Production IG is an anime studio with an incredible pedigree. Founded in 1987, the company has been making hit anime series since their first project, Zillion. They've handled several different types of media at one point or another, including television series, OVAs, and video game cut-scenes.
Production IG is best known for their work on Ghost in the Shell, which is a good reference for a lot of the projects they make today. They're known for their work on futuristic and science fiction anime like Guilty Crown or working various sports series. Their specialties have caused them to create some classic projects that everyone has either watched or are planning to watch one day.
10 xxxHOLIC Is A Seinen Classic For Fans Of Psychological Stories
xxxHolic comes from the brilliant creators known as CLAMP. They were also responsible for series like Cardcaptor Sakura and Tsubasa Chronicle. In xxxHolic, the protagonist is Kimihiro Watanuki, who has the troublesome ability to see spirits.
Watanuki wants nothing more than to get rid of this ability. One day meets a woman named Yuuko, who says she can finally help him get rid of that power. There is a catch though: he has to work for her, helping her grant wishes to people. xxxHolic was great as an anime and a manga series, though people will have their preferences on which one was best.
9 Welcome To The Ballroom Focuses On The World Of Competitive Dance
Welcome to the Ballroom should be a reminder that shonen is only aimed at a specific demographic and doesn't point out a specific genre. Ballroom follows the story of Tatara Fujita, who prefers living a low-key life and staying out of trouble. But when he gets invited to a dance studio, Tatara sees his classmate Shizuku practicing her dancing and something in him changes.
Rather than wanting to avoid garnering attention, Tatara enters the world of dance and wants to become the best. Ballroom pulls viewers in by focusing on the dancers' successes, their failures, and their developing relationships as they continue to practice.
8 Run With The Wind Turns Marathon Running Into A Compelling Watch
Based on a popular novel, Run With The Wind is proof that any sport can be compelling if characters are fleshed out. The protagonist is Kakeru Kuruhara, who starts the series off running away from a convenience store after shoplifting only to meet a fellow university student, Haiji Kiyose. Haiji convinces Kakeru to join him in the only dorm room cheap enough for Kakeru to stay at.
Together, the two pursue a goal of participating in a major marathon relay race known as the Hakone Ekiden. Aside from a heavy focus on the characters, Run With The Wind also happens to have some of the best animation Production IG's done in ages. It's such a pretty show that people can easily blaze through several episodes without realizing it.
7 Kuroko's Basketball Makes Basketball As Anime As Possible
By now, many fans know the story of Kuroko's Basketball. It's a series about Tetsuya Kuroko, the "sixth man" from a legendary middle school basketball team known as the Generation of Miracles. Kuroko's Basketball has earned a spot as one of the best anime of the 2010s and one of the best sports anime of all time.
Many fans enjoy Kuroko's Basketball for the sheer ridiculousness of it. After all, this is a series where basketball players have turned high-level basketball IQ and techniques into pseudo-superpowers. What other anime has "ankle breaking" and "street ball" listed as actual techniques people can do?
6 Ace Of Diamonds Is A Must-See For Baseball Fans
More than any sport besides soccer, baseball is a crowded genre for anime. Blame it on Japan's love for the sport, but a ton of talented creators have given their all to create some fantastic baseball anime. Ace of Diamond follows Eijun Sawamura, a kid who leaves behind his middle school baseball team to attend Seidou High School, which is known for its baseball team.
Though Eijun wants to be the ace of the team, he has to share the spot with fellow newcomer Satoru Furuya. Together, the two of them carry the team to greater heights, including helping them make it to the legendary Koshien Stadium.
5 Moriarty The Patriot Turns Classic Sherlock Villain Moriarty Into A Hero
Stories that examine villains as heroes have exploded in popularity over the last decade. With Moriarty the Patriot, Production IG adapts a story where one of the original villains of literature is transformed into something more. This version of Moriarty has grown tired of the disgusting British royalty and how they treat the common people, and so he endeavors to create a better world.
Still, Moriarty's not entirely heroic, as his plan involves taking down the monstrous nobles by any means necessary. Moriarty the Patriot was massively successful, but its biggest flaw is that it's currently an incomplete adaptation.
4 Patlabor 2: The Movie Takes The Patlabor Characters Down A Serious Path
Patlabor always balanced on the edge of comedy and serious commentary on technology's effect on society, but with Patlabor 2, the story fell hard on the side of serious commentary. The film takes place three years after the main storyline after the original Patlabor unit has broken up.
But when a terrorist group starts causing problems, Kiichi Goto is forced to reassemble his group to try to save the country. Directed by Ghost in the Shell's Mamoru Oshii, this series focuses more on the drama elements and commentary than the mecha action, but that's nothing new for Patlabor.
3 Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex Shows The Dilemmas Of Man Fusing With Machine
Who doesn't love the world of Ghost in the Shell? For many anime fans, this was their first exposure to the cyberpunk genre. The original film is a certified classic, and Stand Alone Complex takes that same universe and turns it into something that works for a long-term television series.
In this world, the independent police group Section 9 is tasked to deal with crimes involving people using cybernetic enhancements. Stand Alone Complex can be a bit of a rough watch for people who don't pay close attention, but for those who do, it has some insightful commentary on how connected man and technology have become.
2 Haikyuu Turns Volleyball Into A Compelling Sport
For sports fans, Haikyuu is considered to be one of the greatest anime of all time. Getting its start in Weekly Shonen Jump, Haikyuu centers around Shoyo Hinata, a short boy with dreams of becoming a top volleyball star. Hinata enters Karasuno High School with the hope of reaching the level of his idol, the Little Giant.
But when Hinata realizes he has to cooperate with Tobio Kageyama, he realizes how hard it'll be to realize his dream. Haikyuu is beloved more than anything for its endearing characters and ability to competently ramp up the drama during each crucial match. However, none of that would've had the same impact without Production IG doing one of its best jobs of all time.
1 Legend Of The Galactic Heroes Received An Excellent Remake
Legend of the Galactic Heroes has a beloved adaptation, so kudos to Production IG for attempting the remake. People would've showered them with criticism if they'd gotten it wrong, but fortunately, they didn't. Galactic Heroes has its ups and downs compared to the original, but it's a fantastic shown overall.
While their approach to start as compilation movies airing in Japan before going international is frustrating, getting to watch a remake of Reinhard and Yang Wen-Li playing their strategy games is unmatched. Best of all, the consistent quality of the animation is incredible. Production IG has yet to produce a poorly animated season, and they're three seasons in.