25 Best Anime Studios: ‘Content is King’ is possibly the most quoted line in the film business. However, it is not always true in every sense. Fans all over the world have been demanding fast content. And the Japanese anime industry has provided them with the same time and again. But the real minds behind this are not only the storytellers. These are also the animation studios that work day in and out to bring the best stories to the fans. So, which of these studios have been the best? Which company has given us the best shows till now? Here is a brief list of the 25 Best Anime Studios And Their Popular Works
Wit Studio
Definitely on top of all lists of the best studios is going to be the Wit Studios. The name of Attack on Titan is more than enough to prove the Wit Studio has made its name in the game. Besides this, the company also has big banners like Ranking of Kings and Spy X Family Anime. The biggest thing that the company is known for is its unique play with lighting. Over the years, the lighting and grading in its stories have been commendable, with a special mention to Attack on Titan.
J.C. Staff
J.C. Staff is easily one of the busiest anime studios in Japan. Each year, the company announces a plethora of upcoming releases. Also, it has the most tedious list of anime produced in the last three decades. This animation company has given us some of the most memorable shows and movies. This includes Toradora, Maid-Sama, Food Wars, and One Punch Man Season 2. The list of OVAs, movies, and video games is also long for this company.
Best Anime Studios: Studio Bones
Found in 1998, Studio Bones began its venture of producing anime in 2001. First, the company started animating original works. But soon enough, it also started the work of adapting manga stories. Studio Bones is a company that has given some of the highest-grossing anime movies of all time. In the last five years, the company has produced only hit series. The list includes Mob Psycho 100, Bungo Stray Dogs, My Hero Academia, and SK8 the Infinity.
Madhouse
Madhouse is another name that has made it big in the industry with sheer quality. The able team of animators at this studio has brought some of the most classic and noteworthy stories of recent times. Not only this, but the company has also brought out some nostalgic works. The branched company of Sony Pictures has managed to make it big with names like Death Note, One Punch Man, Overlord, No Game No Life, Sonny Boy, and Highschool of the Dead.
Kinema Citrus
In the list of the best anime studios out there, Kinema Citrus is an underdog. With only a small list of anime, the animation company has managed to make its name in the industry. The most remarkable of all its works is The Rising of the Shield Hero. Another popular work that is under production is the second season of Made in Abyss The Golden City of the Scorching Sun. The young-age animation style of Kinema Citrus is quite recognizable.
Studio Lerche
Anime makers and show writers know where to go when they have a long-term series. Studio Lerche has a numbered title in its name. However, these are some of the most popular and praise-worthy shows of their times. Studio Lerche gave us the Danganronpa and Assassination Classroom. Besides these, some of the notable works include Classroom of the Elite, Idoly Pride, Radiant, and other original works. The bright colors and striking features of its animation are the USPs of this company.
Best Anime Studios: MAPPA
MAPPA is one name that keeps making it to the headlines every now and then. The company is quite young as compared to the long-standing animation studios in the industry. Found in 2011 by Masao Maruyama, the company has been producing some of the best-known works of its time. These works include Attack on Titan Final Season, Hell’s Paradise, Banana Fish, Dororo, Jujutsu Kaisen, and Chainsaw Man. The studio has also signed some interesting projects for the upcoming years.
A-1 Pictures
In terms of marketing and distribution, Aniplex is a big company in the animation business. In the year 2005, this company branched out an animation studio by the name of A-1 Pictures. And suddenly, everyone was watching anime produced by this studio. Best known for its bright use of colors and flowing animation, A-1 Pictures is a banner in itself. Some of the popular works that this company has produced include Blue Exorcist, The Seven Deadly Sins, Your Lie In April, Erased, and Kaguya-Sama Love Is War.
Ufotable
Demon Slayer is the sheer reason why Ufotable stands high in this list of the best anime studios of all time. No matter how well-written or timely-paced anime Demon Slayer had been, it wouldn’t have exploded the way it did if not for Studio Ufotable. Found in 2000, the company has only managed to give out hit shows. This includes God Eater, Fate/Stay Night, and The Garden of Sinners.
Kyoto Animation
If the tragedy of the Arson attack had not befallen this animation company, this company would have been the best-known animation company of its time. Even with the number of losses, this studio still holds some popular banners in its name. This includes K-On!!, Violet Evergarden, A Silent Voice, and Free! Eternal Summer. Besides the animation work, the company has also published some light novels, which include High Speed!, Violet Evergarden, and Tsurune.
Best Anime Studios: Studio Ghibli
Ghibli is best known for its path-breaking movies that release on global public platforms. In the last three decades, the company has released only a numbered of anime movies. But almost all of them have been big hits. Some of the best-known movies that have come out of the blocks of this studio are Grave of the Fireflies, Spirited Away, Ponyo, Whisper of the Heart, and Ocean Waves.
Production I.G.
Production I.G. possibly has the largest list of anime series produced over a span of three decades. Not only this, but these anime also have multiple seasons. Production I.G. has an animation style of its own. Toned-down colors and long faces are something common for this animation company. Some of the popular works by this company include Fena Pirate Princess, Psycho-Pass, Ghost In The Shell, Haikyuu, and many more.
Silver Link
Silver Link might be the youngest contender in this list of the best anime studios. Found in the year 2007, this company has made it to the big leagues quite soon. On top of this, it has many names under its banner, considering that it is only a decade old. Silver Link is more known for taking up romance, isekai, and slice-of-life stories. This list includes Strike The Blood, Chivalry of a Failed Knight, Restaurant to Another World, The Great Jahy Will Not Be Defeated, and Bofuri.
White Fox
Much like Silver Link, White Fox is also a young animation company. After leaving OLM studios, Gaku Iwasa decided to form a team of his own and start another animation company. Starting with Tears to Tiara, the company soon caught attention. Steins; Gate, Devil is a Part-Timer!, Re: Zero, and Goblin Slayer is some of the popular banners that have come out from the plethora of this company. Besides these, the studio has come out with some video games of similar titles.
Brain’s Base
Studio Brain’s Base recently completed twenty-five years in 2021. Found in the year 1996, this studio has been releasing consistent hits. However, this was not always the case. When the disturbing story of Baccano! came out in 2007, the popularity of Brain’s Base shot up. Later on, the company signed up for many new projects, including the Durarara!!, Blood Lad, In/Spectre, and To Your Eternity. Golden Kamuy is another anticipated project from the company’s plethora.
Best Anime Studios: Liden Films
Fans will be shocked to find out that Studio Liden Films is only a decade-old company. Found in 2012 by Ultra Super Pictures, the company is a leading animation studio in Japan. In a matter of ten years, the studio has managed to garner a huge list of shows. Not only this, most of these shows have turned out to be huge successes. Some of the path-breaking works that have come out of this corporation include Berserk, Cells At Work!, Tokyo Revengers, Tribe Nine, and Terra Formars.
Toei Animation
From a child to an old man, everyone has enjoyed the shows that come out of Toei Animation. This animation studio was started by Kenzō Masaoka and Zenjirō Yamamoto in the year 1948. Toei Animation is easily the oldest studio that has pioneered the way for the Japanese Animation industry. One Piece, World Trigger, Dragon Ball, and Digimon Ghost Game are only the starting points. Toei Animation has produced around 244 projects to date, excluding the movies and specials.
Studio Pierrot
Found in 1979, Studio Pierrot is a company that has been working in the industry for decades now. And this experience shows in the quality of work that the animation studio has produced in the last couple of years. Starting with Yu Yu Hakusho, the company has managed to garner some of the best titles under its name. These names include Naruto, Tokyo Ghoul, Kingdom anime, Twin Star Exorcists, and even the Bleach spin-off.
Best Anime Studios: CloverWorks
One more company that branches straight from the Aniplex business is Studio CloverWorks. The company was founded in 2018 under the Sony Group Corporation. Clover works have many distinct features to the style in which it animates. The usage of bright colors and wide graphics is the signature of this company. The titles under this animation company are Fairy Tail, Wonder Egg Priority, The Promised Neverland, and Spy X Family.
David Productions
Two of the most popular unconventional shows have come from the animation branch of David Productions. These include JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure and Cells at Work. Found in the year 2007, D.P. has been running some of the most praised series of all time. The centric part about this company is that it has produced only a numbered anime, but most of them have received some kind of acclaim. Some popular titles include Fire Force, Captain Tsubasa, and Spriggan.
Studio ENGI
Better known as Entertainment Graphic Innovation, Studio ENGI is the brain-baby of Kadokawa Corporation. In the last three years (found in 2018), ENGI has only signed numbered contracts. However, most of them have been praised for their good animation style and vivid writing. The notable works of this young studio include The Detective is Already Dead, Full Dive, and Uzaki-chan Wants to Hang Out!
OLM Studio
OLM stands for Oriental Light and Magic. As promising as the title sounds, the works of this animation studio have been equally brilliant. The company was founded three decades back in 1990. A total of ten investors joined hands to build this company from scratch. At present, there are more than fifty anime that have come out of this studio. The popular titles of OLM include Berserk, Pokemon Chronicles, Beyblade, and Ninjala.
Best Anime Studios: Studio Satelight
Most of the isekai anime that fans can come up with must have come from Studio Satelight in some shape or form. The animation company started operating in the year 1995. Since then, more than fifty series must have come out of its animation wing. Starting with Fairy Tail, Muv Luv Alternative, Log Horizon, the list of acclaimed anime is endless. Some special mentions include Star Blazers Space Battleship Yamato 2205 and Final Fantasy XV.
Studio Deen
Studio Deen has been dominating the anime business for almost four decades now. The company was founded in the year 1975. Since then, more than two hundred anime series have come out one after the other. The studio has undeniably entertained fans of all generations. Apart from the long list of shows that have been produced and distributed, some popular mentions include Higurashi No Naku Koro ni Kai, Fruits Basket, Log Horizon, and The Seven Deadly Sins.
Studio Trigger
Studio Trigger is the branch of Ultra Super Pictures. The studio came into existence in the year 2011. Even though it is quite a young company, it had made quite a name for itself in a small decade which lost three years in the pandemic. In this short period, the company has acquired some good names under its development. Examples include Little Witch Academia, SSSS.Gridman, Kill La Kill and Gridman × Dynazenon.
This concludes the list of all the anime studios that have produced the best content in the anima industry over the last few decades. Each fan would have their personal preference over the kind of animation that they like. So, which of these animation companies is your favorite? Please share your thoughts with us in the comment box below. For more such exciting listicles, keep an eye on this space.