When you see the name Bones attached to an anime, you can expect one thing: quality. The material they are given to adapt and the care put into the adaptation itself has led studio Bones to produce some of the most popular and acclaimed anime of the last two decades. Here I will present what I believe to be the best anime produced by studio Bones
10. Soul Eater
In Death City lives Soul Eater, who despite looking like a normal boy, is a “Demon Scythe”, meaning that he can transform into a deadly weapon at will. Accompanied by his “Wielder” Maka, he attends the Death Weapon Meister Academy, where he trains to become a powerful weapon. His goal is to defeat 99 enemies, consume their souls and thus become a “Death Scythe”. Soul Eater, being the adaptation of a cult battle shounen manga, will entertain every fan of the genre with its loveable cast, fun adventures filled with fights, and especially its unique aesthetic and amazing animation.
9. Noragami
Yato is a minor God without real power, who wanders around Tokyo granting little wishes to the people who call him in order to one day become a famous God with many followers. His companions are Hiyori, a girl whose soul started frequently dissociating from her body after Yato saved her from a near-fatal car accident, and Yukine, Yato’s weapon, who can take the form of a rebellious teenager. Together they grant wishes to the people who call Yato, and get themselves involved in supernatural situations involving other Gods. This anime’s straightforward story is nonetheless very entertaining thanks its high quality visuals, typical of Bones
8.Kekkai Sensen
When a portal to another dimension opens in the middle of New York, hundreds of supernatural creatures arrive in the city. Worse, an undestroyable bubble that englobes the city traps humans and monsters, forcing them to live together. To ensure that peace prevails in this chaotic environment, Libra, an organization that regroups many powerful humans and monsters, is tasked with keeping the order in the city. This is the tale of Leonardio, who unintentionally received the “All-seeing Eyes of the Gods”, a powerful ability, in exchange for the eye of his sister. He will join Libra, wanting to learn more about his mysterious power and about how to get back his sister’s eye. This fast paced anime fills you with energy and drags you into it’s chaotic world. The whacky characters with their cool designs are very entertaining.
7. Darker Than Black
As the same time as “Heaven’s Gates”, strange zones where the laws of physics don’t apply anymore, appear all around the globe, a new type of human, the “contractors”are created. These contractor exchange their humanity against superhuman abilities, and are used to accomplish missions for states and criminal organizations. This is the story of Hei, a contractor for the mysterious organization “The Syndicate”, who along with his partner Yin uncovers a conspiracy led by the syndicate to erase the existence of contractors. This anime is a dark supernatural thriller, with complex plot-lines and a tense atmosphere.
6. My Hero Academia
In a world where 80% of the population is born with an unique ability, a “quirk”, Deku is one of the few boys who haven’t been given one. Still, his dream is to join the prestigious U.A. school and to become a superhero to fight crime like his idol All Might, the most powerful hero in Japan. His life changes when All Might recognizes his potential and gives him the One For All, a powerful even if difficult to control quirk, than can be transmitted from user to user. Thanks to this quirk and a merciless training, Deku will be able to pass the entrance exam to U.A. and begin his journey as a hero, even if his path will be filled with difficulties. With a rather charming even if very classic story, the new big shounen has gained popularity thanks to it’s flawless adaptation, that makes for entertaining episodes and very consistent visuals
5. Ouran Highschool Host Club
In the prestigious Ouran high school, the host club is where a few eccentric and charming rich boys gather to entertain and to keep company to the female students. When Haruhi Fujioka, a reserved and hard-working girl, stumbles in the club room and accidentally breaks an expensive vase, the members decide to make her work for the club to repay her debt. She now has to disguise as a boy and to participate in the eccentric activities of the club. Even if studio Bones is most famous for it’s high-profile shounen adaptations, one of it’s most beloved works is in fact a shoujou comedy. It’s strange cast makes and over-the-top situation make it an hilarious watch, with bits and pieces of heartwarming romance.
4. Space Dandy
“Space Dandy is about a dandy in space”. Dandy travels from planet to planet, along with his companions the sarcastic and lazy Meow and a talking vacuum robot, earning money by looking for unregistered life forms and bringing a specimen to the Galactic Classification Center. During his travels, he always gets involved in weird and chaotic situations, ranging from surviving a zombie apocalypse to becoming a galactic rock-star. Directed by Shinichiro Watanabe, the creator of Cowboy Bebop, Space Dandy features some of the best animation in anime ever. Its whacky episodic adventures make it a very fun watch, with an unique style.
3. Eureka Seven
Renton, a young boy that usually spends his time wind-surfing around the backwater town where his grandfather raised him, sees his life changing when he meets a mysterious girl named Eureka, a member of the resistance group GekkoState, who fights against the military government. After helping with reparations on the GekkoState spaceship, Renton is invited to join the crew, an opportunity he had dreamt of all his life. Eureka 7 is a great gateway for Mecha anime. It has a formidable cast, Renton and his character development are particularly remarkable, and some the GekkoState crew-members are among my favorite secondary characters. Eureka Seven always feels fresh, thanks to its cool aesthetic that incorporates elements of many different countercultures, and thanks to its always exciting story.
2. Mob Psycho
Mob was born with extremely powerful psychic abilities, but he quickly understood how dangerous these abilities could be, and decided to never use them for his own interest. Even as he grows up to be a shy and reserved teenager, he still fears that his emotions could take over and cause him to cause a disaster. That’s why he asks Reigen, a self-proclaimed esper, to help him to control his powers. As Reigen, who is in fact nothing else than a charismatic crook, makes Mob help him in his various contracts, both of them will encounter different supernatural situations. Created by One, the author of One Punch Man, this anime also takes an original angle to battle shounen. Our shy protagonist is very loveable, and watching him grow as a person with the help of Reigen is a pleasure. The unique art style, coupled with often incredible animation, make this anime a must-watch.
1. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
When they were young, Edward and Alphonse Elric used an alchemic ritual to try and bring their mother back to life. However, the ritual failed, causing Edward to lose his right arm and Alphonse to lose his entire body and forcing his soul to take possession of an armor, now his new body. Years later, after becoming powerful alchemists, the two brothers are now traveling across the country in order to find the Philosophical Stone, an artifact that would allow them to get Alphonse’s body back. During their journey, they will encounter many enemies, and discover a conspiracy that threatens the whole country. Watching Fullmetal Alchemist feels like an epic journey, in its intricate fantasy world with its memorable characters. It’s masterful story and flawless adaptation has led it to be widely considered like one of the best anime of all times.
Honorable mentions:
- Cowboy Bebop: The Movie,
- Rahxephon.
- Akagami No Shirayuki Hime.
- Sword Of The Stranger
I will have to check some of these out, thanks