1. Ghost in the Shell
In the far future, where cybernetic enhancements are commonly used, a hacker named “The Puppetmaster” has taken over people’s bodies and inserted fake memories to trick them into committing crimes. Big Motoko Kusanagi, a cyborg chief of Public Security Section 9, is responsible for tracking down “The Puppetmaster” and taking him to justice. Of course, things are never what they appear, and the existence of “The Puppetmaster” will bring Motoko to crucial questions concerning his own personality. Frequent Development I.G partner Mamoru Oshii took the Ghost to life in the Shell Manga with an interpretation that would affect the anime and the movies for years to come. Ghost in the Shell offers audiences amazing fun, but they’re never afraid to take a step back to allow audiences a moment to simply focus on their environment to participate in a metaphysical conversation on the essence of their personality. Somehow, for the passing year and the evolution of technology.
2. Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion
The original TV series ‘Neon Genesis Evangelion’ ended quite suddenly. After the complaints of the fans, a film entitled ‘Neon Genesis Evangelion: The Death of the Religion’ was released to put the anime to a satisfactory conclusion. For a moment, the mecha series was held in high esteem by viewers, but because of its terrible conclusion, the series started to attract disdain from audiences. This is when a 45-minute film recovers its stature as a masterpiece by merging classic mecha wars with its emotional and psychological plot. If you haven’t seen the entire series yet, now will be the perfect time to stream it on Netflix because it’s about to go viral all over again.
3. Ace of Diamond
Ace of Diamon Eijun Sawamura’s middle school baseball career may not have been a success, but he always had a lot of fun with his teammates. They’re hoping to do well as they reach high school, but Eijun is being scouted by a prestigious private high school to join their baseball team due to his unusual pitching style. With the help of his old teammates, Eijun set out to join Seidou High School and become a team hero. It’s not going to be an easy journey, three more first-string pitchers each have the title of an ace in mind, and none of them can give up on their targets. A mediocre high school experience, a rare talent that makes up for mediocre weaknesses, a competitor at every corner, and an unprecedented drive to be the best? Ace of Diamond covers the whole athletic shonen checklist and does it well. Development I.G has perfected the craft of sports animation, and Ace of Diamond follows fellow Development I.G accomplishments such as Kuroko’s Basketball and Haikyu!!.
4. Eden of the East
No fewer than ten missiles reached Japan on 22 November 2010. Although no one was obviously injured, this occurrence was quickly forgotten (although the date has since been called “Careless Monday”). Three months later, a young woman named Saki Morimi is in trouble with the Washington DC police, only to be rescued by a mystery man named Akira Takizawa. The only hints to his identity are a pistol, a cell phone, and an 8.2 billion yen of digital money credit. It may or may not be linked to the “Careless Monday” incident. With director Kenji Kamiyama (Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex) and character designer Chika Umino (Honey and Clover) at the helm, this is considered one of the finest animes in 2009. In reality, it received a large number of awards. Of course, Production I.G made three films — The King of Eden, Paradise Lost, and Air Communication — plus one music video called “Falling Down” based on this series.
5. Guilty Crown
‘Guilty Crown’ has a plot that encompasses so many topics at once, so it might not be as good a performance as ‘Ghost in the Jar.’ But the animation is much better than most of Development I.G ‘s work. From the detailing of the characters to the beautiful colors of the environments, everything in the anime has been perfectly planned. And interestingly, even the CGI is way stronger than any of the anime shows out there. Directed by Tetsuro Araki, famous for his role in ‘Death Note,’ this show is worth checking out.
6. Blood-C
Saya Kisaragi is an average high school girl by day, and a beast killer named the Elder Bairns by night. As time progresses, though, she realizes that there’s something wrong about the creatures or the town she’s living in. As the fourth installment of the Blood franchise, this was one of the most talked-about anime for Summer 2011. The prototypes of the characters were characteristic of CLAMP (with which Development I.G collaborated), although the incredibly smooth animation was something one would expect from the studio. If you’re hunting for compelling graphics, and you’re not screaming over action and blood, give this one a shot.
7. FLCL
Naota Nandaba’s everyday life becomes anything but usual when Haruko Haruhara, a mystery girl who wields a guitar as a shield, runs him over with her Vespa. Up to that point, Naota had nothing more to do than look after his brother’s bed and Mamimi Samejima, his brother’s girlfriend, after he left Japan to play baseball in America. Ever since then, Mamimi has been clinging inappropriately to Naota and has remained a handful all on her own. After his fateful run-in with Haruko, a horn emerges on his forehead and transforms into a robot, from there on, it is obvious that Naota’s life can never revert to its original worldliness, and that Mamimi will be the least of his worries. This short OVA has split its audiences for a long time because of its unique story and craft. The plot is not straightforward, and the story is zany and wild, whilst the visual style may become surreal and experiential. There’s a bit of slapstick comedy at the root of a lot of symbolism and images to dig through in the FLCL.
8. Welcome to the Ballroom
Tatara Fujita is an introverted middle school student with no sport or practice that is especially good at. One day, when he was extorted from money by bullies, a competitive ballroom dancer named Kaname Sengoku rescued him. He is persuaded to take a few lessons at Sengoku’s dance studio, and after falling in love with Kiyoharu Hyoudou ‘s dance classmate, he continues to try a successful career and find his own passion for ballroom dance. Welcome to the Ballroom can be deemed a crowning accomplishment for Production I.G. They outdo themselves by making ballroom dance into the most competitive activity you’ll ever encounter, and maybe even persuade you to try it yourself. Welcome to the Ballroom is an amazingly beautiful film, and you’re going to have a hard time avoiding cheering Tatara as he finds his own love in life and overcomes the challenges that eventually come his way.
9. Bunny Drop
Daikichi Kawachi’s grandfather had just passed away, and his last present to his family was an illegitimate child named Rin Kaga. Unfortunately, during the funeral, it becomes clear that no one in the family desires Rin, so Daikichi, working but aimless in life, agrees to take Rin in. He’s never raised a child before, and that’s going to interrupt his otherwise mundane life, but Daikichi is going to flourish more than ever before as he reaches fatherhood. Bunny Drop is a heart-warming slice of life that stands in stark contrast to anything else on this page. It still tests artistically to the norm of Production I.G, but it does away with movement, speed, and psychological and metaphysical problems for a simple, warm story of a father and his adopted daughter trying to explore the world together. Bunny Drop may not have you perched on the edge of your seat, but it’s a fast series with just 11 episodes, well-written characters, and a plot that’s new.
10. Blue Spring Ride
“Cuteness is a burden.” This is what Futaba Yoshioka discovers the hard way, as girl peers have ostracised her when she looks at junior high. As a result, she’s striving to act as “unladylike” as possible in high school to avoid being harassed again. Unfortunately (or fortunately?) for her, it turns out that Kou Tanaka — the boy she liked in junior high school — also attends the same high school as she does. Changing his name to Kou Mabuchi, Tanaka-Kun tells Futaba that he returned her feelings back then, but things aren’t exactly the same as they used to be. Don’t let the usual “will or won’t?” premise deceive you. It’s a show rich in both style and substance, with a great development of character and realistic depictions of human relationships (romantic or otherwise). Of course, Development I.G hits it out of the park with the way they create an environment that blends well into the themes of this program. If you love Shoujo, you’re going to love this one.
11. Psycho-Pass
What if in a fraction of a second you can assess someone’s attitude, state of mind, emotions, and even desires? That’s a pretty useful law enforcement capability, around which Psycho-Pass’ plot circles. Penned by Gen Urobuchi (Fate / Zero, Black Lagoon, Puella Magi Madoka Magica), this is a story that is hard to describe in its entirety without giving away big spoilers. Everything we can conclude is that it can make you doubt human psychology and morals like never before. It also continued to pull in decent DVD and Blu-ray sales, and also to be nominated for the Seiun Award (Best Science Fiction). And if 22 episodes are not enough for you, check out Season Two and the movie, courtesy of Production I.G.
12. Haikyu!!
Haikyu! It’s the story of Shouyou Hinata, a child who’s incredibly excited about volleyball. He enjoys it so much that he managed to get his club all the way to a daily middle-school play, only to get Tobio Kageyama a.k.a. “King of the Game.” To get back to Tobio, Shouyou signs up with the Karasuno High School Volleyball Team to get better. Coincidentally, Tobio signed up for the same thing. Along with the Open! Haikyuu, man! The North American fans rekindled their interest in sports anime. The second season will also be released in October 2015, while the second film (Shousha to Haisha) will be released in September 2015. You can also find out the 2014 Hop Festa Special as well as the Owari no Hajimari recap movie — all of which I.G Production manages.
13. Sengoku Basara: Samurai Kings
Based on the Capcom video game series of the same name, Sengoku Basara is loosely based on events that took place during the Japan Warring States Period. At the time, the nation was divided into many provinces, governed by daimyos such as Masamune Date, Shingen Takeda, Kenshin Uesugi, Ieyasu Tokugawa, and several others. When the tyrannical “Sixth Celestial Devil King,” Nobunaga Oda, tries to put the whole country under his influence, the other daimyos form an alliance to stop him. While it’s by no means the most historically accurate show, it’s still fun to watch. In reality, the anime was so popular that Capcom tried to bring the third title, Sengoku Basara: Samurai Heroes, back to the US and Europe. The show has spawned many spin-offs produced by Production I.G: the second season, the movie “The Last Party” and three specials.
