Studio Shaft is just an anime studio that sticks out to the eye. Where most anime studios are fine with just depicting the panel by panel motion of high school kids talking from their desks, Shaft adds a lot more pizzazz with its quick cuts, exaggerated animation, and surreal imagery. It's a studio that really tries to make a different breed of anime no matter what the source material is.
They've become revered for producing the Monogatari series, Nisekoi, and March Comes in Like a Lion. They're a gold standard among art house anime, yet even they aren't free from a few cracks here and there. This list will be looking at some of the more skippable Shaft projects, as it runs down some of its worst anime (according to MyAnimeList).
10 Fate/Extra: Last Encore (6.38)
It's become a challenge within the modern day to make a good Fate adaptation without being Studio Ufotable. Outside of the acclaimed studio's constant sakuga, how can other studios really match up? Shaft was a strong, yet curious, prospect given what they're known for and adapting a game like Fate/Extra would pose new challenges. Said challenges were apparent here.
While Last Encore is far from being the worst or most infamous Fate installment, it still doesn't match the same intense feeling or dark tones that fans really want out of the franchise.
9 Popotan (6.33)
Popotan is kind of what outsiders to Shaft see when a friend tries to explain Shaft's entire deal to them. It is an eccentric show congested with so many ideas that it doesn't really hold water to any of them. Its story focuses on three young girls who travel through space and time in their teleporting mansion.
At each stop, they can collect and communicate with a special breed of dandelion but also make friends and have adventures with the people of that particular time. Also, the girls sell Christmas gear, and it's an ecchi series. There's a lot to take from the series, and one really needs to bring a seat belt if they're going to strap in for this one.
8 Magical Suite Prism Nana (6.32)
Magical Suite Prism Nana is an interesting story for Shaft. Riding on the curtails of Madoka Magica's success, the studio was eager to launch a new magical girl project and even enlisted the help of the moe artist Kantoku for help. And while there are a few promotional videos of the project out there, its two OVAs aren't exactly for public release.
Each only shown for a limited time and never to be seen again, this strange series is kind of marketed by its own mystery. There are pachinko machines and even a stage play for showing some consistent interest for the franchise, but not much is all that public or even solidified about these magical girls.
7 Sakura Tsuushin (6.24)
From the renowned adult manga artist, U-Jin, Sakura Tsuushin is a romance series that focuses on the college-bound Touma Inaba, as he tries to get into Keio University. However, fate has pulled him into an entirely different story, when the arrival of his cousin keeps him from passing the entrance exam but not before he begins falling for one of the other examiners who passes.
Balancing his relationship with his cousin and his ploy to convince the other girl that he was excepted into Keio, Touma Inaba begins an interesting love triangle that this OVA, unfortunately, doesn't give a proper end.
6 Mori No Tonto-tachi (6.22)
An early gem for Shaft, Mori no Tonto-tachi is a 1980's children show that shows the secret stories of Santa Clause's elves. While by no means an animation classic like the studio's future works, this series is a fun slice of Japan's past that's chock full of youthful adventure and classic animation.
It certainly doesn't hurt that it's an entire children's show based on a Christmas legend.
5 Ikebukuro PR Anime (6.20)
This is a fun snippet for anyone who has a couple of minutes to spare. An ONA lasting only three minutes, Ikebukuro is a short story that shows the beautiful adventure of a young girl who is given an entire tour of Ikebukuro by a magical owl.
With some of the unique and stellar animation that helped put Shaft on the map and some fun, communal themes about both Ikebukuro and an upcoming infrastructure project for the area, this little short is a good watch for anyone.
4 G-On Riders (5.89)
Any anime fan knows that there's plenty of stereotypes out there regarding what being an anime fan entails. That involves a creepy affinity for fan service and a lot of superpowered, high school girls. None of those stereotypes are quelled in this otaku dream of an anime. The G-On Riders are an elite club at Saint Hoshikawa that enlist powerful and able-bodied girls to help fight against alien threats.
However, because they're also in high school, they also have to deal with typical high school stuff like romance and being part of a harem. While not a proud example to show any cynical friend, no one's going to bat an eye for those who watch this show in secret.
3 Akuma No Memumemu-chan (5.75)
Akuma no Memumemu-chan's greatest strengths lie in the fact that, as a gag anime, it was never to be taken all that seriously and, lasting only five minutes a pop, it shouldn't outstay its welcome. That doesn't stop the fact that, for what it is, Memumemu-chan is still an awkward piece of immature animation.
Its main character is haunted by a demon who lazily tries to steal his soul and lives with a more than suggestive family that runs an apartment complex. For those who enjoy this type of comedic content, try and give this anime a shot.
2 Arcade Gamer Fubuki (5.30)
Tons of anime try to appeal to the gaming craze by accurately and sentimentally portraying the sense of nostalgia and competition and that gamers thrive on. For those who want that type of show, stay far away from Arcade Gamer Fubuki. This is an anime that only uses gaming as a backdrop for its nonsensical, perverted content.
Fubuki wants to win a grand gaming tournament but finds that she's in competition with an evil organization trying to leverage the tournament for power. With the help of the mysterious Mr. Mystery and her secret panties that make her better at video games, Fubuki works hard to save the world of gaming.
1 Yume Kara, Samenai (5.16)
For those interested in historical artifacts, Yume Kara, Samenai is at least that. It was Studio Shaft's first-ever original anime, and it truly is a product of 1980s animation. Besides that, this OVA doesn't really do much to represent much of the studio's current prestige let alone stand out among the competition, and it's not even subbed for Western fans.
It's a simple love story about a boy who falls for a girl that is rumored to have been in a porno. While there are interesting implications to this, with only a little more than half an hour of run time, this anime doesn't really get to tell a fully realized story.