As with movies or TV shows, you look to the staff to provide some sort of starting point in your search, and anime is no different. Studios are sets of the people who directly influence what kind of show an anime is and chances are that two shows that a studio has worked on will share a lot of the same quirks and style.
My intention is to start a series of threads, each highlighting a different studio. Obviously, it'll be from my point of view with points of interest drawn from what I've watched. Luckily, I think I tend to watch a fairly wide spectrum of stuff, so there'll be something for everyone. Hopefully, it'll be educational and you'll be able to use it as a starting point to search for more shows and be a bit more adventurous in your animu viewing.
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We begin with what should be a familiar name around here.
Started just before the 2000s by a couple of ex-Sunrise folk, BONES has risen to prominence with a fairly respectable body of works. They're known for their extremely fluid and consistent animation and their generally vivid choice of colour palette.
「約束の日」 by 「なーこ」
Yeah, it's these two guys. BONES' most popular shows are probably the two Fullmetal Alchemist anime adaptations. In spite of the fact that the story deviated from the manga, the first show, which aired in 2004, still remains one of the most popular. Though much of its popularity is because of Hiromu Arakawa's great writing, BONES gets credit for the impressive animation, particularly during fights.
「いっしょにいこう」 by 「aile」
Not too long after, in 2005, they went on to create what is arguably their most impressive work, Psalms of Planets: Eureka seveN. What we have is an excellent romance story combined with an excellent mecha show. This is also the show that made BONES famous for the holding hands, falling down the sky scene, as well as incredible aerial combat.
「全員集合！」 by 「アイカ」
In a turn away from the sort of sci-fi stuff they'd been doing, in 2006, BONES went on to adapt Ouran High School Host Club, a shoujo manga that parodies established shoujo tropes and cliches. They did an excellent job in adapting this one, even though it's unlike anything they'd done before. It's on my list of things I wish would get a second season.
「黒」 by 「日本円」
Darker than BLACK is another original series, which follows a group of seedy superhumans. Again, their animation prowess is on display, what with stuff like Hei swinging around everywhere and various other Contractors duking it out. The first season is also interesting because of its episodic nature.
「亡念のザムド」 by 「gock」
Xam'd Lost Memories is another original show, and this time, it's one that draws heavy inspiration from Eureka Seven. Though it was doomed to very little exposure by PSN exclusivity and it seemed handicapped by a shorter run, it's still a very solid show. Again, the impressive visuals and production make their mark.
「マカ」 by 「Dhiea」
Soul Eater is a shounen action show that some may accuse of being another Bleach. It's far more interesting and dynamic than Bleach and it sets on its own course pretty quickly. The style was an excellent match for BONES and that OP is an extremely impressive one in terms of quality and setting the mood for the show. One downside is the original ending, which likely stops any hope for a second season.
Hopefully, that gives you a taste of what they've done. Obviously, their full list of works is about twice as long, with stuff ranging from the excellent Sword of the Stranger, a samurai movie, to Tokyo Magnitude 8.0, which examines what happens if an 8.0 earthquake were to ever hit Tokyo. Evidently, they're big on action, but that's not all they do. They're a fairly accomplished studio and I'm sure that you can spend a fair amount of time exploring their older works.
However I did like Shannon and Raquel, and Leo. Oh, and Chris. Really, most of the characters were pretty strong.
