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When people think of anime's beginnings in America, they mostly think of the 2000s. It's a fair assumption, as Toonami really didn't get going until the 2000s, and some of the most popular series in America didn't come Stateside until the mid to late 2000s. However, anime in the '90s still played an important part in the growth of the medium.

Related: 10 Most Underrated Mha Heroes

Several key anime airing on Saturday mornings, or in syndication, helped define the medium in America. Some of these anime would experience enduring popularity that lasts even today. Others are forgotten by younger anime fans, but their contributions are still valuable to the genre.

Ronin Warriors

While the popular '80s series Saint Seiya had trouble working out in America, it's sister series Ronin Warriors had no such issue. The series made an appearance on syndication and on the Sci-Fi Network in the early mornings,...

Big budget blockbuster versions of old school anime and manga favourites are still very much in vogue in Japan, with the likes of “Space Captain Harlock”, “Space Battleship Yamato” and others having hit the screen in recent years. “Gatchaman”, better known to western viewers as “Battle of the Planets” (or possibly “G-Force: Guardians of Space”) is the latest to make the leap, director Sato Toya (“Kaiji: The Ultimate Gambler”) offering up a new, special effects heavy take on Yoshida Tatsuo’s early 1970s series “Science Ninja Team Gatchaman”, with Ayano Go as Joe (“Rurouni Kenshin”), Matsuzaka Tori as Ken (“Love for Beginners”), Goriki Ayame as Jun (“Kiyosu Conference”), Hamada Tatsuomi as Jinpei (“Umizaru Brave Hearts”) and Suzuki Ryohei as Ryu (“Forbidden Superhero”). The film is set in 2050, with the world having been invaded by the Galactors, an evil race of humanoid beings led by the evil Berg Katse, who manage to conquer half the planet,...

“Scum sucking mutated freaks of the world. Prepare to meet, Casey Jones.”

In the world of mutated turtles, there have always been a few staple characters. In the villain’s corner, you need your Oroku Saki, aka The Shredder, to serve as your heroic motivator. On the turtle side, you have Master Splinter, who is sometimes Hamato Yoshi’s pet rat and sometimes it’s Master Yoshi himself.

Then, there are the supporting characters who round out the turtles’ perception of humanity. The turtles have their Bff April O’Neil, while The Shredder has his personal scientist Baxter Stockman.

Although April and Baxter are cool to see, you never really care about them. It’s only in the new 2012 CG Tmnt series that April is starting to develop into a more, well-rounded character. She’s using her intuition and is getting involved in the action.

However, April aside, there is...