Crazy House Studio is one of the big boys of anime.
Over the decades of their business, they have released hit after hit, from horror to comedy, from romance to action.
They have proven time and time again to be the right choice for adaptations, never sparing details and always willing to fulfill the ambitions of the original artist.
And they have a damn good track record.
If you're looking for more Studio Madhouse in your anime diet, then you'll love this list of their greatest works that ranks them all - so get ready, because it's going to be a lot of work!
40. Claymore
Claymore is an action-packed gore festival set in the medieval world.
Yoma are man-eating monsters that can change their appearance. They wreak havoc and ruin on the villages, which is why the Claymore was created to deal with them. Those who have turned into Claymores take on half-Yoma DNA within themselves, granting them greater strength and agility at the expense of their humanity.
The series follows Claire, a Claymore with more humanity than her sisters, as she discovers humanity's corruption, Yoma and Claymore all go further than she thought.
39. Kemonozume
Kemonozume is one of Masaaki Yuasa's early works: Romeo and Juliet between humans and monsters.
Actually, it's a bit like Claymore.
Except that Kemonozume favors romance, comedy and drama over action.
The art is wacky and expressive, with plenty of personality and fast-paced animation that lends itself to funny plot points. Definitely a hidden gem worth seeing.
38. Btooom!
Sakamoto is a NEET, he has an unstable relationship with his mother, he cannot find a job and lacks friends.
One of his only accomplishments is his leadership skills in the video game Btooom! is something he regrets when he wakes up one day on a deserted island tasked with fighting to the death in a battle royale with those around him.
Now his playing skills are tested in practice; however, he still needs to develop social skills and an active attitude in order to survive.
Unfortunately, there is no final conclusion on this anime yet.
But it's a fast paced and engaging dramatic horror game with lots of action and great hooks.
37. My love story!
In this anime, we learn that the giant, gorilla-like Takeo Gouda is actually a soft-hearted sweetie with an intense romantic side.
This comes to the fore when he meets the equally timid and gentle Rinko Yamato, a girl with a meek and quirky disposition, the opposite of his own.
They develop a love story together. And the rest of the show is their attempts to come to terms with their insecurities and intimacy issues.
It is a touching novel with pleasant sensations and brilliant production values. A lot of peopleadore My Love Story!
36. School of the Dead
Highschool of the Dead is unabashedly silly, includes Romero's ecchi anime harem imagery set in the zombie apocalypse.
From frankly absurd action to the soundtrack's eclectic guitar work, this is a whimsical andwonderfully entertaining 12 episodes of nonsense.
Despite its copious amount of fanservice, Highschool of the Dead is still fun to watch thanks to its brilliant production and light-hearted approach to narrative sense.
35. The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
It was hardnot hear about The Girl Who Leapt Through Time a little over ten years ago.
However, it has now taken a somewhat back seat due to the influx of anime films and popular series released in the 2010s.
However, it's still an entertaining time travel tale with captivating characters and a great central moral.
Its influence has not yet been fully realized, as I strongly believe that it has influenced many of the anime films that have come out after it.
34. Boogiepop Phantom
Boogiepop Phantom is a dementia-ridden and twisted cerebral horror game with a vintage feel that hasn't aged a day.
The character designs here are great, each one looks expressive and unique. The story is invariably complex and makes you wonder what is going on.
The focus is on the sound design and soundtrack, as both films bled into a 90s VHS aesthetic that is perfect for storytelling.
33. Memories
Memories is a film composed of three distinctly divided parts, each directed by a different critically acclaimed director.
Part one, Magnetic Rose,undoubtedly, the most impressive. It's a Ridley-style space horror set in an abandoned space station. Two engineers discover an abandoned mansion and soon experience the building's psychological effects.
The second part, Stink Bomb, revolves around a lab employee who accidentally amplifies his flatulence, making him a toxic threat to the city that needs to be shut down by the government.
This is exactly what it looks like.
The third part, Cannon Fodder, revolves around a city teeming with cannons. And a boy who wants nothing more than to become an artilleryman like his father.
Definitely worth a look if you like hidden esoteric treasures.
32. Heavenly kiss
Created by the same woman as Nana, Paradise Kiss follows Yukari, a simple girl who accidentally entered the fashion world.
The Yazawa Art Academy members want nothing more than what Yukari models for her. But she doesn't know how.
The rest of the anime follows her exploration of josei through the hectic underworld of the fashion industry, and it's steeped in the same mature themes that made Nana so special.
31. No game - no life
Sora and Shiro are siblings. NEET who have no ambition or talent other than their incredible team play.
One day, they receive an email offering to play chess, where they are teleported to another game-driven world. The law is upheld through games in every way, and suddenly Shiro and Sora are able to thrive like never before in their own world.
This anime has a surprisingly vibrant art style with sharp pink outlines giving this aesthetic a sort of magical pop that really sets it apart from other isekai.
Without a doubt, worth a look.
30. Black Lagoon
Bokuro Okajima is a middle-aged Japanese businessman who is bored with living in Thailand, a place of crime and delinquency where he always feels on edge.
However, he is worse off at work.
When a group of mercenaries in the Black Lagoon kidnap him due to failed negotiations, they accept him into their rank.
What follows is a blockbuster cinematic explosion in which Bokuro struggles to come to terms with the violent life of a criminal.
One of the classic works of the "Crazy House", even if the episodic format is tiring. But it has a lot of interesting characters and an amazing soundtrack.
29. Actress of the Millennium
One of Satoshi Kon's most understated works, this is a whimsical documentary about Chiyoki Fujiwara: the lost idol of Shouwa Era cinema who has fallen into obscurity.
The film covers life in less than an hour and a half, mixing metafictional narrative elements with a dreamlike atmosphere. All to tell a story about life, reality and the symbiotic relationship between an actor/actress and the characters they play.
28. Rainbow
Rainbow is set in the Shounan Special Reform School, an authoritarian academy for those facing criminal charges.
Six teenagers are accommodated in one cell. There they meet Sakuragi, the older brother, who promises to protect them until they are done serving their sentence.
Together they fight against the unjust and unjust mechanisms of their imprisonment through the prism of forces.
This is a unique and soulful anime with a lot of heart and mature undertones.
27. Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust
The main character, D, is a danpil who was born to a vampire father and a human mother. And he devoted himself to the extermination of vampires.
He has been asked to find the royal Charlotte Elbourne and protect her from creatures that threaten to harm her.
This anime is an underrated artistic masterpiece, with a brilliant atmosphere and art direction that keeps a simple narrative in motion. Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust is absolutely worth checking out.
26. Shigurui
Two Edo-era fighters are about to fight: the one-armed Fujiki Gennosuke and the blind Irako Seigen.
They draw their swords, lunge, and we get back on the road before the tournament...
The rest of the series builds on their struggles, showing their goals and ambitions, and why they won't let anything stop them from achieving victory - not even a bloody, brutal death.
It's a dark anime with a depressing mood and atmosphere that builds up and builds up to a climax. Shigurui is a slow transformation into an explosion.
25. Akagi Mahjong Legend
Akagi is a smart, mysterious teenager. He enters a dark lair filled with mahjong players competing with large sums at stake.
By coincidence, he ends up competing as a proxy for another player who is 3 million yen in debt.
Akagi is also a gambler with an incredibly strong propensity for gambling and risk taking. Come and think, huh?
Just like One Outs and other anime later on this list, Akagi is a thrill to watch from start to finish. And it always gets on my nerves.
Every minute is tense. So when the series ends, you almost feel like youneed to press the "next series" button.
24. Agent of Paranoia
Satoshi Kon rarely transferred his talents to television instead of films. But I wish he didn't because Paranoia Agentmagnificent .
It encapsulates the dementia-tinged social horror that cinematic offerings are known for, but all in a series, episodic package.
And it has a great and unforgettable plot twist.
There are really few anime like Paranoia Agent and I can recommend it to almost everyone.
23. Beck: Mongolian Chop team
There are many anime about a group of friends trying to make it.
But Beck is definitely my favorite.
It has a great dub with alternative variations on a stellar Japanese punk rock soundtrack, as well as a variety of well-written characters, each struggling with their own issues.
The protagonist, Tanaka, is looking for his "I". And he is looking for an understanding of his personality, picking up a guitar and listening to music.
This series is a simple, trail-filled breath of fresh air.
22. One way out
One Outs is a mind war anime set on a baseball field.
It follows Tokuchi, the sport's reckless prodigy, who competed in the game of One Outs: baseball's intense and competitive spin-off.
However, they play with gigantic stakes: every time Tokuchi pitches the ball, he earns 5 million yen.
And every time he misses, he loses 50 million yen.
It's a nerve-wracking and adrenaline-inducing sports anime with an ever-changing plot.
The characters serve their purpose perfectly, and the stakes are constantly rising.
This makes this watch interesting for baseball fans, but also one of the best gambling anime ever.
21. Kaiba
Without a doubt, Kaiba is one of Masaaki Yuasa's most unique works - and that's saying a lot considering Yuasa's diverse portfolio of weird and eccentric anime.
It is a postmodern exploration of the self, memories and human interdependence, explored through a Western art style reminiscent of Disney or Osamu Tezuka.
It doesn't look likeno other anime .
A truly deep and mature philosophical dive into oneself that deserves more recognition. Don't neglect it, but expect a slow and fabulous pace with lots of exciting qualities.
20. Summer Wars
Summer Wars is one of Mamoru Hosoda's most versatile works.
This is a story about a family that revolves around a virtual reality called OZ, a place where people mingle and live secondary lives.
One day, Kenji Koiso finds himself in a world of cryptic texts and online battles that can affect the real world while he tries to pretend to be his love's fiancé at their family party.
It's fun, artistically gorgeous, and consistently entertaining.
19. Tokyo Godfathers
Tokyo Godfathers is another work by Satoshi Kon.
However, this one tells a simpler and more rewarding story about three homeless people who are assigned to take care of a child for Christmas that they find in a dumpster.
This begins a night of wild antics as they search for their mother and in the process stumble upon a mysterious path above their non-existent wage level.
This anime is a soulful, spiritual film with a warm center despite the dark themes it touches on.
The Godfathers of Tokyo is another example of Satoshi Kon's remarkable ability to maturely understand people and render them realistically through animation.
18. Hellsing Ultimate
As you'll see with the other two entries further down this list, Hellsing Ultimate was Madhouse's attempt to remake an anime that hadn't been finished by another studio.
And they do itwonderful , with ten 40-minute episodes offering a gory, absurd, comedic and terrifying story with a cinematic look.
Allucard is one of the medium's most aggressive protagonists. And Ultimate is more than a manga.
17. One Punch Man
When it came out, One Punch Man was a cultural phenomenon.
Even my older brother watched it and he never watches anime.
This is a parody of the superhero genre in which the protagonist can knock out any enemy with a single punch. The animation, art direction and sound work are all top notch - a really high quality anime.
He also doesn't rely too much on his central gimmick. Instead, he aims to create a dense world teeming with funny characters to move the story forward.
The first season in particular - the one run by Studio Madhouse - is exceptional, creating a new boom in the anime community just two years after the release of Attack on Titan.
16. Texhnolyze
Texhnolyze is basically "Cyberpunk Nihilism: Anime".
This is a dull and gloomy exploration of oneself through the crooked and dark underside of a collapsing futuristic metropolis.
We follow Ichise, a boxer who swings too hard for luck and starts a streak bleeding out in the streets after losing an arm and a leg.
The tone here is perfect, with excellent production quality and directionality. Check it out if you want to be sad or feel empty!
15. Paprika
Paprika is similar to The Beginning, but through the distorted lens of Satoshi Kon.
Here's the gist: The DC Mini is a powerful device that allows the user to immerse themselves in another person's dreams. So when it goes missing, those behind its creation go in a panic to look for it.
What follows is a vivid destruction of the walls between reality and fiction.
It is very creative and contains eccentric and unique music that will stay in your memory for years to come.
14. Red line
The creation of Redline lasted seven years of painstaking work.
It tells a simple story of an extraterrestrial intergalactic race without any rules and follows driver JP, a daredevil womanizer determined to win the race at all costs.
Each scene is amazing in detail and imagination, featuring hundreds of different alien environments and creatures and outstanding animation.
All of this is underscored by a stellar soundtrack and sound design that can handle the film's high-energy roller coaster.
13. Blue Literature
Blue Literature is an adaptation of six famous Japanese short stories by four different authors: Osamu Sazai, Ango Sakaguchi, Natsume Souseki and Ryuunosuke Akutagawa.
Each of them is also animated by different respected artists.
There is Ningen Shikkaku telling a dark and depressing tale of suicide and anomie.
Then "Sakura-no-Mori-no-Mankai-no-Shita" tells about an eccentric horror romance between a woman and a mountain bandit.
Kokoro too: the story of two people and the different ways they live and see the world.
Hashir, Melos! shows a similar story between the two men and the strained relationship between them.
Then Kumo no Ito, depicting a criminal trying to get rid of persecution and guilt.
And finally, there is Jigokuhen, dedicated to an artist commissioned by the evil king.
All of them amazing, and it's a little-known and sadly forgotten classic from Madhouse.
12 Kaiji: Ultimate Survivor
Kaiji is nervous.
It's about a man who suddenly found himself guilty of a huge debt and was asked to play aboard an illegal gambling ship.
Once there, Kaiji enters a world of deceit, subterfuge, deceit, strategy, and willpower as he realizes he has talent and doesn't know when to stop.
Kaiji is as tense as anime can be, and the stakes keep rising with each episode to suffocating heights.
It's all underlined by the unique, perfectly fitting art style and disturbing soundtrack, making it a must-see for all fans of anime mind games.
11. Parasite
When the parasitic lifeform tries to control Shinichi, it is unable to reach his brain and is trapped below the elbow.
When he wakes up for school the next morning, he finds eyes and a mouth attached to his arm; this creature, calling itself Migi, is designed to take over humanity along with other representatives of its kind.
Without any choice, they form an unlikely and unsettling company to protect themselves from other creatures that are eager to see them dead.
Parasyte is an entertaining horror game with a simple but effective philosophical moral center.
The soundtrack features dubstep and electronics for highlights, and occasionally piano for emotional moments. This is one of Madhouse's finest contemporary films and an unforgettable example of body horror.
10. A place outside the universe.
Marie wants nothing more than to explore the world, always dreaming of an inaccessible place.
When she meets a girl named Shirase who has decided to travel to Antarctica after her mother's disappearance, Mari jumps at the opportunity.
Their plans intrigued two other girls - Yuzuki and Hinata - and soon the four of them set off on an unforgettable adventure.
Their character designs and animations are beautiful, and there are some stellar and breathtaking environmental designs as well.
Each episode is a heartfelt experience right up to the climactic finale.
9. Perfect blue
This is perhaps the masterpiece of Satoshi Kon.
Released in 1998, Perfect Blue is a thriller about parasocial relationships and the woes of fame.
After leaving the pop group CHAM!, Mima decides to pursue an acting career. However, she doesn't realize how obsessed some of her fans are, especially one man who refuses to believe that she has left CHAM!… She soon discovers that her new career is a lot more intense and stressful than she thought.
What follows is the dissolution of the walls between reality and fantasy, and fiction constantly encroaches on Mima's mind.
Of course, it has stellar animation and art direction. But also demonstrates great knowledge of sound design and direction.
Perfect Blue is a great all time anime movie for anyone who is into idols.
8 Death Parade
Death Parade takes place in a bar representing Limbo.
Every day, two people enter with no memory of their lives and must face each other in a bar game (billiards, darts, cards, twister) to determine whether they are sentenced to heaven or hell.
It's a surprisingly poignant and philosophical show with a surprisingly short runtime, consisting of complex reflections on morality and virtue in terms of "objective justice" that leave you questioning every episode.
All of this is accompanied by a set of intriguing characters - more or less bar staff - who hide behind the episodic scenes a moving plot that culminates in an emotional finale.
7. Galaxy tatami.
Finally, we come to the great work of Masaaki Yuasa.
After a university experience of loneliness and introversion, Watashi realizes that he has wasted some of the most important moments of his life.
Luckily, this heartbreak turns into an opportunity when he is sent back in time to his first day and given the chance to try everything again.
Tatami Galaxy is a strange but human exploration of life in the present moment and the catching of the day, the exploration of a man with regret given another opportunity in life.
The animation and art design are great, constantly moving and funny, yet capable of evoking moments of gentle emotion. It demonstrates Yuasa's distinct flair for humanity and the individual through visual expressionism.
A must see for any fan of the soulful yet mature anime and this is one of my favorite productions of all time.
6 Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
After losing their mother, Al and Ed try to transmute the human to bring her back - Ed loses his left leg and his little brother loses his body.
In order to keep Al's soul alive, Ed sacrifices his right arm to attach it to his armor.
FMA: The Brotherhood follows them three years later in search of the Philosopher's Stone, a legendary device supposedly capable of breaking the law of equivalent exchange.
Arguably the most highly rated anime of all time, it tells a concise and concise story about overcoming trial and error through determination and learning without any filler.
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is one of the greatest, purest and most well thought out anime ever made. And he deserves universal praise.
Sure, it can falter at times, but the next episode picks things up right away; it's a rollercoaster of emotions and action, culminating in a beautiful ending.
5. Chihayafuru
Chihaya has no ambition of her own, she is quite good at athletics, but is not inspired by it.
At a young age, she meets Arata Wataya, a new student who was expelled due to his strange personality and love for Karuta, a traditional Japanese card game whose rules exclusively use Japanese poetry.
She is amazed by Arata, his ambition and Karuta as a sport.
Fast forward to the main events of Chihayafuru and Chihaya is a teenager; Arata left a long time ago and their mutual friend Taichi is her closest friend, although he sees her as more than a friend and wants to prove it through Karuta.
Possibly one of the best executed love triangles I've ever seen, spanning (at the time of writing) three seasons of hyper-stylized excitement and passion.
It's a hell of a lot of hype, as the tournaments serve as great moments for the diegetic storytelling as well as the climactic elements of the set.
The characters are all beautiful, dynamic, and realistically portrayed, all dealing with their own demons... but bound by love for a seemingly harmless and fast-fading ancient card game.
This is such a love letter to something that might otherwise be forgotten, introducing the world to a small sport that can carry a lot of meaning.
4. Monster
After making a morally motivated decision to save a young boy's life instead of helping the mayor, Dr. Tenma is ostracized and demoted, abandoned by his fiancé and his colleagues.
Years later, with only the firm determination that he made the right decision to accompany him, Dr. Tenma discovers something terrible about the boy he saved:the boy is now a serial killer perverted by nature and upbringing.
Overwhelmed by responsibility and trauma, Dr. Tenma decides to take matters into his own hands and investigate the situation.
But the police see him as a more suspicious rival for the horrific events taking place around him.
Monster is absolutely superbly executed, representing the 74th episode of a perfectly adapted thriller. Truly never lose your stellar pace or sense of identity.
There's so much to love about Monster, from the art direction taken straight from the manga to the great voice acting (in both Japanese and English) that sells the show's adult content.
It's unique. Almost a one-of-a-kind thriller that I wish there were more.
3. Nana
Two girls, Nana Komatsu and Nana Osaki, meet by chance on a train.
After landing, they forget to exchange details. But both end up in the same open house, seeking to acquire real estate.
After some thought, they decide to share the place.
Thus began the story of two completely different girls. It's a stellar Josei, with some raw and usually invisible (for anime) dramatic plot points that constantly draw him in.
The sound design, like the characters, is always in harmony with the narrative, full of personality and charm, no matter how heartbreaking the content may be.
Like a lot of anime these days, I wish there was more because Nana is an unfinished masterpiece.
2. Death Note
I couldn't help myself. Death Note may be one of the most famous, most viewed and discussed anime ever made.
But he deserves this place.
I, unlike many, feel that it's fantastic throughout the playthrough, subversive and consistently engaging, yet satisfying in terms of storytelling.
In this cat-and-mouse detective thriller between two geniuses in supernatural Japan, any mistakes made are usually damaging, with deadly causation.
The animation is great, with artwork straight out of the manga (and therefore looks just as good). But nothing compares to its famous and magnificent soundtrack.
Grandiose orchestras, harps, grand pianos, cellos; it is the music that accompanies the spiritual battlefield.
Truly one of the best anime of all time.
1. Hunter x Hunter
Hunter x Hunter, like Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, manages to tell a concise shounen story set in a diversely populated fantasy world.
Hefilled charm and character, combining both lighthearted and dark moments with complete and delicate lightness.
The soundtrack is captivating and appropriate, emphasizing the fast-paced action or exploration taking place on screen.
HxH is such a pleasure to watch. And he managed to highlight several completely different, but canonically resonant arcs that help never to become outdated.
I never got bored in his legendary 148 episode series. And I would love to eat another season!
This is, in my opinion, the definitive Crazy Asylum project, featuring some of their greatest artistic movements in a great and overarching story.
