It’s impossible to escape the monolithic shadow of Studio MAPPA when looking at today’s anime landscape. For a majority of fans, the name is synonymous with a specific flavor of modern blockbuster. MAPPA has quickly become the undisputed king of high-stakes hype machines, a reputation cemented by the cultural juggernaut of Jujutsu Kaisen. In the wake of the series’ explosive season 3 and the success of Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc, MAPPA is now celebrating 15 years of incredible anime.
Founded in 2011 by Madhouse co-founder and industry rebel Masao Maruyama, the studio was originally envisioned as an artistic sanctuary. Long before it was trusted to helm storied projects like Attack on Titan and Vinland Saga, MAPPA was built as a boutique haven where legendary directors could escape the shackles of corporate production committees and build personal passion projects that nobody else would fund. Over the years, that indie-darling DNA has collided with its rapid ascension in the industry, creating a unique identity that balances mainstream domination with a lingering desire to swing for the fences.
To truly appreciate MAPPA’s place in anime, you have to look past the Cursed Energy. When you strip away its flagship projects, what’s left is a stunningly diverse lineup of historical dramas, subversive idol parodies, and bizarre passion projects that were once deemed unadaptable. From its very first jazz-infused steps to its most recent love letter to the grueling art of animation, here are the 11 best MAPPA anime that prove there’s more to the studio’s soul than blockbuster adaptations.
1
Maboroshi (2023)
Few projects embody MAPPA’s willingness to swing for the fences quite like Mari Okada’s Maboroshi, otherwise known as “Alice and Therese’s Illusory Factory.” The film centers on a Japanese town, Mifuse, frozen in time after a mysterious industrial disaster in the winter of 1991, causing children to remain the same age forever, new births to cease, and strange cracks to form in the sky whenever someone drifts emotionally.
Okada uses its strange, supernatural premise to highlight the fear of change in both adolescence and times of grief. While it didn’t achieve the mainstream success of the studio’s biggest franchises, Maboroshi still stands as one of MAPPA’s most ambitious original films. It’s a reminder of the auteur-driven storytelling that helped define the studio’s earliest years, even as it became synonymous with blockbuster adaptations like Jujutsu Kaisen and Chainsaw Man.
2
Dororo (2019)
Based on the manga by legendary creator Osamu Tezuka, Dororo is a rare remake in MAPPA’s catalog that deserves praise for its stylized swordfights and thumping soundtrack. The adaptation balances brutal action with surprisingly emotional character work, transforming a decades-old story into one of the best anime of 2019.
Hyakkimaru, a young swordsman whose body parts were sacrificed to demons before birth, wages a revenge quest to reclaim his missing limbs and senses despite the odds stacked against him. The remake was helmed by industry veteran Kazuhiro Furuhashi, director of hits like Hunter x Hunter, Rurouni Kenshin, and Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn. Dororo helped establish MAPPA as a studio capable of modernizing beloved properties without losing sight of what made them special in the first place.
3
Terror in Resonance (2014)
Just a few years after its founding, MAPPA landed one of the anime industry’s biggest names in Shinichiro Watanabe, the mastermind behind classics like Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo. Watanabe’s close relationship with MAPPA’s founder, Maruyama, led him to pitch an original anime film inspired by the political intrigue of 1979’s The Man Who Stole the Sun and the atmospheric sound of Icelandic post-rock band Sigur Rós.
While it eventually evolved into a TV show, Terror in Resonance fortunately was produced despite immense financial roadblocks, taking nearly five years to come to fruition. The 11-episode series tracks two teenage terrorists who challenge authorities through a series of cryptic attacks across Tokyo. Although the narrative remains divisive, it showcased the kind of prestige projects MAPPA hoped to champion in its formative years. Between Watanabe’s direction, a score by Yoko Kanno, and striking visual design, Terror in Resonance remains one of the clearest examples of MAPPA’s early artistic ambitions.
4
Zombieland Saga (2018)
Equal parts parody and heartfelt character drama, Zombieland Saga follows a group of resurrected girls tasked with saving Japan’s Saga Prefecture through pop music. The premise may sound ridiculous, but few expected an anime about zombie idols to become one of the medium’s biggest surprise hits.
While MAPPA is often associated with darker dramas and blockbuster action series, Zombieland Saga proved the studio could thrive just as easily in comedy. It’s a goofy, lighthearted series that demands attention with its unique premise and setting, blending horror with comedy in an intriguing way.
5
Zenshu (2025)
One of MAPPA’s newest originals doubles as a celebration of the anime industry itself. Zenshu follows an exhausted animator, Natsuko Hirose, who finds herself transported into the world of a beloved animated film, creating a story that doubles as a love letter to the production of anime itself.
The title of the anime is quite fitting. Zenshu (全修) translates to “Fix All” or “Complete Revision,” an industry term used when a director has to completely overhaul an animation sequence. While it may not command the same attention as MAPPA’s biggest hits, Zenshu feels uniquely representative of MAPPA’s identity. Created by Mitsue Yamazaki and Kimiko Ueno, the 12-episode series reflects the studio’s strengths, frustrations, and enduring passion for animation while reminding viewers why so many creators dedicate their lives to the medium.
6
Inuyashiki: Last Hero (2017)
Before directing Dorohedoro, Shuhei Yabuta helmed one of the decade’s most underrated science-fiction anime at MAPPA in Inuyashiki. The anime adapts Hiroya Oku’s manga of the same name, which follows an elderly man who gains extraordinary powers after a mysterious accident, forcing him into conflict with another, much younger recipient who uses those same abilities for horrific ends.
The series walks a fascinating line between superhero epic and existential drama, tackling concepts like mortality and human connection in ways little anime dare to. Inuyashiki is still one of the studio’s boldest and most emotionally affecting works nearly a decade later.
7
Banana Fish (2018)
Adapting a beloved manga like Banana Fish is no mean feat, but the wizards at MAPPA know just how to make a modernized take on Akimi Yoshida’s crime drama unforgettable. The series follows gang leader Ash Lynx and photographer Eiji Okumura as they unravel a deadly conspiracy, blending action, tragedy, and romance into one of the most emotionally devastating anime of the decade. Banana Fish showcased MAPPA’s talent for character-driven storytelling and helped introduce a new generation of viewers to one of manga’s most celebrated classics.
8
Yuri on Ice (2016)
If one project transformed MAPPA forever, it was Yuri on Ice (stylized as Yuri!!! on Ice). The original figure-skating drama became a global phenomenon nearly overnight, drawing praise primarily for its depiction of relationships rarely seen in mainstream sports anime. More importantly, it made MAPPA a household name among anime fans worldwide and even earned praise from real-world figure skaters.
Years later, Yuri on Ice remains one of the defining anime of the 2010s and arguably the single most important television production in MAPPA history. The team brought in retired Japanese ice dancer Kenji Miyamoto to choreograph every single routine in the show, giving the series this raw edge of authenticity. The studio even recorded blades scraping the ice at different arenas, so every scrape and scratch feels authentic.
9
Dorohedoro (2019)
For nearly two decades, Q Hayashida’s Dorohedoro was considered impossible to adapt for its sketchy and grimy art style. The story is riddled with grotesque character designs and chaotic energy, set within what can only be described as a magical trash heap that largely felt like a pipe dream for those hoping for an adaptation until MAPPA came along.
The studio somehow cracked the code, capturing the manga’s bizarre blend of horror, dark comedy, and fantasy while embracing a distinctive visual identity unlike anything else in the studio’s catalog. MAPPA’s Dorohedoro adaptation feels messy in the best possible way. It remains one of the defining entries in the studio’s catalog, serving as a celebration of creative weirdness that demonstrates MAPPA’s willingness to take risks on unconventional material.
10
In This Corner of the World (2016)
MAPPA anime aren’t known to be tear-jerkers, but one of the studio’s earliest (and best) films is easily among the saddest movies I’ve ever seen, right up there alongside Grave of the Fireflies. Few anime films have captured the rhythms of everyday life with such grace and humanity; it’s like watching a painting in motion, bringing to life an incredibly heartbreaking yet enchanting story based on real-world events.
In This Corner of the World follows Suzu, a young woman navigating the hardships of wartime Japan while holding onto moments of joy wherever she can find them. The story tracks her life from the 1930s up into 1945, highlighting her falling into an arranged marriage with a young military clerk and moving into his home with his family in Kure at a tense time in Japan’s history. (Kure is located 15 miles away from Hiroshima, which is where Suzu and her family are from).
The result is a deeply moving portrait of resilience, community, and loss. Long before MAPPA became synonymous with blockbuster action series, In This Corner of the World demonstrated the studio’s ability to support truly exceptional filmmaking, which aptly led to critical acclaim in Japan and abroad. It’s a movie I recommend to everyone who enjoys anime, because it portrays a side of World War II rarely ever seen, yet one just as important as the rest.
