There are fewanimestudios that are as immediately recognizable through their works as Studio Shaft. Their non-traditional, avant-garde approach to how they adapt stuff results in some of the most memorable animated sequences in modern anime.
From magical girls to aliens under the river, and vampiric gods to teachers in despair, here are the best Studio Shaft anime for you to watch right now!
7Arakawa Under The Bridge
Wild River Under The Bridge
Arakawa Under The Bridge is undoubtedly one of the strangest, weirdest anime ever. It follows Kou Ichinomiya, a narcissistic, self-absorbed rich guy whose family motto is to never be indebted to anyone. This usually isn’t a problem; there aren’t many people who won’t like being repaid by someone as rich as Kou. However, Ichinomiya finds himself in a pickle when he’s saved by Nino, a self-proclaimed alien living in the river under the bridge.
Nino doesn’t want anything, saying that she already has everything she needs. What she asks instead is for him to join her in living in the wild river under the sea, a place flourishing with kappas in skin suits, buffed-up nuns, robots from outer space, and much more. Arakawa Under The Bridge is a criticism of what it means to be satisfied with oneself, or maybe it’s just an incredibly funny show with lots of dry humor. Either way, it’s an amazing watch if you’re looking for something new!
6Nisekoi
False Love
The industry has no shortage of romance anime. With such a saturated genre, there’s bound to be repetition in tropes. One common trope is the two leads having to feign a relationship due to certain circumstances; to show false love. If the name of the series doesn’t give it out already, that’s precisely what this show is about.
It’s certainly one of the less unusual shows when it comes to Studio Shaft, but that doesn’t mean you won’t find yourself laughing out at how unexpected the series can be at times. It doesn’t do much to move away from the fake dating trope, instead embracing it fully. Nisekoi is arguably the mother of said trope, and is an excellent watch if you like Spy x Family or Rent a Girlfriend.
5March Comes In Like A Lion
3-Gatsu no Lion / Sangatsu no Lion
Haikyuu, Slam Dunk, and Kuroko no Basuke are all incredible sports anime, loved for their adrenaline-inducing moments that have you rooting for the protagonist to overcome a strong opponent. This is certainly one of the bigger appeals of anime based on sports, but we rank March Comes In Like A Lion so highly because of a different aspect.
3-Gatsu no Lion focuses on what it means to navigate through life with Shogi as a focus. Instead of focusing on winning the nationals or beating a rival, the show has a large cast of characters fighting their own internal battles, learning from and teaching each other what it means to be alive, and what it means to play Shogi. Furthermore, the anime is incredibly realistic as well, with Rei being one of the most well-written protagonists in all of anime.
4Goodbye Despair Sensei
Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei
Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei is one of the greatest dark comedies of all time. It follows Nozumu Itoshiki, someone whose name can also be read as Zetsubou, which means despair. This makes Nozumu constantly dislike his life to a comedic extent, grabbing a noose or attempting to jump off at the slightest misfortune.
Underneath all the gags and episodic stories, Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei has an overarching, secret plot that is only fully revealed in the last few chapters.
The thing is, Nozumu’s life is pretty great. He’s from a well-off family and works as a respected teacher. He doesn’t hate his life, it’s more of a gag, which the show is amazing at utilizing. Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei’s comedy is certainly not for everyone, but those who find it funny will appreciate the clever wordplay and gags that each student brings to the show.
3Madoka Magica
Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica / Puella Magi Madoka Magica / Magical Girl Madoka Magica
The series may go by many names, but the words Madoka Magica are immediately recognizable to anyone who’s been watching anime for a decent amount of time. It’s Shaft’s most popular show, one that completely revolutionized Magical Girl anime with its clever mixture of cutesy aesthetics and a deep, deep feeling of dread.
Madoka Magica is an amazing show, one that is best watched blind. The less you know, the more magical the eventual surprise. We won’t be going into what exactly happens in the anime, but we will say that it’s absolutely an amazing watch from start to end!
2The Monogatari Series
Nisio Isin is a master of wordplay, and none of his works showcase this as brilliantly as his Monogatari series. Each title is a pun, with the first entry, Bakemonogatari, literally meaning “Monster Story”. Each character and apparition you’ll see in the show has multiple layers to peel through. A God might not be a God, and a human might not fulfill the criteria for being human. Vampires may choose not to drink blood, and may instead bring forth rain in areas struck by drought.
The Monogatari series makes you rethink what you know about the characters at any given point. There’s no objective truth to be found here; one of the show’s main ideas is that reality is as fickle as a singular strand of hair. It’s also the most Shaft-like series on the list, the origin of many gags and references, including the iconic Shaft head tilt.
1Kizumonogatari
Blood Story
Kizumonogatari is a sequence of three movies that belong to the Monogatari series, serving as the chronological origin to all events that concern Araragi Koyomi in later entries. Even if the movies are part of a larger series, they’re self-contained enough to be watched as standalone films, and enough of a spectacle to warrant their own entry.
The three movies show how Araragi Koyomi went from being a normal human to the pseudo-vampire, apparition specialist, masterful damsel-in-distress-saver that we all love (and hate). The movies are absolutely visual and directive masterpieces, showing art and animation unparalleled even by movies produced by bigger studios. It might be one of the simpler entries in the Monogatari series, but it’s one of the best ones, and a treat to both fans of the series and those just getting into it.
