Question above.

Going from my memories as a American 5-year-old kid in the year 2000 and having a 26-year-old cousin and several friends who happened to be way bigger Pokémon fans than I was a kid, it's obvious Pokémon-mania was still extremely HUGE and Pokémon was definitely far more popular than Dragon Ball Z especially among people my age who like me, were still young to get into Dragon Ball Z and understand the show and weren't old enough to truly remember the show's early popularity in America in the Y2K-Era.

But, I'd like to know which anime was more popular and a lot more hip to watch among older Millennials in the year 2000 especially when you consider the fact 2000 was the year the Cell Saga episodes aired in America for the very first time on Cartoon Network's Toonami.

Pokemon

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2

Still Pokémon. Dragon Ball Z was overwhelmingly dominant during the 2001-2002 school year, but Pokémania was still running its course in 2000.

Pokémon by far

Pokemon especially with the launch of Gold and Silver which was the peak of pokemania.

Pokemon. But DBZ was catching steam later in the year. I actually began to start losing interest in Pokemon during late 2000 started and getting into DBZ. And by early 2001, people were calling Pokemon "old news".

I was born that year, but even I know that Pokémon was still huge in America after looking at news and archival footage, especially when the second movie came out.

I had Pokemon: The First Movie on video. That came out in 2000.

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51M30WN1Y2L._AC_.jpg

I had Pokemon: The First Movie on video. That came out in 2000.

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51M30WN1Y2L._AC_.jpg
I heard it was dire?

I heard it was dire?

I liked it, but I was 5 so I wasn’t exactly critiquing movies.

I liked it, but I was 5 so I wasn’t exactly critiquing movies.
...and never heard of Rotten Tomatoes then?

...and never heard of Rotten Tomatoes then?

Yeah, but I’m usually skeptical of review sites like that.

Yeah, but I’m usually skeptical of review sites like that.
I find it matches my view of films I have viewed.

I enjoyed Dragon Ball Z throughout the 90s. But in the 2000s I would have to say Pokémon was more popular. Wasn't really into Pokémon though. I was into Dragon Ball Z more. 

https://scontent-lht6-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/p960x960/97973079_10157809385226028_8984727113969958912_o.png?_nc_cat=1&_nc_sid=da1649&_nc_ohc=CGoEM8GzGU4AX-zj1ym&_nc_ht=scontent-lht6-1.xx&oh=f1c42cf63f11abdaa19fcfd4b74a7b28&oe=5EE30087

I heard it was dire?


The thing about that movie is that it was very clearly targeted specifically to people who were already major fans of Pokémon, not newcomers. The critical reviews have not aged well because they were largely a product of hype backlash against Pokémania, coming from full-grown adults who were too old to be hooked on the series by then. Nowadays, Pokémon: The First Movie is considered a classic, since the millennial generation has come of age.

As a kid who fully embraced Pokémania, I can say that I loved the film and still do. The animation was incredible to look at, and I found the story quite poignant, understanding the franchise already.

The thing about that movie is that it was very clearly targeted specifically to people who were already major fans of Pokémon, not newcomers. The critical reviews have not aged well because they were largely a product of hype backlash against Pokémania, coming from full-grown adults who were too old to be hooked on the series by then. Nowadays, Pokémon: The First Movie is considered a classic, since the millennial generation has come of age.

As a kid who fully embraced Pokémania, I can say that I loved the film and still do. The animation was incredible to look at, and I found the story quite poignant, understanding the franchise already.

It had more soul than the TV show, which just repeated the same thing in every episode.

The thing about that movie is that it was very clearly targeted specifically to people who were already major fans of Pokémon, not newcomers. The critical reviews have not aged well because they were largely a product of hype backlash against Pokémania, coming from full-grown adults who were too old to be hooked on the series by then. Nowadays, Pokémon: The First Movie is considered a classic, since the millennial generation has come of age.

Yeah, I remember people clowned on Pokémon back then the way people clown on current Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network shows today. We just simply aged out of that demographic that it’s targeted to.