This is probably where anyone outside of Japan first heard the term “Boogiepop”. It takes place just a month after the events of Boogiepop and Others, and each episode tells its own mystery story that builds up into its own narrative separate from Boogiepop and Others using the Boogiepop mythos as a starting point. However, it does tie into the overall canon, as all the stories written for the 2019 series were all printed as light novels back in 1999 before the release of the 2000 series.

As the first Boogiepop anime, 2000’s series was created so that it could potentially be watched as a springboard to jump into the franchise. This works to an extent. It’s actually considered to be its own standalone story, and the overall feel of the show is a little different from that of its Light Novel origins in that it leans a bit more on the horror aspects. Some fans even consider it a non-canon entry, but if it does take place in the timeline, it’d be right in between Boogiepop and Others and Imaginator.

Something to consider is that, at the time of the 2000’s series’ release, it was still very early in Boogiepop’s life. There had only been a few novels written at the time and no one was really quite sure in what direction the franchise would go. The series was also written assuming some familiarity with the lore of Boogiepop, even if no one outside of Japan would know it. You could just skip the 2000 series entirely, but it is an interesting series in its own right and does give you a taste of what to expect. If you decide to watch it, at least watch the first 3 episodes of 2019 beforehand.

If you consider the 2000 series canon, Vs Imaginator would take place shortly after episode 11. If you don’t want to bother with that series, then just keep on going once you finish episode 3 of 2019. Like a lot of Boogiepop material, this one can somewhat stand as its own story. However, due to being written as the first sequel to the original Boogiepop Phantom, Vs Imaginator does require you to at least know of certain terms, like the Towa Corporation, in order to fully appreciate it, so you may as well just wait and save yourself an overly complicated viewing.

Honestly, if not for Boogiepop at Dawn being placed right in between Vs Imaginator and Overdrive, the 2019 series would actually have a relatively simple timeline, all things considered. Granted, Overdrive’s still got that Boogiepop-style of drifting in and out of its own timeline making it incredibly difficult to pinpoint what is taking place during its own story arc, but really, once you make it to Overdrive, you should be pretty used to it. You could potentially skip Episodes 10-13 if you really just wanted to get on with the main plot, but really, why would you?

Pre-requisites: 2000’s Episodes 1-11, rest of Boogiepop recommended
Yes, believe it or not, the end of the Boogiepop timeline was made all the way back in 2000! While Episode 12 was written to be a conclusion to the plotline of the 2000 series, this episode goes far enough into the future that it doesn’t actually interfere with the 2019 timeline. Because of this, we recommend it as the very last Boogiepop animated material you take in, as it serves as a proper ending for the timeline.
Just hope they don’t adapt anymore Boogiepop material!