12 Great Popular Animation Companies in Japan

Japanese animations are enjoying mind-blowing success nowadays. They developed a distinctive visual style and conquered the whole world. As a cultural phenomenon, they have greatly influenced many key sectors such as fashion, music, and video games.

Because of this, we cannot deny its great impact across the world. So where does this great development and success of these anime come from? 

Behind the success of these quality Japanese works, apart from the source material of the manga and the stories emerging from the fertile imaginations of the authors, we have of course the anime animation studios and their creative teams.

Since then, the way individuals perceive animation has changed. But the ideas and the essence of what animation stood for and what it grasps today, push more and more companies to the production of quality work animated videos

We will therefore review the most appreciated and popular animation companies in Japan that contribute greatly to this rapid growth. Some of those Popular animation companies are:

Great Popular Animation Companies in Japan

1. A-1 Pictures
2. I.G Production
3. Bones Studio
4. Wit Studio
5. Ufotable
6. Madhouse
7. Mappa
8. Sunrise Studio
9. Kyoto Animation
10.  Studio Ghibli
11. Studio Pierrot
12.  Toei Animation  

A-1 Pictures           

A-1 Pictures Incorporation is a Japanese animation house in Tokyo. It was established as a subsidiary of Aniplex.

Originally established to oversee the production of only a few of Aniplex’s family-oriented series, the studio has since grown and expanded, involved in the production of a wide range of media and anime productions and other activities, which it has overseen.

Anime news: My Stepmom’s daughter is my ex will premiere this 6th of July

Production I.G

Production I.G is among the most popular anime companies as it produces both Japanese anime series and movies and is also a video game company.

The company’s name comes from the initials of the two founders: producer Mitsuhisa Ishikawa and character designer Takayuki Goto. Production I.G is proof that great anime can emerge from small animation studios.

Bones Studio

Bones Studio was born practically around the 2000s and yet interferes with the best animation studios. Popular animation companies in Japan stand out with their spectacular anime designs and that is what this structure does perfectly.

It was founded by three former employees from Sunrise, a popular anime studio. Following Sunrise’s production model, Bones’ founders divided the company into five smaller studios, including Studio A-E.

The studio took its first steps in 2001 by co-producing with Sunrise, Cowboy Bebop, the movie. Since then, the studio has had many successes. 

Here you can discover Popular Anime on Netflix UK right now

Wit Studio

Wit Studio is a Japanese anime production studio which originally was an in-house studio of Production I.G. and has been responsible for several anime such as Sengoku Basara, and Guilty Crown.

However, what hoists this structure among popular animation companies in Japan is the production of the first three seasons of Attack on Titans.

Ufotable

We can’t talk about top animation companies without mentioning Ufotable. It covers several business sectors, including anime production, light novel publishing and video game production.

The company’s name originates from a UFO-shaped table the founder came across, as he was devising the studio’s vision. He subsequently acquired the table and named the studio after it. The anime that gratifies them their place is the famous Demon Slayer. 

Madhouse

Spectacular anime such as Hunter x Hunter and Death Note were born from Madhouse, which undoubtedly explains why it got a great reputation among famous animation companies.

Founded by ex-employees of Mushi production, Madhouse primarily did contract work for other studios until the 1990s, when it achieved success independently. The anime animation studio then became and remained successful throughout the 2000s and 2010s

Studio MAPPA

MAPPA Co, Ltd. is a Japanese animation studio founded by the former founder of Madhouse, Masao Maruyama. MAPPA stands for “Maruyama Animation Produce Project Association”.

In April 2016, Maruyama resigned as CEO and founded a new studio, Studio M26. Producer Manabu Otsuka thus became the new CEO of the company.

Mappa is a good example of anime film company that can also produce excellent anime series as they produced Jujutsu Kaisen 0 as a movie and Jujutsu Kaisen, the anime series.

Sunrise Studio

Most popular animation studios in Japan have been greatly influenced by Sunrise through their epic creations! Founded by former staff members of Mushi Production in 1972, Sunrise Studio has a vast library of anime shows and movies.

In 1994, the toy company Bandai Namco bought the studio and therefore made Sunrise one of its subsidiaries. Its old name was Nippon Sunrise and, after that, Sunrise Studio. Despite the age of this stable, it is up to date, one of the anime studios with the best animation.

Kyoto Animation

Kyoto Animation is one of the rare Japanese good animation studios not based in Tokyo. Created by a woman, Yōko Hatta, a former employee of Mushi Production, the studio was for some time a little less known because it was for a long time confined to subcontracting work or co-productions with other studios and only started producing his own work in 2003.

Kyoto Animation also produces, edits and publishes novels, manga and original books and has its own professional training school for animators. The studio is also sadly remembered for having been the target in 2019 of a terrible arson attack responsible for the death of 36 of its employees.

Despite the terrible incident, it remains one of the popular anime studios. 

Studio Ghibli

Studio Ghibli Inc. is a Japanese animation studio that produces animated feature films and short films, as well as, to a lesser extent, television films, series and video games. It is best known as an anime film company.

The studio is also known for its strict “no-edits” policy in licensing its films abroad. In October 2001, the Studio Ghibli Academy Museum opened in Mitaka, Tokyo. Some popular streaming sites have acquired streaming rights from Studio Ghibli such as HBO Max, Netflix or Crunchyroll. So you could popular film from Studio Ghibli on Crunchyroll

Some Studio Ghibli Crunchyroll anime you can stream are Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, Ponyo, and The Secret World of Arrietty. Equally, you can stream on Crunchyroll Studio Ghibli films such as Howl’s Moving Castle, When Marnie Was There, The Cat Return, Whisper of the Heart, The Ocean Waves

Studio Pierrot

Big animation studios such as Studio Pierrot, are no longer to be presented. They make us dream so much through must-see anime. We can cite in particular the Naruto series or the successful Tokyo Ghoul.

Studio Pierrot is a Japanese anime movie company and series studio. Its name, Pierrot, comes from the Japanese, Piero, which means Clown.

We don’t have much to say about this production house other than the fact that it is our second-best anime production studio. The studio also worked in co-production with France to produce the first season of Les Mystérieuses Cités d’Or.

Toei Animation

We have seen throughout the article, a list of the best anime production companies and the world’s best animation studio is without a doubt, Toei Animation. It has created a large number of television series and movies and has adapted Japanese comics as animated series, many of which are popular around the world.

The studio is best known for its incredible productivity and especially for its feature films, as well as its television series adapted from successful manga published in magazines like the iconic Shōnen Jump.

American entertainment companies like Funimation Studios is also a great follower of Toei animation as they broadcast some of their content like Dragon Ball Z, and One Piece. So there is no doubt that it should appear in one of the popular animation Companies in Japan.

So these are the top popular animation companies in Japan. According to you, which of these is the anime studio with the best animations in Japan? And which of these anime is your favorite?

Get more from Manganime Tradnow:

• Anime Comparison: Dragon Ball Kai vs Dragon Ball Z
• 30 Must-Read Manhwa For Anyone
• 15 Easy Anime Songs to Learn on Piano
• Top Best Female Voice Actresses in Japan
• Top 10 Tokyo Revengers Characters Reviewed
• 12 Great Anime About Motorcycles
• Visiting the Ekom-Nkam Waterfall Cameroon
• Mob Psycho 100 Season 3 Release Date
• Is Mix Manga a sequel to Touch
• The Ultimate Guide to the Top Manga Stores in the World
• Top Platinum End Angels and Their Levels

Don’t you want to miss any cool events or tips about anime art, anime, webtoon and manga? Then sign up for our newsletter for the latest updates from Manganime Tradnow below 👇