A handful of the best anime studios are regularly releasing smash-hit titles that keep the anime community around the world endlessly entertained. Studio Pierrot is famous for making Naruto and Bleach, for example, while MAPPA produced Jujutsu Kaisen and Studio UFOtable made the visually stunning Demon Slayer anime. Then there's Studio Bones, which also has a handful of strong anime titles to its name.
Studio Bones was founded back in 1998 and has been steadily producing all kinds of fine anime since 2000, when the studio released Hiwou War Chronicles. Studio Bones is still going strong today, with a few more seasons of smash-hit anime set to release in the near future. Now, anime fans can check out 10 of the best titles that Studio Bones has released and see just how much this studio has contributed to the modern anime industry.
Updated on February 19th, 2024 by Louis Kemner: This list of the best Studio Bones anime has been updated to adhere to CBR's current publication standards.
15 Best Anime Studios And Their Most Iconic Works
The best anime studios and their most popular works have made the industry what it is today, from Studio Bones to Pierrot and Trigger.10 Wolf’s Rain is a Tragic Story of Lost Canines
Wolf's Rain
In a post-apocalyptic future where humans live in domed cities surrounded by wasteland, wolves are assumed to be two hundred years extinct.
- Release Date
- July 23, 2003
- Main Genre
- Animation
- Seasons
- 1
- Production Company
- Bandai Visual Company, Bones, Fuji Television Network
- Number of Episodes
- 30
- Main Cast
- Sarah Hauser, Darren Pleavin, Kenta Miyake
Wolf’s Rain Scores:
- MyAnimeList: 7.8
- IMDb: 7.9
- Anime Planet: 3.83/5
Released during the winter 2003 season, Wolf’s Rain is an adventure-drama anime. The show takes place at a time where the world is coming to an end. Once this world has come to an end, a gate to paradise will open creating a utopia.
It’s believed that only wolves will be able to pass through the gate. The story follows Kiba, a wolf that is hiding among the humans. He meets other wolves where they all journey together to reach paradise. Concealed as humans in society there are other wolves with the same goal. Wolf’s Rain is one season and ran for 26 episodes.
9 Cowboy Bebop: The Movie Is a Moody, Jazzy Adventure Across the Solar System
Cowboy Bebop: Knockin' On Heaven's Door
Original title: Cowboy Bebop: Tengoku no tobira
A terrorist explosion releases a deadly virus on the masses, and it's up to the bounty-hunting Bebop crew to catch the cold-blooded culprit.
- Release Date
- May 16, 2003
- Cast
- Beau Billingslea , Melissa Fahn , Nicholas Guest
- Main Genre
- Anime
- Director
- Shinichirô Watanabe , Mary Elizabeth McGlynn
- Writers
- Keiko Nobumoto , Shinichirô Watanabe , Hajime Yatate
- Runtime
- 1 hour 55 minutes
- Production Company
- Bandai Visual Company, BonesBones
Why Netflix's Cowboy Bebop Deserves a Second Chance—and a Second Season
Netflix's Cowboy Bebop may be considered one of the worst live-action anime adaptations ever made, but it deserves a Season 2.Cowboy Bebop: The Movie Scores:
- MyAnimeList: 8.38
- IMDb: 7.8
- Anime Planet: 4.18/5
The original Cowboy Bebop anime series was produced by Sunrise, while the 2001 movie was produced by Studio Bones, and it still stands as one of Studio Bones' stronger offerings. The overall Cowboy Bebop anime franchise is a compelling seinen sci-fi adventure set across the solar system, following the odd but lovable crew of the Bebop. That includes the slick, cool hero Spike Spiegel, the star of the show.
The Cowboy Bebop anime movie starts off on Mars, where Faye Valentine is chasing a bounty when she sees a terrorist blow up a truck, spreading a deadly pathogen. The Martian government offers a massive cash reward for the culprit's capture, and that will lead Spike and his friends into a wild adventure unlike anything seen in the original anime.
8 Noragami Features a Likable Heroine and Plenty of Japanese Deities
Noragami (2014)
A minor god seeking to gain widespread worship teams up with a human girl he saved to gain fame, recognition and at least one shrine dedicated to him.
- Release Date
- January 5, 2014
- Creator
- Deko Akao
- Cast
- Hiroshi Kamiya , Maaya Uchida , Yûki Kaji
- Main Genre
- Animation
- Seasons
- 2 Seasons
- Production Company
- Bones
- Number of Episodes
- 29 Episodes
Noragami Scores:
- MyAnimeList: 7.95
- IMDb: 7.8
- Anime Planet: 4.15/5
Released during the winter 2014 season, Noragami is a supernatural shonen anime series that should appeal to fans of series like Bleach and Demon Slayer. In Noragami, the god known as Yato isn’t as appreciated as he wants to be. Not having a single shrine for worship, he works for his pay, asking for a mere 5 yen at a time to slowly save up for a proper shrine someday.
Yato's partner Yukine is a spirit who can turn into a katana when referred to as Sekki, a common phenomenon among Japanese gods, who typically travel with such servants in tow. One fateful day, when Yato is almost hit by a car, a chance encounter changes his life, resulting in him meeting a teenage girl named Hiyori Iki. Hiyori agrees to be Yato’s new partner, thrusting her into a wild world of Japanese deities, bizarre monsters, and all kinds of thrilling adventure.
7 Carole and Tuesday Is a Wonderful Musical Anime With a Strong Female Lead
Carole & Tuesday
Two girls, from different backgrounds but sharing a love for music, meet and change history with their united musical talent.
- Release Date
- April 11, 2019
- Cast
- Kana Ichinose , Akio Otsuka
- Seasons
- 1
- Creator
- Bones, Shinichirō Watanabe
- Producer
- Makoto Nishibe Noriko Ozaki
- Number of Episodes
- 24
- Streaming Service(s)
- Netflix
Carole and Tuesday Scores:
- MyAnimeList: 7.86
- IMDb: 7.8
- Anime Planet: 4.08/5
Released during the spring 2019 season, Carole and Tuesday is an original music-drama anime. The story takes place on Mars where humanity has migrated from Earth. Meeting by what feels like fate, Carole and Tuesday are two headstrong girls that are both musicians. Trying their luck in the music industry the two are on a quest to the top under the group name Carole and Tuesday. The road to stardom is much harder than they think.
Overall, the Carole and Tuesday anime should remind anime fans of other, even more popular musical anime like Bocchi the Rock! and K-On!, both of which feature lovable female leads who play the guitar and other instruments. If fans are caught up on those delightful titles, they can try something similar but a little more serious with Carole and Tuesday.
6 Ouran High School Host Club Delights Anime Fans With Its Reverse-Harem Antics
Ouran High School Host Club
You'll fall for the Ouran Host Club: Tamaki's truly romantic. Kaoru and Hikaru display brotherly love, Kyoya's brainy, Honey's innocent, and Mori's manly. Oh, and don't forget Haruhi. He knows what girls want, because he's a girl too.
- Release Date
- April 5, 2006
- Cast
- Maaya Sakamoto , Mamoru Miyano , Kenichi Suzumura
- Main Genre
- Anime
- Seasons
- 1
- Number of Episodes
- 26
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll , Funimation , Hulu , Tubi
Ouran High School Host Club Has Outlived Its Controversies & Holds Up as a Shojo Classic
Ouran High School Host Club has cemented itself as a shojo classic that outlived the various controversies littering its reputation.Ouran High School Host Club Scores:
- MyAnimeList: 8.16
- IMDb: 8.2
- Anime Planet: 4.25/5
Released during the spring 2006 season, Ouran High School Host Club is a comedy high school anime series beloved by shojo fans everywhere. The story follows Haruhi Fujioka, a girl attending Ouran High School. When looking for a quiet room, she stumbles upon the host club room.
While in the room, Haruhi breaks an expensive vase due to a careless accident and owes a debt to the host club. Not having the funds, she decides to join where she becomes the errand worker. Due to her masculine appearance, she disguises herself as a boy to work as a host, which leads to all kinds of comedic hijinks throughout the anime's run. Haruhi is also an amusing example of a poorly-dressed waifu, but then again, being a great shojo heroine is really about what's on the inside.
5 Space Dandy Is a Great Comedy Set in Outer Space
Space Dandy
The cosmic and comic adventures of Space Dandy, a handsome space explorer tasked to tour the universe and discover new alien beings.
- Release Date
- January 4, 2014
- Cast
- Ian Sinclair , Alison Viktorin , Joel McDonald , J. Michael Tatum , Micah Solusod , Kent Williams , Alexis Tipton , Colleen Clinkenbeard , Johnny Yong Bosch
- Seasons
- 2
- Creator
- Bones
- Number of Episodes
- 26
- Network
- Adult Swim
Space Dandy Scores:
- MyAnimeList: 7.88
- IMDb: 8.1
- Anime Planet: 3.86/5
Released during the winter 2014 season, Space Dandy is a space-comedy anime. The story follows Dandy a space bounty hunter searching for aliens. Not on the job requirements, Dandy also has run-ins with zombies and other supernatural beings. Dandy’s sidekick is the robot cat QT. With every episode being a new trip, Dandy will have to work hard to earn his pay.
The best part about Space Dandy is its whimsical, unpredictable narrative that generally lacks a strong continuity. Rather than follow a linear story, Space Dancy entertains fans with erratic, unconnected plotlines where anything can happen. Best of all, the anime features all kinds of references to older sci-fi shows, which should be fun for experienced sci-fi fans to catch while watching Space Dandy.
4 Bungou Stray Dogs is a Stylish Detective Anime
Bungou Stray Dogs
Follows Atsushi Nakajima as he joins the Armed Detective Agency in battling the Port Mafia and other superhuman threats to public safety.
- Release Date
- November 8, 2018
- Creator
- Kafka Asagiri
- Cast
- Mamoru Miyano , Yûto Uemura , Kaiji Tang
- Main Genre
- Animation
- Seasons
- 6 Seasons
- Production Company
- Studio BONES
Bungou Stray Dogs Scores:
- MyAnimeList: 7.82
- IMDb: 7.8
- Anime Planet: 4.11/5
Bungou Stray Dogs is a stylish anime based on a manga series by Kafka Asagiri and Sango Harukawa. The story of Bungou Stray Dogs follows the male lead Atsushi Nakajima, who is no ordinary young man. Atsushi is a weretiger, but he's not the only person with supernatural gifts in this anime. Soon, Atsushi will meet a whole organization of supernaturally gifted people.
Soon, Atsushi will join the Armed Detective Agency, which is dedicated to investigating other organizations. That will lead Atsushi on all kinds of adventures that will test all his skills. Many of those cases are too tough for the local police, so it falls to Atsushi and his mysterious new co-workers to save the day no matter what.
3 Mob Psycho 100 Stars a Quiet Boy With Extraordinary Powers
Mob Psycho 100
Eighth-grader Shigeo "Mob" Kageyama has tapped into his inner wellspring of psychic prowess at a young age. But the power quickly proves to be a liability when he realizes the potential danger in his skills. Choosing to suppress his power, Mob's only present use for his ability is to impress his longtime crush, Tsubomi, who soon grows bored of the same tricks.In order to effectuate control on his skills, Mob enlists himself under the wing of Arataka Reigen, a con artist claiming to be a psychic, who exploits Mob's powers for pocket change. Now, exorcising evil spirits on command has become a part of Mob's daily, monotonous life. However, the psychic energy he exerts is barely the tip of the iceberg; if his vast potential and unrestrained emotions run berserk, a cataclysmic event that would render him completely unrecognizable will be triggered. The progression toward Mob's explosion is rising and attempting to stop it is futile.
- Genre
- Occult fiction, comedy
- Language
- English
- Number of Seasons
- 2
- Debut Date
- July 12, 2016
- Studio
- Adult Swim
Mob Psycho 100's Finale Shows the Power of True Self-Acceptance
In a heartwarming ending to the beloved series, Mob Psycho 100 shows that all Mob (and Reigen) needed was to accept themselves - even the worst parts.Mob Psycho 100 Scores:
- MyAnimeList: 8.49
- IMDb: 8.6
- Anime Planet: 4.32/5
First released during the winter 2019 season, Mob Psycho 100 is an action-supernatural series. The story follows Shigeo Kageyama, a boy also known as Mob. Having psychic powers is a great way for Mob to impress Tsubomi Takane, his crush. Mob wants to learn to control his psychic powers but falls into the trap of a con artist named Reigen. Still, even if Reigen is all talk and often tricks his clients, Mob and Reigen will form a friendship and trust each other to get the job done when handling spirits.
Many of Mob Psycho 100's storylines involve Mob and Reigen taking on occult cases of strange spirits, apparent hauntings, and much more. Reigen is the brains of the operation, while Mob is the talented psychic boy who can easily defeat any spirit or human with his gifts. Still, despite his formidable power, Mob is a gentle kid who just wants to live an ordinary life -- when he can.
2 My Hero Academia Set a New Standard For Superhero Anime
My Hero Academia
The appearance of "quirks," newly discovered super powers, has been steadily increasing over the years, with 80 percent of humanity possessing various abilities from manipulation of elements to shapeshifting. This leaves the remainder of the world completely powerless, and Izuku Midoriya is one such individual.Since he was a child, the ambitious middle schooler has wanted nothing more than to be a hero. Izuku's unfair fate leaves him admiring heroes and taking notes on them whenever he can. But it seems that his persistence has borne some fruit: Izuku meets the number one hero and his personal idol, All Might. All Might's quirk is a unique ability that can be inherited, and he has chosen Izuku to be his successor!Enduring many months of grueling training, Izuku enrolls in UA High, a prestigious high school famous for its excellent hero training program, and this year's freshmen look especially promising. With his bizarre but talented classmates and the looming threat of a villainous organization, Izuku will soon learn what it really means to be a hero.
- Created by
- Kohei Horikoshi
- First Film
- My Hero Academia: Two Heroes
- Latest Film
- My Hero Academia: World Heroes' Mission
- First TV Show
- My Hero Academia
- First Episode Air Date
- April 3, 2016
- Cast
- Daiki Yamashita , Justin Briner , Nobuhiko Okamoto , Clifford Chapin , Ayane Sakura , Yûki Kaji
My Hero Academia Scores:
- MyAnimeList: 7.87
- IMDb: 8.3
- Anime Planet: 4.25/5
By now, many anime fans may agree that My Hero Academia is one of Studio Bones' best and most prominent works yet. Based on author Kohei Horikoshi's manga of the same name, My Hero Academia envisions a future where almost everyone has Quirks, or superpowers. That means there are pro heroes and supervillains everywhere, and protagonist Izuku Midoriya is about to get caught up in it.
Izuku, also known as Deku, always dreamed of becoming a superhero despite having no Quirk, and now's his chance. Deku will receive One For All from his idol, All Might, but One For All is a heavy burden to bear. Deku must train hard and fight harder to become the next symbol of peace, all while his villainous counterpart Tomura Shigaraki prepares to destroy mainstream superhero society from the shadows.
1 Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood Is an Excellent Anime With Deep Themes and Cool Characters
Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood
Two brothers search for a Philosopher's Stone after an attempt to revive their deceased mother goes awry and leaves them in damaged physical forms.
- Release Date
- April 5, 2009
- Cast
- Romi Park , Rie Kugimiya , Vic Mignogna , Maxey Whitehead
- Main Genre
- Anime
- Seasons
- 1
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood Scores:
- MyAnimeList: 9.09
- IMDb: 9.1
- Anime Planet: 4.56/5
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood remains Studio Bones' single best work to date, an excellent shonen anime based on Hiromu Arakawa's original manga. The story begins with the Elric brothers seeking a way to restore their mangled bodies after an alchemy ritual gone wrong, but soon, Edward and Alphonse will realize there's far more at stake than their own recovery. There's a conspiracy afoot, and only brave, smart alchemists like the Elrics can foil it.
Over the span of 64 episodes, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood will wow new viewers with its sharp animation, stellar soundtrack, and most of all, its deep, thought-provoking writing. The series tackles tough subjects like genocide, war, forgiveness, and the human condition in great detail, all while fleshing out some wonderful characters. The story also prominently features the Philosopher's Stone, a strange substance that can change a person's life -- or destroy it.