Favorite Animation Studio

1 Week down! It is so wild to think I am already a week into this 30-day challenge. Welcome to day 7!! If you missed the first few days here is the idea behind the 30-day anime challenge. I saw this post on Pinterest and thought it was a fun little challenge to do for the first month of the New Year. I did a challenge similar to this back in 2013 so I am curious to see if my tastes have changed much in the past 10 years.

I think the purpose of this challenge is to just post a picture but me being the extra person that I am, I will write a blog about each topic.

This is different from what I am used to blogging, which makes me excited to test my creativity and go back to find the answers to these writing prompts. On day one I found that I couldn't just pick one anime so I decided for each of these questions I will be doing 5 for every topic.

Feel free to join me in the comments below! I'd love to hear your answers too!!

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Day 7 Favorite Animation Studio

This list was a lot more fun to put together than I thought. There are so many amazing animation studios that I didn't even know existed before researching this topic. Also to my surprise, quite a few anime that I love came from the same animation studio.

I am not an animator and don't work in the industry, so I don't know what goes into making a great animation company, but I did find 5 top animation studios in my opinion that came out with breathtaking, fun, and incredibly entertaining anime.

I would also like to thank every single animator and staff for the animation studio. As I mention I am not from the industry, so I can't imagine the workload and talent that goes into anime for our enjoyment. I speak for every otaku when I say we love and appreciate the work you do.

Below I will list the animation studio and some of the anime they are known for, as well as why I decided to make them in my top 5 favorite animation studios.

Disclaimer: My research is limited to google, and company sites so my information might not be 100% accurate, but I will try my best to fact-check everything. If I was incorrect with any of this information please correct it in the comments below.

Studio Pierrot

Studio Pierrot was established in May 1979 by Yuji Nunokawa, who was formerly an animator and director for Tatsunoko Production. They are a company that flew under the radar for me. I had no idea who they were before creating this list but Studio Pierrot is responsible for some of the biggest anime. They were in charge of the creation of Naruto, Naruto Shippuden, Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, Bleach, Yu Yu Hakusho, Black Clover, Tokyo Ghoul, Ghost Stories, and Great Teacher Onizuka.

There was some debate online if their animation quality has gotten worse throughout the years, but I disagree. For the company being almost 45 years old and a lot of their huge hits coming out in the early 2000s, I believe they are just sticking with the classic style they know people enjoy. I could not believe how many incredible anime came from one company that I had never heard of before. Of course, they were going to make it onto my list for their classic animation style, and ability to create anime that followed its manga.

Check out more about Studio Pierrot on their website

Ufotable Inc.

Ufotable, Inc. was founded in October 2000 by former staff of the TMS Entertainment subsidiary Telecom Animation Film. They have become extremely popular within the past couple of years. Their biggest hit was Demon slayer which shocked the world in 2019. Other notable works from the studio include Fate/Zero, Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works, God eater, and Katsugeki/Touken Ranbu.

I found this company by researching who created fate zero, and to no shock found it was the same company that was responsible for the huge hit Demon Slayer. This company is known for its stunning animation when it comes to fighting scenes. Fate Zero in my opinion one of the most stunning anime I have ever seen and the fact it was released in 2011 says a lot about their ability as an animation studio. Of course, they have since improved and taken the world by storm in 2019 with the beautiful animation in demon slayer. Their ability to create such epic fight scenes while also bringing a level of grace and beauty to them is unmatched.

Check out more about Ufotable Inc. on their website

Kyoto Animation

Kyoto Animation was co-founded in 1985 by married couple Yoko and Hideaki Hatta; it became a limited company in 1985 and a corporation in 1999. Yoko Hatta, who serves as the company's vice president, had worked as a painter at Mushi Production until she moved to Kyoto after marrying her husband, who serves as president.

They have a very recognizable style. They created Lucky Star, K-on!!, Clannad, Hyouka , Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions, Tamako Market, Beyond the Boundary, and their most stunning work in Violet Evergarden.

If you see an adorable anime, with larger then life eyes, and bright colorful worlds it is most likely from Kyoto animation. I had a feeling some of these anime were from the same animation studio, but to my surprise, they were all from the same one. This style is one of my favorites, Yes seeing epic fights is cool, but there is something about the innocent and adorable characters, the bright worlds, and the upbeat stories that just capture your heart. I will have to make a list of all the anime I have seen from this company in another blog.

Check out more about Kyoto Animation on their website

Bones Animation Studio

Bones was founded by Sunrise staff members Masahiko Minami, Hiroshi Ōsaka, and Toshihiro Kawamoto in October 1998. One of their first projects was collaborating with Sunrise on Cowboy Bebop: Knockin' on Heaven's Door, a feature film based on the Cowboy Bebop anime series.

It has produced numerous series, including RahXephon, No. 6, Wolf's Rain, Scrapped Princess, Eureka Seven, Angelic Layer, Darker than Black, Soul Eater, Ouran High School Host Club, both the 2003 and 2009 adaptations of Fullmetal Alchemist, Star Driver, Gosick, Mob Psycho 100, Space Dandy, Noragami, Bungo Stray Dogs, and My Hero Academia

This one animation studio is responsible for my anime addiction. They come out with high-quality anime every year since 2000 and are still releasing incredible anime. Ouran Highschool Host Club and Soul Eater were one of the first anime that I watched and Soul Eater is the anime that got me hooked again this past year. Currently, I am watching Bungo Stay dogs and the newest season of My Hero Academy. Bones has a wide variety of animation styles, yet never lets me down when I watch one of their anime.

Check out more about Bones Animation Studio on their website

Studio Ghibli

Studio Ghibli was founded on June 15, 1985, by Hayao Miyazaki, Toshio Suzuki, and Isao Takahata. One of the most recognizable animation studios in the world. They have released 20+ films, their first being Nausicaä the valley of the wind, and their largest hit being Spirited away in 2001.

If you'd like to read more about the founding of Studio Ghibli read - The Man, the Myth, the Legend

I have written a lot about Studio Ghibli and for good reason. I adore their hand-drawn animation, and ability to transport you into another world. Studio Ghibli has been a huge part of my childhood and adulthood. It has taught me countless life lessons and brought me joy in the darkest of times. As children, we just enjoy the movies, but as we grow up we get curious about how these masterpieces came to life. I wanted to know every detail I could about these incredible worlds that I was being teleported into.

I recently rewatched all of the films in chronological order and put them together for you to enjoy as well.

The Wonderful World of Studio Ghibli

The Imagination and Admiration of Studio Ghibli

The Timeless Masterpieces of Studio Ghibli

Studio Ghibli has gone through a couple of rollercoasters, With the legendary Hayao Miyazaki retiring from creating his last film The Wind Rises in 2013 the company has only produced 2 movies after that. The last one was When Marine Was There in 2014. After this emotional film was released Studio Ghibli also went into a well-deserved retirement.

With a heartbreaking goodbye to Hayao Miyazaki, no one expected Studio Ghibli to create another film after the legend's retirement.

To all our surprise on November 10th, 2022 Studio Ghibli Tweeted a sneak peek of their collaboration with LucasFilm. It has almost been 10 years since Studio Ghibli's last film, Everyone was in shock at this announcement. We are all on the edge of our seats with no description or plans to see what these two create.

if you'd like to know more about this collaboration read - Studio Ghibli and LucasFilm

Check out more about Studio Ghibli on their website

This was way more challenging and fun than I thought it was going to be. This brought an appreciation for the work and talent that goes into these shows and movies we enjoy.

I am excited about tomorrow and figuring out the best artwork/directing!

What is your favorite animation studio? Have you seen any of the ones I listed before?

I'd love to hear in the comments below

Thanks for Reading!!

Check out Day 6: Best anime endings

See you tomorrow!!