2000s Anime and its Theme of Justice

The 2000s had quite a few anime that dealt with what it means to "become" justice, in a sense. Fate Stay Night has a protagonist who tries to fight for his sense of justice. Claymore examines the topic in a more brutal way that also deals with what it means to be human, and, of course, Death Note and Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion both examine what would happen if their protagonists were given a means to end the wrongs of the world in which they live, only to pay a price for it later.

The topic taker should examine each of the anime listed, if possible, and compare and contrast how each anime dealt with the theme of justice it wanted to convey. How did each anime handle the toll it took on its protagonist? What could be gleaned from the outcomes of the individual anime surrounding what it means to be a savior figure, even if that ideology is subjective?

Furthermore, the topic taker should delve into whether or not the sense of justice being displayed is entirely subjective to the protagonist of the anime, or if it tackles the idea of objective justice and the toll that takes on groups as opposed to the individual. The topic taker can include other anime that they feel may fit this idea, so long as it was released between 2000-2009, as there seemed to be a trend with anime around that time that shared a certain thematic work and aesthetic which is to be examined in this topic specifically. In this regard, the topic taker could also deepen the topic by looking into what was going on in Japan and/or the world in general at the time to see if current events or recent history evoked the theme of justice being culturally relevant to its viewers. The topic taker may also include, briefly, how anime from the 2000s with this theme of justice may have influenced other anime to re-examine the themes later on, such as with 2012’s Psycho-Pass or more current day anime.