Summary
Anime as a medium of entertainment has continuously increased in popularity over time and has gained worldwide acceptance. Over the last three decades, anime has also seen a steady and significant increase in quality, with most of this credit going to anime production studios. These anime studios have played a pivotal part in shaping the anime industry as it is now through the constant and continuous evolution of visual and audio appeal, among many others.
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These studios have produced iconic and culture-shifting anime and set thestandards for story-telling, animation quality, and, in fact, musical additions. Constantly reinventing and innovating new ways of anime production, these studios have left unerasable marks on the anime industry and, by extension, the anime as a cultural phenomenon. In summary, here are some iconic studios responsible for the current state of the anime industry.
10MadHouse Studios
MadHouse is a Japanese animation studio founded in 1972 by Masao Maruyama, Osamu Dezaki, and Yoshiaki Kawagiri, ex-members of another Japanese animation studio, Mushi Pro. MadHouse, having been around for quite a while, has produced quite the list of top-notch anime projects, includingthe iconicDeath Note,Parasyte: The Maxim, and even the first season of the comedic superhero seriesOne Punch Man, among many others.
However, atop this impressive list of projects stands the 2011 re-adaptation of fan-favoriteHunter X Hunter. Despite its famously incomplete adaptation, the series instantly became one of the shounen genre’s best.
9Production I.G
Founded in 1987 by producer Mitsuhisa Ishikawa and character designer Takayuki Goto, the studio was named I.G Tastsunoko as a branch studio under animation giants Tatsunoko Production. The studio changed its name to the current one in 1993.
Since its creation, Production I.G has created several highly-rated anime likeGuilty Crown,Psycho-Pass, the iconicKuroko’s Basketball, andHaikyuu. However, the studio’s crowning jewel is the 1995Ghost in the Shellanimated film. The 1995 blockbuster would be a groundbreaking reference point inthe sci-fi genrefor both anime and theatrical films. It would inspire an entire movie franchise, thus sealing the legendary status of the production studio.
8WIT Studio
Studio WIT has a relatively short history but an impressive list of anime projects in the last decade. Some have recently become the projected images of the anime industry. Studio WIT was founded by an ex-employee of Production I.G. in 2012.
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Behind the fan-favoriteSpy X FamilyandRanking of Kingsanime, Studio WIT gained notable acknowledgment after producing the first three seasons ofAttack On Titan. This anime would change the seinen genre’s outlook, and the studio was behind the production ofthe medieval historical seriesVinland Saga’s first season.
7Studio Bones
Founded in 1998 by Hiroshi Osaka, Masahiko Minami, and Toshihiro Kawamoto,Studio Bones boasts a stellar castof anime productions that includeSoul Eater,Noragami,Bungo Stray Dogs,Darker than Black, and the famousMob Psycho 100.
Impressive as their works are, none compare to the duo that grants the studio a seat at the table of legends,The Fullmetal AlchemistandMy Hero Academia, with the former primarily regarded as one of the best anime series in the last three decades and the latter, running for over a decade now with six seasons released consistently one of the best anime of the previous decade.
6Ufotable
Ufotable has been around for over two decades, but its lifespan has had little to do with the unquestionable quality put into its projects. Founded by Hikaru Kondo in October 2000, Ufotable has produced several high-quality anime, includingGarden of Sinners,Fate/Zero, andFate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works, with the Fate series, worked on in collaboration with Type-Moon.
However, Ufotable’s most recent project,Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba, takes animation to a new level. Based on its animation quality alone, the series has quickly established itself as one of the best new anime since 2020, with dazzling action sequences and an all-around blend of color and beauty, all of which is credited to the competence of Ufotable.
5Kyoto Animation
Co-founded by married couple Yoko and Hideaki Hatta, Kyoko Animation, through its works, gave a new perception to anime that focused onemotionality and the surrealismof ordinary life. The studio also gained recognition due to its exemplary high production value and detailed work output. It’s best works includeSuzumiya,Free!,A Silent VoiceandViolet Evergarden.
WithViolet EvergardenandA Silent Voicegaining unprecedented traction after their various releases, both shows represent the culmination of Kyoko Animation’s impact on the anime industry.
4MAPPA
Founded by co-founder of MadHouse Studios, Masao Maruyama, in 2011, MAPPA has overseen some of the best anime projects of the last decade, each an improvement over the previous. Despite its relatively short lifespan, its portfolio of projects speaks for itself, which includesTerror in Resonance,Kakegurui,Banana Fish, andDororo.
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The studio has also collaborated on anime projects likeGod of High School, the final season ofAttack on Titan, andVinland Saga’ssecond season. However, the top picks of its works are fan-favoritesJujutsu KaisenandChainsaw Man, which have exceeded viewing expectations since their release due to the stunning cinematic quality, among other factors.
3Studio Pierrot
One of the current animation giants of Japan, Studio Pierrot, was founded in 1979 by Yuji Nunokawa, a former employee of Tatsunoko Production.
The animation studio is world-renowned for its star-studded cast of anime production over the last three decades, ones which includeYu Yu Hakusho,Tokyo Ghoul,Black Clover,Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, and is topped off with two out of the famous ‘Big Three,‘NarutoandBleach. Its finest work would beNarutoandNaruto Shippuden. After its release, the series had a cultural impact on the world, putting the anime industry on the global radar.
2Studio Ghibli
Studio Ghibli is one of Japan’s most successful animation production studios. Founded by the trio of Hayao Miyazaki, Toshio Suzuki, and Isao Takahata in 1985, Studio Ghibli has earned worldwide recognition through its projects’ quality. Built on impeccable attention to detail, intricate visuals, and a consistently recognizable characteristic design in every one of its projects, Studio Ghibli added a new layer tothe appeal of aestheticsin anime.
It boasts a collection of some of the most successful anime projects in anime history, such asPrincess Mononoke,Spirited Away, andHowl’s Moving Castle. Through its unprecedented global success, the studio played a significant part in the evolution of the anime industry.
1Toei Animation
Toei Animation has been operational since the 1960s and was founded in 1948 by Kenzo Masaoka and Zenjirō Yamamoto. Being one of the oldest animation productions in Japan, Toei Animationhas a long list of stellar projectsit has worked on. A list includes projects likeSaint Seiya, Sailor Moon, Slam Dunk, World Trigger, and even one of the ‘Big Three’One Piece.
However, unlike the world-famousDragon Ballseries, none has impacted the anime industry. Regarding cultural impact and revolutionizing the perception of anime and the anime industry, the Dragon Ball series was the first to make such a profound impact and is still a massive reference point in the anime industry, even ahead of the ‘Big Three.’ Riding on the back of the groundbreaking impact of the Dragon Ball series, the anime industry started on its current path of global recognition, cementing the legendary status of Toei Animation in the anime industry.
