While the studio tends to adapt storylines that are genuinely interesting and challenging, fluid animation remains Madhouse's calling card. Released in 2009, Redline is an exercise in style over substance, but the former is so mindblowing that the latter can be forgiven.

The anime's title refers to an insane race that occurs every couple of years. Bringing together some of the universe's greatest drivers, Redline is a competition that only the bravest and dumbest willingly enter. Luckily, JP possesses an overabundance of both traits. With the next event set to take place on the hostile planet of Roboworld, Redline will challenge its racers to go beyond their limit!

Requiring more than half a decade to be produced, Redline might just be Madhouse's best-looking film. Despite the predictable storyline, the anime's visuals and soundtrack effectively convey the pure adrenaline felt by the racers.

Guns, mobsters, and killer maids; Black Lagoon toes the line between absurdity and pure awesomeness. Right out of the gate, this frantic anime set the pace with a thrilling hostage situation that sees a mercenary group called Black Lagoon kidnap a Japanese businessman in hopes of using him as a pawn to negotiate with his parent company. Unfortunately for Rokurou Okajima, he means less than nothing to his bosses, who promptly throw him under the bus. Alone and stuck in a foreign country, Rokurou opts to join the ranks of Black Lagoon.

With the exception of a couple of arcs that require the characters to leave their base of operations, the majority of Black Lagoon's content is set in Thailand's Roanapur. A haven for criminals and degenerates, this city is brimming with personality and charm. From the foul-mouthed Revy to a gun-wielding nurse, Black Lagoon is more than just an exercise in excess and genuinely challenges its robust cast of characters.

Considered a classic of the genre, Black Lagoon perfectly balances explosive action with social commentary and engaging storylines. While Revy tends to hog the spotlight, Rokurou's arc from soft-spoken businessman to criminal genius is a sight to behold!

Romcoms rarely divert from the tropes associated with the genre. Generally, a typical storyline centers on two models with polar-opposite personalities who, slowly but surely, learn they are actually perfect for each other. Hey, why mess with a formula when it works? Once in awhile, a series comes along that effortlessly subverts the audience's expectations by slightly altering the standard premise of the genre. Ore Monogatari!! is one of those series.

Adapted from Kazune Kawahara and Aruko's manga with the same name, the anime pushes the muscular and intimidating Takeo Gouda to the forefront. Adored by his peers due to his positive attitude and heroic nature, the high schooler's physical appearance regularly stands in the way in his pursuit of love. After he saves her from a molester, the adorable Rinko Yamato ends up falling for Takeo. Even though he feels the same way, Takeo cannot accept that a girl like Rinko would fall for someone like him, so the teenager pushes her onto his best friend, Sunakawa.

Endearing is the ideal way to describe Madhouse's romcom. Rinko and Takeo's relationship manages to simultaneously be romanticized and realistic. Spearheaded by a hilarious protagonist, Ore Monogatari!! is dreamy and heartwarming!

Time to talk about a classic! Similarly to Ghost in the Shell and Akira, Perfect Blue's influence far exceeds anime, with Darren Aronofsky practically remaking one of the scenes for 2002's Requiem for a Dream. Directed by Satoshi Kon, this dark drama tells the story of a J-Pop idol who leaves her popular group to try and go solo.

Tackling themes like mental illness, stalking, and jealousy, Perfect Blue's Mima Kirigoe starts off as a hopeful aspiring actress yearning to establish a new public persona away from the idol scene. Landing a role in a crime drama, the young celebrity initially experiences some success, before a taxing schedule and an obsessive fan begin to chip away at Kirigoe's psyche.

Perfect Blue is an uncomfortable and haunting experience, one that is sure to leave a lasting impression on a large portion of viewers. Despite the film recently celebrating its 20-year anniversary, Madhouse's art style has aged like a glass of fine wine.

When discussing Madhouse's output, more often than not, the art overshadows the story or characters. The studio's absolute greatest projects incorporate the best of both worlds and Nana nearly falls into this category. Based on Ali Yazawa's fantastic manga, Madhouse's anime is a slice of life series about an unlikely friendship between two women with similar backgrounds but vastly different goals.

Sharing the same given name, Nana Komatsu and Nana Osaki hop aboard the same train heading for Tokyo. While both of them grew up in rural areas, Komatsu is a submissive and naive 20-year-old who left her hometown to pursue her boyfriend. On the other hand, Osaki is the former vocalist of a successful punk rock band driven by a desire for independence. With destiny seemingly pushing these women together, Osaki and Komatsu end up living together.

Nana is a mishmash of familiar parts that are expertly intertwined to create a truly unique experience. While the visuals are just decent, at least by Madhouse's high standards, the anime works due to its presentation of realistic characters and situations. From unbridled joy to crushing sadness, Nana covers a gamut of human emotions.

Whether watching a raunchy comedy or a dark thriller, people depend on anime as a source of entertainment. The medium serves as an escape from our harsh realities, allowing viewers to visit mysterious worlds or live vicariously through the story's protagonist. While this might be the case for a vast majority of content, certain series couldn't care less about entertaining their audience. No, they strive to evoke a more distinct reaction from their followers.

Rainbow: Nisha Rokubou no Shichinin is an unflinching look at the criminal justice system's harsh treatment of youngsters. While it does not claim to be based on historical events, Rainbow feels painfully real. Set in 1955, Mario Minakami joins five other teenage prisoners at the Shounan Special Reform School. Inspired by an older inmate named Rokurouta Sakuragi, the boys consistently have their resolve tested by the school's sadistic staff.

Rainbow's first episode launches with a disclaimer justifying the violent scenes that are about to be bestowed onto the viewer. Madhouse felt the need to prepare people for what they are about to witness and the anime more than lives up to its initial warning. Vicious and heartbreaking, Rainbow only improves with each passing episode!

As the director of 2012's Wolf Children and 2015's The Boy and the Beast, Mamoru Hosoda has been lauded as a modern visionary. Serving as the follow-up to the highly enjoyable The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, Summer Wars is a light-hearted sci-fi comedy set in cyberspace.

Accessible and convenient, the population has become dependent on the virtual world of OZ. Whether seeking to engage in a sport or partake in a shopping spree, people from all around the world can turn to this online haven to satisfy their needs. Working as an OZ moderator, Kenji Koiso accidentally dooms the planet after solving a simple riddle sent by an anonymous stranger and, aided by his friend Natsuki Shinohara, has to find a way to save the virtual and real worlds.

In less capable hands, Summer Wars could have been an instantly forgettable seasonal romp. Luckily, this 2009 film sees Madhouse and Hosoda at the top of their game! Whether referring to the scenes in OZ or the real world, Summer Wars' visuals are breathtaking and stylistic. With a thoroughly entertaining plot and a masterful score, Hosoda's anime is fun for the whole family!

With a story pitting Zombie Nazis against an organization of demon hunters, you know you are in for an insane ride! Split into 10 OVAs, Hellsing Ultimate laughs in the face of madness before proceeding to shot it with a bazooka. Unlike Gonzo's disappointing 13-episode adaptation, Madhouse smartly opted against taking the subject matter too seriously. Just to be clear, we are not implying the studio failed to bring its A-game, as Hellsing Ultimate is a treat for the senses!

As word spreads that a vampire is turning villagers into undead monsters, Hellsing sends its most powerful asset to deal with the problem. A bloodthirsty vampire armed with a handgun, Alucard enjoys killing his own kind and spends his days seeking an opponent capable of challenging him. Assisted by his new servant, Seras Victoria, Alucard is ready and willing to cut down anyone who stands in Hellsing's way.

In Hellsing Ultimate, there are no such things as heroes. Alucard is a deranged psychopath capable of giving anyone nightmares, yet he is fighting for the good guys. Gory and exploitative, Madhouse did not cut any corners while adapting Kouta Hirano's manga. Even though the focus is squarely on the action and horror elements, Hellsing Ultimate allows ample time to closely examine the cast's individual motives.

How does one even begin to accurately describe The Tatami Galaxy? Well, it is probably best to start from the beginning: Watashi is a third-year student disappointed with the choices he made throughout his college years. Desperate to take advantage of his youth, Watashi decides to ask out the aloof Akashi, but the boy chickens out at the very end. Suddenly, the teenager is sent spiraling through time back to his first day of college.

On paper, The Tatami Galaxy sounds like a relatively straight-forward romantic comedy with a sci-fi twist. Coming from the same director who created Ping Pong: The Animation and Netflix's Devilman Crybaby, Yojouhan Shinwa Taikei is anything but normal. Surreal and non-linear, Madhouse's anime asks the audience to question what they are watching. Every episode launches with Watashi heading out on a silly adventure to try and make the most out of his college life, but things never go to plan.

Introducing a wild array of quirky characters, who drop in and out of the plot at a moment's notice, Yojouhan Shinwa Taikei is a beautiful exploration of the human spirit. Striving for an ideal but impossible to achieve campus life, Watashi must embrace reality's unpredictability.

For anyone familiar with manga, Naoki Urasawa requires no introduction. A master of suspense and psychological drama, the author penned a couple of the best series of the last few decades. Arguably serving as Urasawa's crowning achievement, Monster is an engrossing tale of murder, guilt, and obsession.

A young but highly-regarded brain surgeon, Dr.Kenzou Tenma is on the fast track to medical superstardom. Lauded by his contemporaries and engaged to a beautiful fiancée, the doctor lives and dies by his ethical compass. One night, as he was already slated to operate on a young boy, Tenma disobeys a direct order to save the mayor's life. Abandoned by his colleagues and partner, the surgeon's life spirals out of control but, at the very least, he can find comfort in knowing that he did the right thing. Fast forward a couple of years, the boy Tenma saved grew up to be a terrifying psychopath who has developed an unhealthy obsession with the good doctor.

Feeling responsible for creating this monster, Tenma sets out on a journey to right the wrongs of his past. Regularly required to commit harsher and harsher acts, Monster questions how far someone should go before their actions are no longer justified.

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.