Founded in 1975 by former employees from Bandai Namco Filmworks(aka Sunrise), Studio Deen is one of the old hands in the anime industry. These days they are generally outshone by newer studios like BONES,MAPPA, and Kyoto Animation, who are responsible for some of anime’s most iconic series.
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Some of their best known work has been adaptations of the legendary Rumiko Takahashi’s manga, including Inuyasha, which some of Deen’s staff were involved in before the studio was founded. Deen is still quite active today, and even has some recent hits. No matter the decade though, these are some of the strongest productions the studio has been responsible for.
8Fate/StayNight
At this point, theFateseries has become one of the biggest media properties around, with tons of movies, shows, games etc. This all had to start somewhere though, and that was with the originalFate/Stay Nightvisual novel, which was first adapted into an anime by Deen.
Deen’s original run withFatehas been somewhat outshined by the later adaptation by Ufotable, but is still a quality series. Not to mention, it helped to get theFatefranchise rolling in the first place.
7Sakamoto Desu Ga (Didn’t you know? I’m Sakamoto)
Sakamoto Desu Gais one of Deen’s newer works, which was first released in 2016 and went viral online for a while for its well executed gags. The titular Sakamoto is an impossibly perfect high school boy, able to turn any instance of misfortune into a glamorous, graceful moment for himself.
The comedy of the series relies entirely on Sakamoto’s antics, which are so beautiful that even bullies and teachers that have it out for him can’t help but admire him. It’s a very well animated show with great comedic timing, but can get old over time.
6Fruits Basket
Fruits Basketis one of the more iconic anime of the early 2000s, when Deen arguably had their best reputation in the anime community. The plot follows a young girl, who after losing her family, finds herself living withthe Sohma family, who have the mysterious ability to turn into animals of the Chinese zodiac.
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While it’s a classic anime in the shoujo genre,Fruits Basketdoes leave a bit to be desired. The zodiac element doesn’t end up being as relevant as one might expect, and the show’s antics can get somewhat repetitive.
5Higurashi no Naku Koro ni (Higurashi When They Cry)
When Keiichi Maebara moves to the village of Hinamizawa, everything goes well at first. He makes new friends, and even gains some potential love interests. However, there’s something wrong with the town, and he finds out that the village suffers from an apparent curse.
Higurashi’s fairly cutesy art style helps the show hide the gore and suffering that really lies beneath the surface. The cast are easy to get attached to, which only makes everything that happens to them hit harder. This anime is truly a classic horror anime.
4Urusei Yatsura
Rumiko Takahashi is one of the most legendary mangaka in the industry, and has been active since the release ofKatte na Yatsurain 1978.Urusei Yatsurawas the first of her many stories to receive the anime treatment, and Deen helped produce its original run.
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The series is a classic of the harem genre that sees the princess of an invading alien force fall in love and accidentally get engaged to a human, much to the chagrin of his girlfriend. It’s a light, fun slice of life series, which has had a lasting impact in the anime world.
3Ranma ½
Speaking of classic anime romcoms,Ranma 1/2is easily one of the most iconic stories in the genre. Due to a curse he and his father receive on a training quest, when Ranma enters cold water, he gets turned into a girl. While sex swaps are a fairly common plot, the show manages to make its own.
Despite his predicament, Ranma still gets engaged to the man-hating Akane by his dad. This results in an unfolding series of hijinks, often involving Ranma’s sex swapping and ‘monster of the week’ style martial artists with more and more ridiculous fighting styles.
2KonoSuba
Isekai anime are a dime a dozen these days, with a new slew being released every anime season.KonoSubahowever, manages to rise through the muck through its strong, genuinely hilarious parodying of the genre.
When Kazuma gets the typical Isekai reincarnation, instead of a life of success and praise, he ends up dirt poor, forced to work with 3 women so eccentric that nobody else will team up with them. While they never stop harping on each other’s flaws,this group’s antics are consistently funny, through several anime seasons and movies.
1Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju
Of all the performing arts the human race has birthed, Rakugo is easily one of the most niche. It’s specifically a Japanese art that tasks the performer with telling an engrossing story using only their body, voice, and a couple of props, all while sitting on an otherwise empty stage.
While new stories likeAkane Banashiare attempting to present their own takes on Rakugo,Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuis easily the current best Rakugo anime, as it is able to show off the appeal of the artform while also telling a compelling story of it’s own.
