Fullmetal Alchemist, created by Hiromu Arakawa in 2001, is a popular manga and anime series that explores themes of science, magic, and the consequences of human ambition.

The 1995 Tokyo subway sarin gas attack by the Aum Shinrikyo cult shocked Japan and led to increased scrutiny of religious groups.

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, created by Nagaru Tanigawa in 2003, is a popular light novel series and anime that explores themes of existentialism, time travel, and alternate realities.