The two shut in siblings Sora and Shiro have only known the world of gaming for their entire life. Using their super intellect, they dominate the online gaming community under the pseudonym of Blank. The god of another world wishes for a challenge, thus bringing them over to his realm where all conflicts are decided not through violence but games. And suddenly, Sora and Shiro have found the best game to ever exist. No Game No Life is the anime that caused the saying “No Anime No Life”. It has inspired a large following because of the relatively fresh take on the genre of Game Anime. Perhaps viewers enjoy the way our main characters lay the smack down on their opponents with intellect rather than violence? It is, after all, a breath of fresh air from the usual Jesus-kun Game Anime where a single male protagonist beats up everything in their way.

Momonga is a powerful wizard who resides in the world of Yggdrasil. The only problem? It’s actually an MMORPG that has reached its final hour. With a sense of melancholy, Momonga stays online with his character until the stroke of midnight when servers close. But when the clock struck the deadline, he found himself in his character’s body, trapped in the world of Yggdrasil by himself. Overlord is another recent work of Madhouse that sojourned into the world of Game Anime, except this time there’s only one person who’s a real life human. It presents a rather interesting scenario of what a person would do if they were suddenly given control over an almighty wizard with an army at his command. Again, it’s a welcome change from the usual song and dance with a group of friends who were trapped in a game, because for once, he actually enjoys it.

Saitama has trained for the past three years to become a hero after getting the snot kicked out of him by a monster. He wishes to enjoy the thrill that he felt in the heat of battle against the forces of evil. Finally, he has become ready to face down that which would threaten mankind. However, he has become so strong that he defeats everything in one punch, causing him to spiral into depression. This all changes when he runs into a cyborg, Genos. Who doesn’t know One Punch Man? It’s the action anime that was spring boarded into the halls of fame within anime recently for its crisp animation, hilarious punchlines, and exciting action sequences. Despite its premise, the anime still manages to enthrall viewers with fun fight scenes. There’s not much more that needs to be said about it because seeing is believing. And if you don’t believe yet, you will.

An average fourth grader by the name of Sakura Kinomoto comes across a book that has mysterious origins. She unknowingly unseals the book, releasing a flurry of cards all over the world. The Beast of the Seal Keroberos appears from the book and informs her that she has unleashed the Clow Cards upon the world, bringing danger to mankind. Appointing her as the Cardcaptor, they join forces to recapture the Clow Cards and protect mankind from its dangers. Did the above description sound really cliché and generic to you? That’s not surprising because this is one of the magical girls anime that came out when the genre was still going through its growing pains, alongside classics like Sailor Moon. Cardcaptor is definitely not the best magical girl anime to ever exist, but it is enjoyable none the less. Like many of the classics from back then, we remember them fondly for not just what they were, but what they represented.

When one dies, neither Heaven nor Hell awaits. Instead, souls enter a bar in which they play a game to fight for their very existence. Contestants must play against each other to fight for reincarnation, or have their existence released to the void. These games can be completely random, ranging from darts to bowling. One thing is for sure, the only thing that is absolute Quindecim, the bar of the afterlife. Death Parade is one of those shows that manage to create an entire series around a single location. That’s not an easy thing to do, because if you’re going to make 12 episodes about a single place then it better be damn interesting. Death Parade is also one of those shows that succeeded. Praised for its mind blowing twists and high tension mind games, it’s clear that Madhouse has learned much from their days of Death Note.

Makunouchi Ippo is a rather unassuming boy who has received the brunt of bullies his whole life. One day, he comes across a boxer named Takamura Mamoru who saves him from his bullies. To help him relieve his stress, Takamura asks Ippo to punch a punching bag. That very action compels a fire to burn within him, and he begs to be trained as a boxer. It is that decision that starts to send him down a path that he can never turn back from. On the story side of things, Hajime no Ippo is the standard feel good anime where the main character overcomes his adversities with grit and guts and eventually becomes a better person for it. The magic stems from how possible this scenario is in real life. It’s entirely possible for anyone to find something that they are passionate about and spring into a new life. Perhaps it is because viewers can relate to it, that they find it so compelling.

Parasitic Aliens have invaded earth and are taking over the minds of human beings. They use their hosts to morph into various forms in order to prey on the unsuspecting humans. Shinichi Izumi gets infected by one such parasite, but it only manages to control his right hand. Left with no options, Migi cooperates with Izumi in order to protect themselves from hostile parasites. Continuing with the theme of grim reality, Madhouse creates another entry fit to stand amongst the horrors like Death Note and Death Parade. Each and every one of the parasites are vicious and show no mercy to their prey. Even the parasite of the main character behaves in this manner, only changing his attitude because he has no choice. It’s one of those animes that shows us life sucks, but it does so in an entertaining way.

Gon Freecss is an aspiring Hunter in training who has the ambitious goal of finding his father who abandoned him when he was younger. Hunters the powerhouses of the realm, often exploring uncharted territories or dealing with dangerous individuals. As he strives to achieve his dream, he starts to find that everything isn’t as peachy as it seems. Hunter x Hunter (2011) is the most recent version done by Madhouse. The animation quality follows along with the usual standard that Madhouse is known for, but its greatest strength is its writing. Initially, Hunter x Hunter gives off the feel-good vibe, but in a good way. However, it uses this vibe to its advantage, eventually taking a dark turn out of nowhere, ambushing its viewers with feelings that only a good anime can provoke; something Madhouse is famous for.

Light Yagami is a bored high school student. But he’s not bored because school is boring, but because he’s too smart for everyone else. Everyone simply isn’t on his level, isn’t his equal. Fate struck when he comes across a Death Note, a book that grants the wielder the ability to kill anyone simply by writing down their name. With the power of a god in hand, Light sets out to change the order of the world, reshaping it into his justice. Death Note is one of the most iconic anime of all time not just because it’s such a good series, but because even those who don’t watch anime know what is it. It has inspired many movies, spin-offs and even a drama series. Its draw point lies in how the show is presented. Each plot can be complex and convoluted, but they are explained in an organic manner to the viewers, letting them come to the conclusion by themselves. Everyone feels smart when watching this anime, and that’s the beauty of it.

Wolf Children paints the story of Hana, a young college student who falls for a man who turns out to be a werewolf. She accepts him regardless and soon the two are married. Two children are born from this union, Ame who was birthed during rainfall, and Yuki, who was birthed during snowfall. They both inherited the ability to turn into wolves from their father. All is well until he dies suddenly, leaving her to take care of the two kids. Wolf Children follows her struggles to keep their identities a secret, all while juggling the life of a single parent. Everything about this anime screams perfection. The animation is one of the most beautiful works of Madhouse to date. The slow and concise development of the family of three over the years feels organic, yet it doesn’t drag out. There are ups and downs, and nothing ever goes perfectly for the family, but they pull through. Such is the joy of family, and our hats definitely go off to Madhouse for one of their finest works to date.