Madhouse Inc. was founded in 1972 by Masao Maruyama, Osamu Dezaki, Rintaro, and Yoshiaki Kawajiri, all of whom earlier served as animators for Mushi Productions. Along with studios like Bones and Mappa, Madhouse has emerged as one of the leading anime studios in modern-day Japan, with productions like Hunter X Hunter, One-Punch Man, and Death Note acquiring worldwide popularity.
Others, like Black Lagoon, Parasyte, and Monster might not have achieved the same amount of attention, but they are still regarded as cult classics. Hence, Madhouse has established its reputation not just for mainstream anime, but more unconventional ones too.
Black Lagoon (2006-2011)- 8
A highly stylish action-comedy from Madhouse, Black Lagoon ran for two seasons, documenting the fictional exploits of the Lagoon Company, a group of pirates who smuggle goods on Asian seas in the 1990s. The central protagonist Rock is an everyday man who gives up his day job to become a mercenary, joining the very pirates who abduct him, including fighters like Revy and Dutch.
Offering cinematic tributes to the filmography of directors like John Woo and Quentin Tarantino, Black Lagoon drew immense praise for its stylish action sequences, better handling of female characters like Revy, and a balance of dark comedy and violent action.
Hellsing Ultimate (2006-2012)- 8.3
A follow-up to Hellsing, Hellsing Ultimate is a miniseries that continues the adventures of the vampire-hunting Hellsing Organization. After the vampire Alucard joins forces with his master Sir Integra Hellsing, both engage in an all-out war against a former German SS Major who harbors his own dreams of world invasion with a vampire army.
The genre of vampire anime is drawing popularity even among Western audiences, thanks to Netflix productions like Castlevania (that concidentally also has a protagonist named Alucard). So, Hellsing Ultimate along with its prequel Hellsing: Dawn makes for an engaging watch for aficionados of vampire fiction.
Parasyte: The Maxim (2014-2015)- 8.3
Shinichi is a 17-year-old leading an ordinary life in Fukuyama until one night, parasitic aliens mentally control all inhabitants of the city. In the case of Shinichi, the parasite ends up traveling within his arm but fails to reach his brain. This causes both entities to lead a symbiotic relationship together while encountering other humans who are totally under the dominance of such parasites.
Parasyte is a twisted and hilarious story, as both the human and the parasite end up learning life lessons while the former questions the need for humans to dominate their environment and the latter picks up human emotions like love and dedication.
Nana (2006-2007)- 8.4
Nana's title refers to two eponymous girls who set out towards Tokyo to fulfill their dreams. While Nana Komatsu shifts to the big city to accompany her college peers and boyfriend, Nana Osaki is a punk-rocker who hopes to further her musical career. Their paths cross on a train to Tokyo and eventually, they end up being roommates. Their professional and romantic lives and their progress into adulthood form the remainder of the story.
Nana ran for 47 episodes and has spawned a cult fanbase despite not being as mainstream as other action and fantasy-based Madhouse productions.
The Tatami Galaxy (2010)- 8.5
The Tatami Galaxy is chiefly a college romance that finds a final-year student introspecting on romantic regrets and restarting his life. A chance encounter with the god of matrimony prompts him to live in different parallel realities (each set in a different university) as a freshman. Each scenario naturally leads to different results as he joins a different college club and finds the courage to express his love for the girl whom he could never ask out.
The anime relies on an introspective style to explore the notions of love and time travel within a concise length of 11 episodes.
Monster (2004-2005)- 8.6
Monster is yet another example of how Madhouse Studios can pack a tight-knit narrative within one season. Inspired by the manga of the same name, Monster is centered upon the Japanese surgeon known as Kenzo Tenma. As Tenma lives in Germany, one of his former patients, Johan Liebert, is revealed to be a serial killer. This revelation only puts the surgeon's life in further jeopardy, making him a police suspect in this process.
With thrilling cliffhangers and intensely dramatic characters, Monster is a must-watch for fans of psychological thrillers.
Fighting Spirit (2000-2002)- 8.7
Hajime no Ippo AKA Fighting Spirit is one of Japan's leading boxing-based animes. Makunouchi Ippo, the series protagonist, is introduced as a shy boy who is often bullied by his classmates. While being rescued by the boxer Takamura Mamoru, the high-school student seeks to change his life forever by walking in the same path as this unexpected mentor.
An uplifting take on the familiar sports drama formula, Fighting Spirit can also be seen as a reinterpretation of the highly-popular Shōnen subgenre of anime.
One-Punch Man (2015-)- 8.8
While anime series have often glorified superhuman characters, One-Punch Man belongs to the new-age subgenre that seeks to parody such superheroes. The titular character is Saitama, an increasingly strong being who can defeat his adversaries with just a punch. This extreme power makes his life monotonous and he rarely shows interest in increasing his popularity, unlike his other heroic peers.
Like the Bones studio anime My Hero Academia, One-Punch Man takes place in a world where superheroes are projected as everyday celebrities and influencers. This comedic yet realistic approach attempts at normalizing the lore of heroes and treating them as people with normal day-to-day issues.
TIE: Death Note (2006)- 9
Death Note incorporates the tropes of supernatural fantasy and a police procedural thriller to create an intense one-season anime. The plot mostly revolves around Light Yagami, a high-schooler who finds a deadly notebook called Death Note. Whenever he writes anyone's name on it, the person in question dies within some time.
With this newfound power, Yagami wages his own war as a vigilante of sorts. But as the years go on, Yagami's 'god status' backfires on him and he turns into a national threat. Philosophically, Death Note delves not just into violence but also the complex moralities behind it.
TIE: Hunter X Hunter (2011-2014)- 9
A shonen anime from 2011, Hunter X Hunter is set in the world of adventurers who search for treasures all over the world. In their quests, some of them end up taking the mantle of a 'Hunter'. Like similar shonen stories, young Gon Freecss wishes to become an official Hunter and eventually the best in this field. Apart from his own aspirations, he also seeks to find his father, who himself was one of the best Hunters but left his family years ago.
Winning over audiences and critics alike, the anime ran for six seasons.