One of the most exciting aspects of anime is that there’s so much content to consume, a lot of which feels completely original and like there’s a different series that exists for every niche interest. Anime doesn’t struggle when it comes to the stories that it chooses to tell and the incredible characters who populate these worlds, but a competent animation studio to bring these series to life is increasingly important.
The right animation studio can make all of the difference. Acclaimed groups, like Studio BONES, strive for each of their series to convey excellence. Studio BONES’ biggest runaway success is My Hero Academia, but they have an impressive roster of other anime series that also deserve to be seen.
10 Mob Psycho 100 Explores Heightened Psychic Powers Through Amazing Visuals
Mob Psycho 100 is a masterpiece on every level. The series comes from the same creator as One Punch Man, yet Mob Psycho 100 manages to surpass the other anime with both its storytelling and its animation. The anime’s lead, Shigeo “Mob” Kageyama, contains immense psychic abilities, yet he works hard to suppress these skills and lead a normal life. It’s only a matter of time until Mob’s powers get the better of him, which becomes a consistent visual extravaganza. Studio BONES injects Mob Psycho 100 with overwhelming action sequences that reflect a variety of art styles.
9 Space Dandy Is A Satisfying, Absurdist Trip Through The Universe
Space Dandy is one of the most exciting anime to come out in the past decade. It chronicles the voyages of an unconventional team of bounty hunters as they travel through space, but Space Dandy often feels like a genre anthology with how each episode turns into an entirely different kind of anime. Space Dandy is dangerously funny and tells stories that are genuinely thought-provoking, but it also boasts unreal animation. Every planet and alien species in Space Dandy are distinct, and it’s a testament to what Studio BONES can accomplish when they truly go for broke.
8 Carole & Tuesday Highlights The Power Of Music & Friendship
Shinichiro Watanabe has largely gotten a blank check in the anime community after working on iconic series like Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo, yet Carole & Tuesday marks an exciting change of pace. Carole & Tuesday is a delicate story about two musical performers, from wildly different backgrounds, who are determined to become a famous performing duo.
The anime is full of exceptional character work and catchy musical numbers, but Studio BONES also doesn't slack when it comes to the anime’s visuals. There’s a rich, complex sci-fi world present in Carole & Tuesday, and the anime portrays it all with beautiful nuance.
7 Bungou Stray Dogs Is A Mafia Crime Story Like No Other
Bungou Stray Dogs is an anime series that has something for everyone. The unpredictable adventure begins when an orphan ends up saving a detective’s life. This introduces the Armed Detective Agency, a group of special investigators who also have a litany of supernatural abilities that assist them in their missions from the mafia. Bungou Stray Dogs indulges in action, fantasy, comedy, and some exceptional crime drama. The many characters that the anime focuses on are all a delight, but it’s the sublime animation from Studio BONES, and the anime’s soundtrack, that really brings Bungou Stray Dogs to life.
6 RahXephon Accentuates The Sadness & Loss Of Self In Mech Dramas
Anime’s mecha genre is certainly overpopulated, but there are still series that do something different and challenging through the context of giant robot battles. RahXephon actually shares a lot in common with Neon Genesis Evangelion, since they’re both tragic series that are ultimately more interested in questions about humanity than ferocious mecha action. Kamina’s mission to better understand his RahXephon mecha, as well as himself, is full of obstacles, but the anime has a strong message from the start. Studio BONES makes sure the RahXephon sequences don’t disappoint and that the muted scenes still connect.
5 Noragami Presents A Very Different Take On Deities & Omnipotence
Anime series demonstrate that gods, devils, and deities come in many different shapes and sizes. There is no shortage of anime that centers around a group of unconventional deities, whether they’ve been banished from paradise or find themselves facing a test of strength.
Noragami begins in a unique position as it focuses on exceptional deities that are at the bottom of the pecking order and lack the powerful qualities that are typically associated with them. Three lost souls team up to right these wrongs, and Noragami continues to delight with every turn that its twisting narrative takes.
4 Soul Eater Turns Soul Reaping Into A Thrilling Coming Of Age Test
Shinigami and devilish characters obsessed with souls are common in anime series. Soul Eater cleverly takes the formula of school-based anime that follows the progress of students and combines it together with the inherently dark subject matter of soul collection. Soul Eater develops a simple yet addicting formula, and the dynamics created through the meisters and their living weapons are always entertaining. Studio BONES also makes sure that these wild soul battles look as exciting as the stories dictate that they should be. There are constant visual flourishes when death scythes clash against each other.
3 Eureka Seven Redefines Mecha Staples With An Open Heart
Many different mecha series will establish a piece of powerful technology, and typically its pilot, as the key to salvation in some cataclysmic war. Eureka Seven doesn’t break this trope and the secrets behind both the pilot, Eureka, as well as the Coralian race, are integral to the anime. However, the kinetic action and sci-fi revelations all come second to the infinitely tender romance that blossoms between Renton and Eureka. Eureka Seven finds the perfect balance for its eclectic interests, but the heart to its relationship makes just as big of an impact as the battles that stem from it.
2 Viewers Won’t Want To Leave Ouran High School Host Club Once They’re Admitted In
Anime has a fantastic capacity to create engaging anime series out of slice-of-life situations where objectively very little actually happens. These series can be the perfect solution for a rough day or even the proper way to cool down after a fast-paced shonen anime. Ouran High School Host Club is entirely content to bask in the company of the group of boys who give Haruhi Fujioka a very warm welcome at Ouran Academy. The anime narrows in on the inner workings of this social setting and the hilarious misunderstandings that sometimes grow out of this simplicity.
1 Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood Proves That Brotherly Love Can Achieve The Impossible
It’s always a shame when a reputable manga series gets a lackluster anime adaptation that changes the narrative or even fails to finish the story. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood redeems the mistakes that happen in the incomplete Fullmetal Alchemist, which results in fantastic work out of Studio BONES. Brotherhood follows Edward and Alphonse Elric, two brothers who are determined to not just repair their transformed bodies, but also mend the rift in their family that their reckless actions have caused. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood effortlessly balances action, emotion, and magic in this standout anime series from Studio BONES.