When one has watched too much anime, certain animation styles and efforts tend to become too apparent or even preferred. Some anime studios simply put more care and perfectionism into their craft. That’s why one might also be able to judge whether an anime will fail or succeed based on their host studio.RELATED:Anime You Should Watch If You Love Girls Und PanzerAs such, studios like Sunrise even became so big and successful that they became responsible for some of the mostculturally relevantanime. They also have their own fan-designated trademark. Due to their fluid animation and attention to detail, a new standard for anime production has been coined as “Sunrise smooth.” These anime from Sunrise are the finest examples of that.
10Yakitate!! Japan
Yakitate!! Japanwas one of the progenitors and pioneers of exaggerated food contest anime. It focuses on baking but was nonetheless highly popular back in its heyday for portraying some hyperbolic and even graphic reactions from whoever tastes the protagonist’s inventive bread recipes.
That protagonist would be Azuma Kazuma and hisshonen-esque goalis to create a national bread for Japan just as the French bread is France’s. The kicker is that he already has an advantage in the form of his “solar hands” which heat up the dough during kneading, making it more flavorful.
9Love Live! Superstar!!
One of the most recent anime released this year from Sunrise would be an adaptation of an already popular franchise calledLove Live! Superstar!!It’s an anime about idols or aspiring ones as the group of girls find their footing in the highly competitive Japanese idol industry.
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At the center of that dream maelstrom is Kanon Shibuya. She once quit her ambition of becoming a famous musician due to stage fright. However, a friend urges her to persevere, but in a more relaxed setting, such as a high school that’s not dedicated to music.
8City Hunter
City Hunteris a classic representation of the 1980s but in anime form. It’s a neo-noir detective anime spearheaded by none other than a duo with boundless chemistry, just like the cop duo dramas/action/comedies of itstime period.
City Huntersees the episodic escapades of “sweeper” Ryo Saeba – a member of the City Hunter mercenary group tasked with cleaning up the criminal scum of Tokyo. In partnership with a tomboy named Kaori Makimura, the two of them brave City Hunter’s toughest cases such as taking on syndicates, arms dealers, and petty offenders.
7InuYasha
Anyone who’s witnessed this anime back in its heyday likely has children by now or lots of cats/dogs instead. It’s one of the most prominent and long-running isekai anime in existence, with the first season boasting a whopping 167 episodes across four years. There’s also a belated final act season worth 26 episodes, so there’s plenty ofInuYashato be had.
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InuYashafollows Kagome Higurashi’s story as the 15-year-old high-schooler magically gets transported into a mystical medieval Japan where she is tasked with collecting pieces of a wish-granting jewel that got shattered. Thankfully, a demon-human hybrid named Inuyasha is kind enough to help her in her adventure.
6Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans
Sunrise is actually responsible for most of theMobile Suit Gundamanime but their highest-rated TV series involving these pop culture mechs would beMobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans.Granted, most of the protagonists in aGundamanime are orphans of sorts. But this one cranks that trope up to 11.
As always, this iteration ofMobile Suit Gundamhas pretty complex geopolitics akin to a World War setup. Earth inIron-Blooded Orphansis essentially divided into four factions in an uneasy peace. Meanwhile, the humans that live on Mars are at an economic stranglehold after being neglected by Earth.
5Daily Lives Of High School Boys
Daily Lives of High School Boysis good proof that Sunrise is highly versatile in its anime genre. It doesn’t just pick big action set-pieces or epic stories but also some slice of life drama in an angle that doesn’t get explored often.
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Daily Lives of High School Boysis also a comedy anime that’s all about the three stooges of Sanada North High School. Those three would be Hidenori, Yoshitake, and Tadakuni. Each of them has personality quirks that conflict with one another’s as they attempt to traverse through high-school turbulent adolescence and all.
4Planetes
Mostsci-fi anime tend to be grand or even outlandishplots of war and mech carnage. That’s whyPlanetesis a breath of fresh air – it defies the typical sci-fi anime convention. BecausePlanetesis first and foremost a drama and romance anime set in space.
It takes place in 2075 where space travel is about as common as airline flights. Ai Tanabe, the protagonist, is thus given what she thought was a great opportunity: cleaning up space debris for a corporation. She soon discovers that her job is actually undignified but still perseveres as she climbs her way up the chain of respect.
3Gintama
Gintamahas come a long way as one of Sunrise’s most favored and most persistent series. It’s quite a handful since it’s a mix of several anime genres that work but it mostly deals in comedy these days as its ridiculous plot dictates. There’s no shortage ofGintamaregardless, with more than 300 episodes and other media forms.
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The whole anime is about adefiant swordsmanand his comrades as they try to live the samurai culture despite a prohibition set by their alien invaders and overlords. Gintoki, the swordsman, thus becomes a handyman and fixer trying out different odd jobs and dragging his friends along.
2Cowboy Bebop
Cowboy Beboplikely cemented Sunrise’s pedigree as an animation studio even further as it’s one of the best examples of their “Sunrise smooth” term. For many,Cowboy Bebopis the perfect entry animeas it defies most conventions and takes on a more western flavor.
This sci-fi epic follows the exploits of a starving gang of bounty hunters as their ragtag group of misfits try to scrape by fromjob to job each episode. Along the way, they offer some cool character dynamics as well as plenty of jazz music, mature comedy, and closeted pasts.
1Code Geass
Back in the time whenDeath Notewas all the rage, Sunrise had to come up with its own anime about a frighteningly intelligent young man with his newfound powers. They chose that route and then spliced it with a war and mecha anime. The result wasCode Geass, an anime that defined a generation.
Code Geasschronicles the struggles of Lelouch Lamperouge, a rogue British nobleman who decided to take up arms against his imperialist empire and lead the oppressed people of Japan to victory. It was all made possible using his sharp wits and hypnosis. For those who want to watch several anime genres at once while exercising their brains, then this masterpiece from Sunrise won’t disappoint.
