encounters a strange man in a white lab coat and spectacles who introduces himself as “Icchan.” He leads her to a store where she may get everything she needs to make her very own angel whom she names Hikaru. She then discovers that when the Angels are on a field known as the “layer,” the players (known as Deus) allow them to move through mental control.
Misaki first learns how to play Angelic Layer by competing in an official match, which qualifies her for the Konsai games. Misaki is captivated by her past as she adjusts to her new surroundings and makes new acquaintances at her new school and through battling it out in Angelic Layer. While adjusting to Tokyo, her thoughts frequently return to her mother, whom she hasn’t seen since pre-school.
10. Solty Rei
- Episodes: 24
- Genres: Action, Sci-Fi, Super Power
It’s difficult to determine which individuals are wandering about with cybernetic body parts in a future-based disaster-ridden metropolis with a huge divide between the affluent and the poor. This complicates Roy Revant’s profession as a renegade bounty hunter and hired bodyguard. When a little girl of extraordinary power saves him from a particularly deadly criminal, Roy finds that aid may come from the most unexpected places. They join forces with a few others in a struggle to uncover the truth behind the massive corporations that claim to be helping humanity and improving lives.
11. Black Cat
- Episodes: 23
- Genres: Sci-Fi, Adventure, Comedy, Super Power, Shounen
Train Heartnet, a well-known assassin, departs from the Chronos organisation, which he has been a part of since boyhood. Chronos is a non-profit organisation dedicated to world peace. They assassinate anybody or everything who threatens the world’s peace. Train joins forces with Sven to operate as a sweeping crew (a bounty hunter). Train swears that he will not kill anybody else. They hook up with Rinslet, a skilled thief, to get into a weapons dealer’s house and get some information. They encounter Eve, a girl who Train had been instructed to murder before. Eve joins the duo and works as a sweeper after Sven chooses to release her. Train hunts down bounties alongside Sven while prepared to face an enemy from his past.
12. Hi no Tori
- Episodes: 13
- Genres: Sci-Fi, Adventure, Historical, Supernatural, Drama
Hi no Tori is a set of stories, all of which share something. The Phoenix, whose blood is thought to give one who consumes it perpetual life. Many people are therefore trying to murder him, but he is resurrected from the ashes as the phoenix of the narrative. Stories are happening in the future and in the past where people battle as ever, and everyone is scared of dying. However, each narrative offers one lesson: life is the commencement of an eternity, an endless cycle.
13. Final Fantasy: Unlimited
- Episodes: 25
- Genres: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Shounen
Years ago, an interdimensional gateway opened, releasing two creatures into the skies over the Sea of Japan, visible from all countries along the coast. The two animals turned on each other after slaughtering the naval patrol dispatched to investigate the noise.
Scientists Joe and Marie Hayakawa were drawn into the gap while watching the battle from Japan. They collated and published the scholarly results from their expedition in a mythical book named “Day of Succession” once they returned to Earth. The pair attempted a second excursion to the other realm twelve years later but never returned.
Ai and Yu Hayakawa, twins, resolve to hunt for their parents and the enigmatic Wonderland they researched. The two wait for a train to take them to the world beyond amid the wreckage of an abandoned metro station. They encounter Lisa Pacifist on board, who promptly agrees to help them in their hunt for their lost family. Will the three of them be able to track down Joe and Marie?
14. Chrono Crusade
- Episodes: 24
- Genres: Action, Demons, Historical, Romance, Shounen, Supernatural
Sister Rosette Christopher, as well as her companion Chrno, are members of the Order of Magdalene’s New York branch. The famed crew is tasked with eliminating demonic threats, and although incurring substantial collateral damage on their missions, they are superb at what they do.
Rosette and Chrno, on the other hand, are both driven by their dark pasts. With the help of Chrno, a demon, Rosette seeks to discover her long-lost brother Joshua. While continuing to look for the truth behind Joshua’s abduction, the two of them must fend off increasingly serious demonic threats.
15. Last Exile
- Episodes: 26
- Genres: Action, Sci-Fi, Adventure
Flight is the most common means of transportation in Prester’s universe. The skies are under the control of an entity known only as “the Guild.” The Guild also acts as a mediator in conflicts between warring nations. Last Exile chronicles the exploits of two teenagers who aspire to be better than their parents. As messengers, they must travel across an air current known as the Grand Stream. When they accept a high-rated delivery to transport Alvis Hamilton, an orphan girl, to the battleship Silvana, they are forced into a far larger fight that sets them against the Guild’s forces.
16. Samurai 7
- Episodes: 26
- Genres: Historical, Mecha, Samurai, Sci-Fi
On a planet that could be Earth, samurai who had mechanised their bodies battled against each other in a long war. After the war, the people were finally able to enjoy a brief period of peace.
Faced with famine and kidnappings at the hands of ruthless mechanised bandits, Kanna Village’s farmers take the risky step of hiring samurai for protection. Seven samurai of various specialisations and expertise are assembled for an epic battle against the bandits through risky encounters and a touch of luck.
17. Burst Angel
- Episodes: 24
- Genres: Adventure, Comedy, Mecha, Sci-Fi
Kyohei Tachibana is a talented culinary student who wishes to become a pastry chef in France. When four mercenaries invite him to be their cook, he has to make a difficult decision. Jo, Meg, Sei and Amy take on the most dangerous positions in Tokyo’s turbulent metropolis.
18. Black Jack
- Episodes: 61
- Genres: Drama, Mystery, Psychological, Thriller
“Unregistered” and genius doctor, Black Jack is a mysterious person with a clouded past. He works with his little assistant Pinoko, who has a crush on him. As a man of science, he does not believe until he sees it. But love and nature often overpower the science he bases his life in.
19. Black Lagoon
- Episodes: 61
- Genres: Action, Seinen
Roanapur is known as the centre of unlawful operations and activities. The clutches of corruption do not even leave the authorities or churches untouched. Rokurou Okajima, a Japanese businessman, is caught by a mercenary squad. He decides to join Black Lagoon after being abandoned and betrayed by his former boss. He must adjust to his new environment and become ready for the coming carnage.
20. Hellsing
- Episodes: 13
- Genre: Action, Horror, Supernatural, Vampire, Seinen
Hellsing is an organisation dedicated to combating otherworldly dangers. A vampire has transformed the villagers of Cheddar into ghouls. Seras Victoria, a young police officer, is caught up in the pandemonium and is fatally injured. She is offered the option of dying as a human or continuing to live as a vampire, and she opts for the latter. She struggles with the realisation that she is no longer human, despite her choices.
21. Wolf’s Rain
- Episodes: 26
- Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Mystery, Sci-Fi
Kiba, a lone wolf, is driven by an alluring fragrance to Freeze City, an impoverished town ruled by the harsh Lord Orkham. Wolves, long assumed to be extinct, nonetheless exist and coexist with people, concealing themselves with sophisticated illusions. The wolves set out on a trek over bleak landscapes and crumbling buildings to discover their promised home by following the aroma of “Lunar Flowers.” Those with more malicious goals, on the other hand, will go to any length to get there first.
22. Basilisk
- Episodes: 24
- Genre: Action, Adventure, Historical, Supernatural, Romance, Samurai, Fantasy
For decades, the Iga and Kouga ninja clans have been at odds. When the great warlord Ieyasu Tokugawa orders a truce, the two clans are made to lay down their weapons. Years later, Gennosuke Kouga and Oboro Iga have fallen in love and are attempting to bring the clans together. However, the hatred between their clans is renewed, and they are drawn into yet another war. Gennosuke and Oboro must finally determine the destiny of their tribes, torn between their love for one other and responsibility to their tribes.
23. Gantz
- Episodes: 13
- Genre: Action, Sci-Fi, Horror, Psychological, Supernatural, Drama, Ecchi
Gantz is not for the faint of heart, nor is it as straightforward as it appears. Gore, rape, and brutality are prevalent, as are depictions of wealth, brutality, and all the evil that may be found in today’s society. When Kei Kurono dies, he finds himself in the middle of such a game—a test of his abilities, morality, and desire to live.
24. Paranoia Agent
- Episodes: 13
- Genre: Mystery, Dementia, Police, Psychological, Supernatural, Drama, Thriller
Musashino City’s people are being terrorised by the fearsome Shounen Bat (Lil’ Slugger). The attacker appears to be hard to apprehend and can only be identified by his golden bat and roller blades. Keiichi Ikari and Mitsuhiro Maniwa, two detectives, begin their investigation into the identity of the attacker. Will the two investigators be able to uncover the truth, or will paranoia get the better of them?
25. Witchblade
- Episodes: 24
- Genre: Action, Sci-Fi, Super Power
Masane Amaha and her daughter Rihoko are running away from the government child protection agency. They are apprehended, and Rihoko is taken away. Masane is assaulted by a sophisticated device that can disguise itself as a human. When she is confronted with a threat, a weird light emanates from her wrist, and she changes into a strong entity.
26. Elfen Lied
- Episodes: 13
- Genre: Action, Horror, Psychological, Supernatural, Drama, Romance, Seinen
Lucy is a “Diclonius,” a type of person born with a small set of horns and invisible telekinetic hands. She is a victim of the government’s brutal scientific testing. When Lucy sees the chance to escape, she unleashes a flood of carnage. Unaware of her homicidal intentions, two college students accidentally take her in.
27. .Hack//Legend of the Twilight
- Episodes: 12
- Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Game, Sci-Fi, Shounen
Twins, Shugo and Rena are reunited in the MMORPG “The World” after being separated due to their parent’s divorce. Rena had won the character avatars of the legendary dot hackers, Kite and Black Rose. Together they take on quests and enjoy events while exploring the world and making new friends. However, it was not just luck that had the pair winning the avatars, it is up to them to help solve the new mystery facing the world and stop others from falling into the hypnosis of death.
.Hack//Legend of the Twilight Review
28. Le Chevalier D’Eon
- Episodes: 24
- Genre: Historical, Magic, Mystery, Seinen, Supernatural
A coffin is discovered floating down the Seine River in 18th-century Paris. It has the body of noblewoman Lia de Beaumont, a spy for King Louis XV, whose younger brother Charles d’Eon was just knighted. When other disappearances occur in Paris, the young knight suspects they are related to his sister’s murder. Following clues, they piece together that the disappearances may be the result of a plot between members of the French and Russian elite, fueled by a cult. During the struggle, d’ Eon is taken by Lia’s vengeful spirit, which takes control of his body and kills the Gargoyle herself.
29. Bleach
- Episodes: 366
- Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Super Power, Supernatural, Shounen
Ichigo Kurosaki is a relatively normal high school student, except he can see and talk to ghosts. One day his family is ambushed by a Hollow, a tainted spirit. He encounters Rukia Kuchiki, a Soul Reaper who is injured while defending his family from the Hollow. Because Rukia is unable to restore her abilities, he is tasked with tracking down the Hollows that haunt their city in her place. Later, he is joined by his companions, each with their own special skills.
30. Death Note
- Episodes: 37
- Genre: Mystery, Police, Psychological, Supernatural, Thriller, Shounen
A shinigami, a god of death, has the power to murder anybody if they view their victim’s face and write their full name in a Death Note. Light Yagami, a high school student and genius, discovers the Death Note and puts it to the test by putting a criminal’s name in it. When the criminal dies shortly after his experiment, Light is taken aback and realises the magnitude of the power that has come into his hands. With this almighty power, Light chooses to eliminate all criminals in order to create a new world where there is no crime and everyone worships him.
31. Earth Girl Arjuna
- Episodes: 13
- Genre: Adventure, Drama, Magic, Sci-Fi
Juna Ariyoshi is a regular Japanese schoolgirl who is killed in a motorbike accident. A person named Chris Hawken bestows upon the abilities that transform her into the avatar of time. In exchange, she must struggle to safeguard the Earth from evil forces known as raaja, which are the result of poisonous pollution generated by humans. Juna must conquer her phobias with the assistance of Chris, his aide Cindy Klein, and a strong multinational organisation called SEED.
32. Ergo Proxy
- Episodes: 23
- Genre: Psychological, Mystery, Sci-Fi
A massive ecological disaster devastated the world thousands of years ago; now, living beyond these domes is nearly impossible. “AutoReivs,” or humanoid-like robots, have been developed to help humans in their daily lives. Re-l Mayer, the granddaughter of Romdo’s monarch, is tasked with investigating a strange occurrence in the domed city. As she confronts humanity’s deepest atrocities, what begins as a regular investigation rapidly turns into a conspiracy.
33. Fullmetal Alchemist
- Episodes: 51
- Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Magic, Military, Shounen
Edward Elric is a young and bright alchemist. When he and his brother Alphonse attempt to bring their dead mother back to life through the forbidden act of human transmutation, Edward loses both his brother and two of his limbs. Using his mastery of alchemy, Edwards links Alphonse’s soul to a massive piece of armour.
Edward and his brother Alphonse attempt to get the Philosopher’s Stone. They seeks to enlist the help of the military to locate the mythical stone and return his and Alphonse’s bodies to normalcy. The Elric brothers, however, quickly realise that there is more to the famed stone than meets the eye, as they are brought to the heart of a far darker struggle than they could have anticipated.
34. He is My Master
- Episodes: 12
- Genre: Comedy, Ecchi, Slice of Life
Izumi Sawatari and her younger sister, Mitsuki Sawatari, have fled their home and are looking for work. The only occupations available are as maids in the household of Yoshitaka Nakabayashi, a 14-year-old billionaire. What appears to be a straightforward job quickly turns out to be considerably more than the ladies bargained for when they discover Yoshitaka to be an authoritative boss who insists on being addressed as “Master.”
35. Kiddy Grade
- Episodes: 24
- Genre: Action, Sci-Fi, Super Power, Ecchi, Mecha
Humanity has gone to the sky and inhabited several planets around the cosmos in the distant future. To keep things in order, the Galactic Organization of Trade and Tariffs (GOTT) was founded. A covert team of augmented human beings inside GOTT carry out secret operations to put a halt to big galactic crimes. However, as they execute additional tasks, the pair begins to uncover a massive conspiracy.
36. Paradise Kiss
- Episodes: 12
- Genre: Comedy, Drama, Josei, Romance, Slice of Life
On her walk home from school, Yukari Hayasaka is accosted by a strange-looking man. He has blond spiky hair, a spiked choker, and piercings on his ears and face. Yukari passes out from shock and awakens in a strange location called the Atelier. The outsiders are fashion designers who attend Yazawa Art Academy, Japan’s most prestigious art school. They want Yukari to pose for their brand at the upcoming Yazawa Academy presentation.
37. School Rumble
- Episodes: 26
- Genre: Comedy, Romance, School, Shounen
Everything changes with the words “I love you”—such are the bittersweet challenges of high school romance. Tenma Tsukamoto, a second-year student, is on a mission to express her feelings to the boy she is in love with. Kenji Harima, a notorious delinquent, is in a similar circumstance, unable to fully express his thoughts to the one he loves. With school, friends, rivalries, and interests, these two will discover that high school romance is not for the faint of heart, especially as misconceptions worsen their situation.
38. Scrapped Princess
- Episodes: 24
- Genre: Sci-Fi, Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Mecha, Shounen
Pacifica Casull will ruin the planet on her 16th birthday, according to an apocalyptic prophecy. She is saved from probable death by a compassionate family and seeks refuge with her adopted elder brother and sister. As the princess’ 16th birthday approaches, the actual nature of the Scrapped Princess, as well as the horrifying discoveries of the planet itself, becomes more and more evident.
39. Trigun
- Episodes: 26
- Genre: Action, Sci-Fi, Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Shounen
Vash the Stampede is a ruthless monster who annihilates anybody who opposes him and flattens entire cities for amusement. In reality, Vash is a giant softie who claims to have never killed anybody and avoids fighting at all costs. Vash travels through the wasteland of Gunsmoke with two insurance agents who try to minimise his influence. However, their follies quickly turn into life-or-death situations when a crew of famous assassins is recruited.
40. Trinity Blood
- Episodes: 24
- Genre: Action, Supernatural, Vampire
The world was divided into two factions: the Methuselah, who were allied with the New Human Empire, and the humans, whom the vampires dubbed Terrans. The Vatican established the AX force to combat terrorist organisations. The AX agents, led by Cardinal Caterina Sforza, investigate vampire-related incidents. However, their route is littered with disaster, which may compel them to confront the memories that have plagued their hearts.
Which other anime titles did you see on Animax? How many of these have you watched and which ones did you watch on Animax?
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