Kara Dennison
March 31, 2023 
The return of Urusei Yatsura is a smash hit! This new take on the Rumiko Takahashi classic found its feet and established its style, and has won over fans old and new. When done right, classic anime can really benefit from a reboot. And that’s got us thinking… what other shows deserve another round in the new century?
We can think of a few titles that might fare well in the 2020s. Perhaps they’d win over new fans. Perhaps they’d wake up the old dormant fandoms. And in some cases, it would be an opportunity to finish a story that was either truncated or rewritten. Which would you want to see on this list?
Tokimeki Tonight
Based on the manga by Koi Ikeno, classic anime Tokimeki Tonight is a supernatural rom-com about a family of the Addams persuasion. Ranze Eto has a vampire dad and a werewolf mom, but still hasn’t shown any real powers of her own by the age of 15. Then, her talent surfaces: she can turn into anything she bites, and sneezes to turn back into herself. It’s a weird one, but it checks out. And it also makes having a high-school romance with a human boy very difficult.
As with many anime adaptations, however, Tokimeki Tonight wrapped before its manga did. Well before… like 11 years before. So the anime has an ending of its own. With both a role-reversal manga and a sequel, there’s lots more material to pursue. It might just be time to give this one a reboot!
Magical Princess Minky Momo
This classic anime is remembered for a lot of reasons. Minky Momo was a mainstay of the early magical girl genre. It also scarred a generation when Momo got hit by a truck and died. (The statute of limitations is well over for that spoiler.) While Momo has appeared in other media since, it feels like a good time to return.
There’s even precedent for reboots. According to the original two seasons, there are actually two different Momos—nicknamed “Sea Momo” and “Sky Momo.” While the shows are similar, each Momo hails from a different magical kingdom and is accompanied by a different cast. In other words, a fresh new season with a third Momo isn’t at all out of the question.
Future Police Urashiman
If you’re familiar with this classic anime from Tatsunoko, congratulations… you’re one of a small number! This time-travel action series is kind of like a reverse Life on Mars. A boy in the 1980s gets hit by a car. But instead of going back to the past, he gets sent to the future. With no member of his name, he’s called Ryu Urashima, and joins the police force of Neo Tokyo. But, of course, there’s more to the story.
There were plans for more Urashiman after the series ended, but sadly this never came about. The show is low-key loved by a lot of people, though. Maybe a reboot could give Ryu back some lost time.
Check out some new anime for classic fans!
