Madhouse is rightfully considered one of the most prominent anime studios in history. The company has given the world such masterpieces as Death Note, One Punch Man and Paprika (directed by Satoshi Kon). One of this season's most eye-catching new releases – Frieren: Beyond Journey's End (Sousou no Frieren) – also comes from this studio. Even if you've never read the credits, you've probably seen the anime made by Madhouse.
Here are five great titles from the studio worth checking out.
Texhnolyze is perhaps the only example of truly avant-garde cyberpunk in anime. It is a very dark story about an underground city where advanced cybernetic technology is practiced. Texhnolyze offers a depressing fantasy of a future where science and technology do not bring salvation, but create more problems. Texhnolyze is especially interesting because of its style. It is a meditative anime in which the plot does not take much place. Thoughtful directing plays a more important role here. In the first episode, for example, there are practically no words.
Monster
There aren't many serial killer shows in anime. Monster is one of them. This is a twisted story about a doctor who once saved a child, and years later becomes a maniac. The main character, Dr. Kenzou Tenma, has to rethink his life and deal with the consequences of his actions. Monster is a great choice for cinematic anime fans, as this title is considered by many to be better than some Hollywood movies for its directorial ingenuity (not to mention it has one of the best anime villains).
Beck
Beck: Mongolian Chop Squad is a great example of mixing three different genres: coming-of-age story, musical anime and slice-of-life. This is a story about young Yukio Tanaka and his way to become a part of a music band. The story doesn't have much of the drama you'd expect from such a plot. This is rather a pleasant anime about the everyday life of musicians, their rehearsals and creativity. An excellent option for those who want to spend a few evenings without shocks or surprises.
A masterpiece by Satoshi Kon, which fades a bit compared to his other outstanding works like Paprika or Perfect Blue. The anime is about investigating a series of murders committed by a violent teenager. However, as always with Satoshi Kon, the series reaches the level of an excellent novel about the problems of Japanese society. The line between fantasy and reality is blurred in the series. This gives the author much room to talk about the nature of art. It's amazing how far the human imagination can go.
Studio Madhouse has tried many different genres and even managed to make a hurricane action with explosions and shootouts. The Black Lagoon is such a case. The series about modern pirates boasts exciting action scenes with guns and charismatic characters. This is not a title that will make you go "hmmm", but it does offer a lot of fun. Black Lagoon can be considered one of the benchmark crime actions in anime history.
Not a word about Death Note or Hunter x Hunter.
Madhouse is rightfully considered one of the most prominent anime studios in history. The company has given the world such masterpieces as Death Note, One Punch Man and Paprika (directed by Satoshi Kon). One of this season's most eye-catching new releases – Frieren: Beyond Journey's End (Sousou no Frieren) – also comes from this studio. Even if you've never read the credits, you've probably seen the anime made by Madhouse.
Here are five great titles from the studio worth checking out.
Texhnolyze is perhaps the only example of truly avant-garde cyberpunk in anime. It is a very dark story about an underground city where advanced cybernetic technology is practiced. Texhnolyze offers a depressing fantasy of a future where science and technology do not bring salvation, but create more problems. Texhnolyze is especially interesting because of its style. It is a meditative anime in which the plot does not take much place. Thoughtful directing plays a more important role here. In the first episode, for example, there are practically no words.
Monster
There aren't many serial killer shows in anime. Monster is one of them. This is a twisted story about a doctor who once saved a child, and years later becomes a maniac. The main character, Dr. Kenzou Tenma, has to rethink his life and deal with the consequences of his actions. Monster is a great choice for cinematic anime fans, as this title is considered by many to be better than some Hollywood movies for its directorial ingenuity (not to mention it has one of the best anime villains).
Beck
Beck: Mongolian Chop Squad is a great example of mixing three different genres: coming-of-age story, musical anime and slice-of-life. This is a story about young Yukio Tanaka and his way to become a part of a music band. The story doesn't have much of the drama you'd expect from such a plot. This is rather a pleasant anime about the everyday life of musicians, their rehearsals and creativity. An excellent option for those who want to spend a few evenings without shocks or surprises.
A masterpiece by Satoshi Kon, which fades a bit compared to his other outstanding works like Paprika or Perfect Blue. The anime is about investigating a series of murders committed by a violent teenager. However, as always with Satoshi Kon, the series reaches the level of an excellent novel about the problems of Japanese society. The line between fantasy and reality is blurred in the series. This gives the author much room to talk about the nature of art. It's amazing how far the human imagination can go.
Studio Madhouse has tried many different genres and even managed to make a hurricane action with explosions and shootouts. The Black Lagoon is such a case. The series about modern pirates boasts exciting action scenes with guns and charismatic characters. This is not a title that will make you go "hmmm", but it does offer a lot of fun. Black Lagoon can be considered one of the benchmark crime actions in anime history.
