They really carved a name for themselves (and their frequent sound collaborator, Hiroyuki Sawano) in 2013 with the release of the hit Attack on Titan. However, they’ve been diversifying their catalogue. And I thought I’d take this opportunity to go over their entire catalogue and rank all their anime (based on personal preference, of course). Get ready for that Sawano drop.
10. After the Rain
Following severe foot trauma in an accident, high school track runner Akira Tachibana is no longer able to compete. She takes a job at a Garden Café, where she develops a crush on her boss, Masami Kondou. However, he’s 45-years-old. Despite this controversial plot point, After the Rain is a lot more about finding oneself and resolving emotional difficulty than about romance. And does a good job with it. It features simple though resolvedly appropriate art and animation, with endearing character designs. It may not be the best of Wit, and it doesn’t do anything outstandingly, but it may hit a soft spot.
9. Hozuki’s Coolheadedness
The functionalist, bureaucratic running of Hell is rather… Hell-ish for Hoozuki, chief deputy to the King of Tartarus. He spends his time undertaking the comedic tasks of various people throughout time and different religions, essentially making this show a Underground Gintama in nearly every way. It’s fresh, original, and doesn’t stray from topics other anime won’t touch. The art and animation is expressive and similarly zany, too, with sleek character designs drawn atop wonderfully whimsical backdrop environments.
8. Rolling Girls
What Rolling Girls lacks in narrative, it makes up for in presentation and characterization. It’s a simple yet creative slice of life adventure with cute girls doing cute things in a wonderful world of constantly popping colors. The sound design is incredible, too, with the bikes and environments given great audio care. And music using tracks from late-80s and 90s Japanese punk rock. This is imaginative despite being derivative, bursting with visual flair across twelve-episodes. It’s just a shame that such a great set up ends up serving as little more than an accessory to cute girls doing cute things. But you get what you pay for!
7. Seraph of the End
Brothers in every way but blood, Mika and Yuuichi are taken from the orphanage where they were raised by vampires. They attempt to escape, but are separated, with Yuuichi being found by the Moon Demon Company: a militia group dedicated to vampire hunting. However, Mika is turned into a vampire and assimilates with those Yuuichi consider monsters. This series may not hit the incredible heights of its premise, relying on shounen tropes and a school setting too much, but the introductory and later episodes were really good. It features a killer Hiroyuki Sawano score, and some really good voice acting. Can’t go wrong with this one, really!
6. Girl From the Other Side
Despite being only 10-minutes long, The Girl From the Other Side is one of Studio WIT’s most unique offerings. It’s got wonderful watercolor art, entirely iconic and unique character designs, and tells a short though poignant story. I could see this being adapted for a longer format later down the line. But for now it lives up as an eerie and short insight into a supernatural world.
5. Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress
As an alternate industrial era as about to be ushered in, horrific monsters known as Kabane appear. They’re zombie-like, and the only way to stop them is by destroying the steel core within their chest before they bite you. Our MC Ikoma has just finished creating a weapon capable of easy extermination when he’s transformed into a half-Kabane. They board a steam locomotive in the hopes of surviving elsewhere. Now this does lose steam around the midpoint, before going off the rails entirely, but is saved narratively by the sequel movie. Nonetheless, it’s a wonderfully animated, directed, and composed production with stellar quality and constantly dynamic action.
4. The Ancient Magus’ Bride
At the age of 15, Chise Hatori was sold for £5-million to a towering masked mysterious man. He ends up being Elias Ainsworth, an ancient Magus living in a fairytale woods filled with books and the supernatural. Elias wants to take the young girl under his wing as an apprenticeship, and the two soon become dependent on one another. Pne of Studio WIT’s most beautiful and picturesque productions, dripping in gorgeous imagery and a comforting atmosphere. Sometimes it strays to darker territories, but in general it’s a warming and imaginative show with a simple premise.
3. The Great Pretender
Studio WIT’s newest anime is by far their most Western-infused, with a mature Watanabe atmosphere brimming with eclectic 90s-movie action. It tells the story of Edamame, a con artist from Japan who ends up involved in shadier activities with far larger stakes. It’s one of the most stylish modern anime, with Freddie Mercury belting out the credit song after twenty minutes of pop-colored antics. The cast is dynamic and intriguing, providing plenty of depth across a series of well-developed arcs set around the world.
2. Vinland Saga
At a young age, the youthful & innocent Thorfinn bore witness to his father’s savage murder at the hands of Askeladd. He boards the man’s ship and army, travelling with him for years, training to be strong enough to one day murder the man who ruined his life. However, this directly opposes the teachings of his father, who insisted that violence should never be a solution, and propounded passivism at every opportunity. What follows is a tragic, action-packed shounen coated in brilliantly historic world building and fantastic characterization. As of this writing we’ve only received the first arcs of a larger, grander story, so Vinland Saga is looking to be Studio WIT’S new flagship property.
1. Attack on Titan
Of course Attack on Titan is in first place. Every now and then an anime is released that revolutionizes the medium in some way. And with the release of Attack on Titan in 2013, anime saw a gargantuan, titanic boom in popularity all around the world. The animation is spectacular, the artwork sleek and brilliant. The character designs bring the manga illustrations to life vividly, all boosted by one of the greatest soundtracks in anime courtesy of Hiroyuki Sawano. Even though they’re not manning the final season, their run across the first three seasons will go down as legendary.
