Often felt these series have incredibly similar visuals? This is why.
Studio Shaft is known for its incredibly unique visual style, which they use in most of their works. It evolved from the directorial style of Akiyuki Shinbou, who is said to have been inspired by French arthouse cinema.
While their works might seem hard to get into at first, that’s not actually true — here are 5 iconic series they made that will get you accustomed to their style!
The Monogatari series, written by Nisio Isin, has become Shaft’s signature anime over the years. Spanning many seasons, it is a dialogue-based anime focusing on a group of people and their supernatural and psychological problems.
Monogatari’s crazy dialogue and non-chronological order make it confusing for newer fans to get into — but for many, they’re part of the fun. Recently, a remake movie of Kizumonogatari was released, and with the announcement of the novels being adapted further, fans of this franchise are definitely happy.
Puella Magi Madoka Magica (Mahou Shoujo Madoka★Magica) is a magical girl show… except it’s written by Gen Urobuchi, the person behind Psycho-Pass and Fate/Zero. That should tell you how happy and cheerful it is. Spoiler: not at all.
Madoka is a tragic story, but that’s what makes it beautiful. With it often being called a deconstruction of the genre, there’s no studio that fits its themes better than Shaft.
March Comes In Like a Lion (3-gatsu no Lion) is an anime about dealing with depression, following your dream and finding your place in the world. Shaft makes it look beautiful, using a much more subdued (though still recognizable) style.
March Comes In Like a Lion makes the classic Japanese game of shogi look incredibly interesting. With Monogatari getting more seasons, its fans are also hopeful for more content.
Nisekoi
Shaft really took one of the most popular harem romcom manga and adapted it with their signature visual flair. The result was a treat to look at — and with Nisekoi being an incredibly popular work, it was successful enough to get another season.
Unfortunately, we aren’t getting a full adaptation, even though many fans felt the manga finale was unsatisfying.
Hidamari Sketch
Hidamari Sketch came out around the time of K-On!, and for many, it was one of the predecessors of the modern “cute girls doing cute things” formula. Despite the genre being seemingly incompatible with Shaft’s avant-garde visuals, Hidamari Sketch just works.
Oh, and it is also non-chronological! Not like that matters much, though.
Often felt these series have incredibly similar visuals? This is why.
Studio Shaft is known for its incredibly unique visual style, which they use in most of their works. It evolved from the directorial style of Akiyuki Shinbou, who is said to have been inspired by French arthouse cinema.
While their works might seem hard to get into at first, that’s not actually true — here are 5 iconic series they made that will get you accustomed to their style!
The Monogatari series, written by Nisio Isin, has become Shaft’s signature anime over the years. Spanning many seasons, it is a dialogue-based anime focusing on a group of people and their supernatural and psychological problems.
Monogatari’s crazy dialogue and non-chronological order make it confusing for newer fans to get into — but for many, they’re part of the fun. Recently, a remake movie of Kizumonogatari was released, and with the announcement of the novels being adapted further, fans of this franchise are definitely happy.
Puella Magi Madoka Magica (Mahou Shoujo Madoka★Magica) is a magical girl show… except it’s written by Gen Urobuchi, the person behind Psycho-Pass and Fate/Zero. That should tell you how happy and cheerful it is. Spoiler: not at all.
Madoka is a tragic story, but that’s what makes it beautiful. With it often being called a deconstruction of the genre, there’s no studio that fits its themes better than Shaft.
March Comes In Like a Lion (3-gatsu no Lion) is an anime about dealing with depression, following your dream and finding your place in the world. Shaft makes it look beautiful, using a much more subdued (though still recognizable) style.
March Comes In Like a Lion makes the classic Japanese game of shogi look incredibly interesting. With Monogatari getting more seasons, its fans are also hopeful for more content.
Nisekoi
Shaft really took one of the most popular harem romcom manga and adapted it with their signature visual flair. The result was a treat to look at — and with Nisekoi being an incredibly popular work, it was successful enough to get another season.
Unfortunately, we aren’t getting a full adaptation, even though many fans felt the manga finale was unsatisfying.
Hidamari Sketch
Hidamari Sketch came out around the time of K-On!, and for many, it was one of the predecessors of the modern “cute girls doing cute things” formula. Despite the genre being seemingly incompatible with Shaft’s avant-garde visuals, Hidamari Sketch just works.
Oh, and it is also non-chronological! Not like that matters much, though.
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