Want to know what are the Best Anime Created by Mappa Studio? Well we have got you. Compared to other prominent studios in the industry like Toei, KyoAni, Madhouse, and a few others, MAPPA is fairly new and was established just recently in 2011 by none other than Maruyama Masao.
Maruyama Masao was once the co-founder of the well-known Madhouse Studio, so it comes as no surprise that even MAPPA has started doing so well in such a short span.
The main goal of MAPPA has always been to create anime that are directed by a younger generation of directors in order to bring in new ideas that will appeal to the anime viewers of today.
Apart from the younger directors, MAPPA has also been associated with some of the most revered directors like Shinichiro Watanabe and Sato Keiichi. Their current portfolio is huge and is full of some of the most highly successful shows, so choosing the best out of these can be a little bit of a challenge.
Fortunately for you, we have decided to take up this challenge by listing down the best anime that has been produced by the Studio. The list below not only includes commercially successful anime but also has some quality shows that may not be all that popular but do deserve your attention. Here’s the list of top MAPPA anime of all time:
20. Punch Line (2015)
We considered all kinds of anime, and this is the one that was left out. The entire plot of ‘Punch Line’ is really wacky and it’s really hard to explain how it works, but let’s just say that it’s one of those shows you should enjoy without anyone around. Undeniably, it packs a whole lot of fun, but just make sure you watch it only when nobody is around. Thank me later!
19. Teekyuu (2012)
‘Teekyuu’ is a sweet comedy for those who dig the CGDCT (Cute Girls Doing Cute Things) genre. It’s about a bunch of young girls who decide to play tennis at their school’s tennis club but none of them know anything about the sport. ‘Teekyuu’ is a ridiculously hilarious show with nicely animated moe characters. It also has its own Ecchi moments and it can only be enjoyed if you’re in the mood for something that does not require you to think too much. If you look for deep plots and well-developed characters in every anime you watch, then don’t even think about this one. But if you just want to kill some time, then go ahead and watch it on Crunchyroll.
18. Kakegurui (2017)
Hyakkaou Academy is unlike any other school out there. It has a curriculum unlike any other and the kind of school that it follows makes it the best school in the entire nation. This school only allows kids from royal families to enroll and gambling is used to make sure that its students are prepared for the atrocities of the real world. While most kids of the school gamble in order to get better grades, a new girl comes along and her obsession with gambling starts to threaten the higher authorities of the school. The first season of Kakegurui is thrilling, sexy and will keep you at the edge of your seat all the time. So if you’re willing to try something different, then you can certainly give this one a shot.
17. In This Corner of the World (2016)
‘In This Corner of the World’ is a great anime movie that few people have heard of. It’s unfortunate that it was released around the same time as Your Name and A Silent Voice, which overshadowed it completely. The first half of this unbelievably sad film is about the life of a young girl named Suzu during World War II, and the second half is about how Suzu and her village struggle to survive after their homes and lands were destroyed. ‘In This Corner of the World’ is a great, overlooked gem that will make you cry your eyes out.
16. Inuyashaki (2017)
Inuyashiki is a 50-year-old man who looks like he’s somewhere in his 70s but that’s the least of his concerns. His own family despises him and even his coworkers have no respect for him. But that’s not it; his life gets even worse when he is diagnosed with cancer and even then, his family shows no concern towards him.
He gets depressed and just walks out of his home into an open field to cry but suddenly, an alien ship lands on him and kills him. The aliens decide to make up for the loss and rebuild his entire body with a bunch of weapons.
Inuyashiki wakes up as a cyborg who is now stronger than any other human out there. He decides to use his newly acquired powers to help those in need but little does he know that there’s someone else out there with similar abilities.
Inuyashiki is overall a fun action-filled anime that takes a slightly different approach towards terrorism. Its story has been adapted from a manga that has been created by the same author who illustrated ‘Gantz‘, so don’t be surprised if the anime turns out to be a full-fledged gorefest.
Also Read: 40 Anime Like One Punch Man
15. Yuri on Ice!!! (2016)
‘Yuri On Ice’ is a sports anime. It’s popular because it has proved to be a revolutionary anime for the LGBTQ community. It revolves around a young boy named Yuri Katsuki who is a professional figure skater. But after he loses a major tournament, he decides to give up on the sport.
Yuri is another figure skater who ends up watching one of Yuri’s viral videos and is immediately impressed by his talent. This is when he takes a break from his own skating career and decides to coach Yuri. While the main plot of the anime is quite uplifting and also a little cliched, what really got the attention of most viewers was its sub-plot that portrays the homosexual relationship between Victor and Yuri in a very mature way. Apart from that, the anime has some great visuals, especially during the figure skating performances that are complemented by some of the most melodious soundtracks.
14. Rage of Bahamut: Virgin Soul (2017)
‘Rage of Bahamut: Virgin Soul’ is a sequel to ‘Genesis’, but it doesn’t just continue the story where ‘Genesis’ left off. It picks up right where ‘Genesis’ left off and starts off with King Charioce taking over the throne after Bahamut’s death. After many demons are cruelly enslaved by the King and are forced to fight, a vigilante comes to their rescue one day. But somehow, the King is also able to stop this vigilante and in the end, it all comes down to a teenager to save them.
13. Zankyou no Terror (2014)
The entire nation is rattled after a terror attack takes place in a high-security nuclear facility. With no evidence of who was behind it, everyone remains clueless until a strange video is found on the internet that features two masked boys who openly confront the police force to stop them. The entire city goes wild after watching the video and soon, everyone starts to leave while the police try their best to catch the masked terrorists. ‘Terror in Resonance‘ is another one of Shinichiro’s creations and though it comes off as a little divisive, it easily qualifies as one of MAPPA’s best. Just try not to compare this with ‘Death Note‘ or ‘Steins; gate‘ as both of them are anime of an entirely different league.
12. Kids on the Slope (2012)
The director and composer Shinichiro Watanabe and the music composer Yoko Kanno meet MAPPA Studios, and the outcome is an anime that is no less than a masterpiece. Kanno has been a jazz enthusiast for years and Watanabe who used Jazzy soundtracks in ‘Cowboy Bebop’ is no stranger to it. So it came as no surprise that they decided to create a music anime that makes Jazz look cool again. Kaoru Nishimi has always moved around from one place to another and because of this, he has never been able to make any good friends. So when he moves to Kyushu for his first year of high school, he keeps no hopes of making any good friends here. On the first day of school, he meets a delinquent drummer named Kawabuchi Sentaro who introduces him to a whole new world of Jazz music. Inspired by Kawabuchi, Kaoru starts to learn Jazz piano all by himself and soon becomes a part of an after-school Jazz club. What follows is the story of an introverted young boy who gets out of his shell with the support of his friends and sets out to achieve greatness.
11. Hajime no Ippo: Rising (2013-2014)
The third installment in the “Hajime Ippo: Rising” anime series was a collaborative project between Madhouse and MAPPA Studio. It features the same colorful cast as the previous two installments, but this time, the focus is on boxers of all shapes and sizes, with one goal: to make a name for themselves. The exquisite representation of the sport of boxing in this anime has allowed it to gain a whole new level of recognition, internationally.
The anime centers around a young boy named Ippo who is shy and is often targeted by bullies. One day, while he is walking home from school, a professional boxer, who was just passing by, decides to rescue him. After he takes Ippo to his gym, Ippo suddenly gets drawn towards the sport and asks him if he can train there. After he qualifies for a small test, Ippo gets to train as a professional boxer and what follows is the story of an underdog who makes his way to the top with his only edge in the ring being his strong will power.
Check Out: Best Anime Like Yuri
10. God Of High School
MAPPA has surprised everyone with their new manhwa. The God of High School is epic level fighting and you’ll have to choose if you’d rather watch a Korean manhwa or an anime about a tournament where people fight to be the best fighter.
The story is pretty simple, but it’s also very entertaining and you’ll love the characters.
The animation is just superb and you’ll love the characters. The music is refreshing as well.
9. Ushio To Tora
Ushio To Tora is a powerful, fierce, supernatural, and mystical anime. It has a unique feel to it because of the relationship between the characters.
What I mean is that the boy named Ushio is the embodiment of a shounen protagonist. He is kind-hearted but fiercely motivated. He is accompanied by a literal demon who wants nothing more than to get a taste of human flesh and his friends. But a condition forces them to stay together, and they have to work it out somehow.
8. Rage Of Bahamut
Rage of the Bahamut is the best RPG of the year. It has a great epic story, overarching narratives, incredibly written characters, great use of the fantasy tropes, and most importantly, Badass Dragons!
It is set in a fantasy world and follows the rebirth of an all-powerful dragon, Bahamut, whose cataclysmic rage nearly ended all life from the face of the planet.
7. Zombieland Saga
In Zombieland Saga, we meet the cast of characters who are going to save the world from a zombie invasion. It’s not just another zombie movie, it’s a great movie and you should see it!
The show is a fun ride, but the show gets darker and more serious as it goes along. You’ll laugh at the ridiculousness of it all, but you’ll be surprised by the seriousness of the situations the characters are facing.
6. Dororo
In the past, there were many samurai who fought battles against evil. Lord Daigo is one of them. Because of the death of his land, he must do something to get more robust to overturn the tide in his favor.
It’s said that he made a deal with the demons, but it’s not entirely clear whether that’s true or not. The story of Dororo is one of the best samurai-themed anime. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen an anime that’s so good at depicting samurai battles.
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5. Banana Fish
Ash Lynx is a very good athlete and a great swimmer. He’s also the second best in his class. His brother has been talking about the two words since he came back from the Iraq war.
Ashlyn is a young boy who runs away from home. He is raised by a Mafia family, and he becomes a cold-blooded killer.
The movie is about a boy who gets kidnapped and forced to join a crime syndicate. It’s a dark and gritty movie, and I highly recommend watching it.
4. Hajime No Ippo
Hajime no Ippo is a great introduction to the world of anime. It is a show that has gotten many casual viewers hooked on the beautiful world of anime. It is probably the best story ever told in anime!
In the anime, the main character struggles to stand his ground but eventually becomes a world champion. It is one of the best anime ever made by MAPPA.
3. Attack On Titan
I don’t think anyone can be surprised that Attack On Titan has been one of the most popular anime series of all time. The story follows the humans living inside walls to stay safe from Titans, whose only job seems to be to consume humans. Eren Jaeger, a bratty young kid, is having none of it and decided to rebel. But when he realizes the harsh truths of the world. All he could do was cry, but he pulled himself together and is now on a mission. If you haven’t watched the anime Attack on Titan, now is a great time to start your journey into the fascinating world of Titans.
2. Jujutsu Kaisen
The best anime of all time is probably Jujutsu Kaisen. It has everything you want from a shounen anime, and it stands out in a sea of shounen anime. This is a supernatural horror film about Yuji Itadori, who gets into a terrible situation after consuming the finger of a demon. Now he is blessed with power, but he must be killed at some point. He can sense the other fingers of the devil, so he can help find the curse.
1. Terror In Resonance
Two young Japanese men decide to cause havoc in the city. They are terrorists! The show is basically about two young men, who are terrorists. Two boys were responsible for the blast near a nuclear facility that left much destruction behind. A couple of boys who decide to turn terrorists and start killing innocent people? Well, they’re not the only ones who can do that. This is a weird show, but you will enjoy it after watching it. Two boys turn terrorists and you will be surprised at the end.
