Anime is a rich and diverse medium, having been an established industry for decades. The landscape of this anime industry is heavily influenced by the studios that produce the shows, movies, and web animations that fans love.
Like many other creative industries, anime differs in style, tone, and quality depending on the creator. This keeps fans interested in the reputable anime studios that produce their favorite series.
While a well-known studio doesn’t always guarantee quality, some of the most respected anime production houses have proven capable of exceeding fan expectations over the years. They have become the gold standard in the industry.
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List of Best Anime Studios of All Time
10. Studio Bones
Studio Bones, established in the late 90s, has contributed greatly to the anime industry, especially through action shounen adaptations. To date, their most famous work is Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, which has been recognized as the best anime for over ten years.
The studio has contributed greatly to the anime industry by creating many memorable classics, ranging from Soul Eater, Ouran High School Host Club, to My Hero Academia. With a combination of successful shonen adaptations and unique productions, Bones studio has proven to be legendary in producing high-quality anime that is timeless.
9. Toei Animation
Toei Animation is one of the oldest active anime studios, famous for producing amazing content. Many classic anime, such as Sailor Moon, Digimon, and Cutie Honey, came from this studio, which has been instrumental in shaping the anime industry today.
Toei Animation is best known for pioneering the witch girl genre through the production of the first mahou shojo adaptation, Mahoutsukai Sally. However, for modern fans, the studio is more famous for reviving Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece anime franchise.
Many people are familiar with several anime titles thanks to shows from Toei Animation, and the studio continues to attract new fans with their legacy projects today.
8. MAPPA Studio
the next best anime studios is Studio MAPPA. Founded in 2011 by Masao Maruyama, is now one of the most famous anime production houses, especially among shounen fans. They are famous for successfully adapting some of the most fan-favorite later and successful action anime in recent history.
When MAPPA takes over an anime, the quality is guaranteed to be excellent. The studio has proven this through works like Jujutsu Kaisen and the final episode of Attack on Titan. With outstanding cinematics and animation, MAPPA has always strived to elevate its source material. Their projects, from Banana Fish to Chainsaw Man, continue to exceed expectations.
7. Trigger
Trigger is a production house founded by former Gainax employees Hiroyuki Imaishi and Masahiko Otsuka. With a vibrant style, Trigger’s works are instantly recognizable. Many of its aesthetic and narrative elements are derived from Gurren Lagann, which successfully inspired Imaishi to establish the studio.
Trigger anime is known for its kinetic energy, entertaining visual humor, and unpredictable storylines. Best known for its original shows such as Kill la Kill and Little Witch Academia, in 2024, the studio also produced a rare manga adaptation titled Dungeon Meshi, demonstrating the studio’s ability to span multiple genres.
6. SHAFT
SHAFT is an anime studio known for pushing the boundaries of convention and rewarding creative freedom. Starting out as a subcontractor, SHAFT has grown into an iconic production house that produces many excellent anime with unique visual aesthetics.
SHAFT studio embraces unique animation techniques and unorthodox editing, allowing writers and directors to create avant-garde, surreal stories. With a distinctive artistic ethos, SHAFT produces unconventional works such as Monogatari and Madoka Magica, which have found their audience.
5. Ufotable
Visual spectacle is the main attraction of anime, with consistent high-octane action. Ufotable, since the early 2010s, has set the standard for animation quality by combining CG and cinematic direction in its traditional productions.
Ufotable’s golden age began with the adaptation of Type-Moon projects such as Fate/Zero, Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works, and The Garden of Sinners. However, their biggest success is the ongoing adaptation of Demon Slayer which features a stunning quality of execution.
4. Sunrise
Bandai Namco Filmworks, formerly known as Sunrise, is a production house that has an impressive legacy in the anime industry. Especially known to mecha fans, the studio created the famous franchise, Mobile Suit Gundam.
Their decision to focus on the mecha genre, despite its difficulty to animate, has brought Sunrise tremendous success.
In its fifty-year history, this major studio has been involved in many famous anime, ranging from mecha classics like Code Geass to popular anime like Gintama and InuYasha. Sunrise’s ethos of producing high-quality works has made it a top industry leader.
3. Studio Ghibli
the next best anime studios is Ghibli. Studio Ghibli is the most famous anime studio, recognized even by those who are not interested in anime. Their works, especially those directed by founder Hayao Miyazaki, such as Spirited Away and The Boy and the Heron, have contributed greatly to Japanese animation on an international level.
Ghibli has produced works from other directors that also have a magical and dreamy charm. They focus on feature films and are famous for their fluid animation and storytelling that combines reality and fantasy. Ghibli is recognized as a major contributor to the animation industry, thanks to its remarkable rise in the world of anime and animation as a whole.
2. Kyoto Animation
Impressive animated works don’t always have to be flashy. Often, quiet and intimate narratives are more impactful. Kyoto Animation, founded by Hideaki and Yoko Hatta in 1985, stands out with this approach, producing refined characters and stunning visuals. Despite their relatively low production, the studio is recognized as one of the leading ones in the anime industry.
KyoAni creates stunning art projects with attention to every detail. Classics like A Silent Voice and Clannad offer heartfelt, character-focused stories with depth.
With a combination of captivating visuals and strong storytelling, KyoAni manages to touch the emotions of its audience, both through adorable life stories and moving dramas.
1. Madhouse
Madhouse is a studio that was instrumental in shaping the anime industry and building its international image through iconic works.
Established in 1972, Madhouse has created many iconic works with various genres and animation styles. Their main strength lies in the diversity of talent working together and the freedom given to young anime creators.
Madhouse is an animation studio that has given birth to many big names such as Masaaki Yuasa, Satoshi Kon, and Mamoru Hosoda. They are known for iconic works from 90s and 00s classics like Ninja Scroll and Death Note, to modern hits like Frieren and Hunter x Hunter.
For 50 years, Madhouse has continued to produce amazing movies and TV shows and won’t stop anytime soon.
Those are some of the best anime studios of all time that have created many works with distinctive animation techniques from each production house. Hopefully this information is useful for you!
