Madhouse, Inc.


is a Japanese animation studio founded in 1972 by ex–Mushi Pro staff, including Masao Maruyama, Osamu Dezaki, and Yoshiaki Kawajiri.
Madhouse has created and helped produce many well-known shows, OVAs and films, starting with TV anime series Ace o Nerae! in 1973, and including Wicked City, Ninja Scroll, Perfect Blue, Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust, Trigun, Di Gi Charat, Black Lagoon, Death Note, Paprika, Wolf Children, Parasyte: The Maxim, the first season of One-Punch Man, the second adaptation of Hunter × Hunter, Overlord, and Frieren: Beyond Journey's End. Unlike other studios founded at this time such as AIC and J.C.Staff, their strength was and is primarily in TV shows and theatrical features. Expanding from the initial Mushi Pro staff, Madhouse recruited important directors such as Morio Asaka, Masayuki Kojima, and Satoshi Kon during the 1990s. Their staff roster expanded in the 2000s to include Mamoru Hosoda, Takeshi Koike, and Mitsuo Iso, as well as many younger television directors.
The studio often collaborates with known manga artists, including Naoki Urasawa and Clamp. Madhouse produced adaptations of Urasawa's Yawara!, Master Keaton, and Monster, with Masayuki Kojima helming the latter two. The company has animated a number of CLAMP's titles, including Tokyo Babylon, two versions of X, Cardcaptor Sakura and its sequel Clear Card, and Chobits. In the 2000s and 2010s, Madhouse and its subsidiaries, Madbox Co., Ltd and South Korea-based DR Movie, animated for various companies, including Imagi Animation Studios, Warner Bros. Animation, Marvel Animation, Studio Ghibli, TMS Entertainment, Production I.G, Sunrise, Pierrot, DNA Productions, Hanna-Barbera, Film Roman, Nickelodeon Animation Studios, Capcom, and HBO, among others.

History

Madhouse was established in 1972 by ex–Mushi Production animators, including Masao Maruyama, Osamu Dezaki, and Yoshiaki Kawajiri, with funding from Yutaka Fujioka, the founder of Tokyo Movie, and co-produced its earliest series with Tokyo Movie. In February 2004, Madhouse became a subsidiary of Index Corporation. On February 8, 2011, Nippon TV became Madhouse's primary stockholder, via a third-party allocation of new shares. NTV bought 128,667 new shares issued by Madhouse for ¥999,999,924 total, raising its stake in the company from 10.4% to 84.5%. Index Corporation's stake in Madhouse fell from 60.91% to 10.54%. In January 2012, Madhouse announced their acquisition of the animation rights to the Peanuts comic strip. In March 2014, NTV bought all the shares belonging to Index Corporation, increasing its stake in Madhouse to 95%.

Representative staff

Current

  • Sanae Tashiro
  • Yuuzou Kuwahara
  • Toshiya Gotou
  • Hidetoshi Tomonari

Former

  • Yasuo Oda
  • Masao Maruyama
  • Jungoo Murata
  • Masami Ochiai
  • Hiroyuki Okada
  • Masahiro Takahashi
  • Akira Shinohara
  • Tsuneo Takayama
  • Kako Kuwahara
  • Hitoshi Nishioka

Business

The studio employs approximately 70 employees, with employment levels varying depending on the number of productions currently underway. Additionally, the company has invested in the animation studio DR Movie. Madhouse has a subsidiary, Madbox Co., Ltd., that mainly focuses on computer graphics.

Works

Television

1973–2000

Aim for the Ace! Manga Sekai Mukashi Banashi Jetter Mars Nobody's Boy: Remi Treasure Island Galactic Patrol Lensman Yawara! Yu Yu Hakusho: Ghost Files DNA² Montana Jones Azuki-chan Trigun Cardcaptor Sakura Master Keaton Bomberman B-Daman Bakugaiden Super Doll Licca-chan Pet Shop of Horrors Jubei-chan: The Secret of the Lovely Eyepatch Di Gi Charat Reign: The Conqueror Magic User's Club

2000s

Boogiepop Phantom Carried by the Wind: Tsukikage Ran Hidamari no Ki Sakura Wars Hajime no Ippo: The Fighting! Beyblade Galaxy Angel Shingu: Secret of the Stellar Wars Chance Pop Session Magical Meow Meow Taruto X Aquarian Age: Sign for Evolution Chobits Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi Pita-Ten Dragon Drive Hanada Shōnen Shi Panyo Panyo Di Gi Charat Rizelmine Mirage of Blaze Ninja Scroll: The Series Texhnolyze Gungrave Gunslinger Girl Uninhabited Planet Survive! Di Gi Charat Nyo! Gokusen Jubei-chan: The Counter Attack of Siberia Yagyu Paranoia Agent Tenjho Tenge Monster BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad Black Jack Sweet Valerian Strawberry 100% Akagi Paradise Kiss Oku-sama wa Joshi Kōsei Kiba Strawberry Panic! NANA The Story of Saiunkoku Black Lagoon Yume Tsukai Otogi-Jūshi Akazukin Kemonozume Death Note Tokyo Tribe 2 Claymore Oh! Edo Rocket Princess Resurrection Dennō Coil Devil May Cry: The Animated Series Shigurui Gyakkyō Burai Kaiji Supernatural Detective">Supernatural (American TV series)">Supernatural Detective Mokke MapleStory Ani*Kuri15 Chi's Sweet Home Allison & Lillia Kamen no Maid Guy Top Secret ~The Revelation~ Kaiba Ultraviolet: Code 044 Casshern Sins Kurozuka Mōryō no Hako One Outs Stitch! Chaos;Head Hajime no Ippo: New Challenger Rideback Sōten Kōro Needless Kobato

2010s

Rainbow: Nisha Rokubō no Shichinin The Tatami Galaxy Highschool of the Dead Marvel Anime Gyakkyō Burai Kaiji: Hakairoku-hen Hunter × Hunter Chihayafuru The Ambition of Oda Nobuna Persona 4 Golden Btooom! Photo Kano Sunday Without God Hajime no Ippo: Rising Ace of Diamond Magical Warfare The Irregular at Magic High School No Game No Life Hanayamata Parasyte -the maxim- Death Parade My Love Story!! Overlord One-Punch Man Prince of Stride: Alternative Alderamin on the Sky All Out!! ACCA: 13-Territory Inspection Dept. Marvel Future Avengers Overlord II A Place Further than the Universe Overlord III Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card Okko's Inn Mr. Tonegawa: Middle Management Blues Boogiepop and Others Ace of Diamond Act II Afterlost

2020s

Sonny Boy The Vampire Dies in No Time Takt Op. Destiny Overlord IV Police in a Pod Bibliophile Princess My Love Story with Yamada-kun at Lv999 The Gene of AI Frieren: Beyond Journey's End Trillion Game Orb: On the Movements of the Earth The Dinner Table Detective Wandance Frieren: Beyond Journey's End 2nd Season Liar Game

Television specials

Natsufuku no Shōjo-tachi Hiroshima ni Ichiban Densha ga Hashitta Yawara! Special - Zutto Kimi no Koto ga List of [Di Gi Charat episodes#Di Gi Charat - Summer Special 2000|Di Gi Charat - Summer Special 2000] Di Gi Charat - Christmas Special Di Gi Charat - Ohanami Special Di Gi Charat - Natsuyasumi Special

Film

Madhouse's early theatrical work included assistance on the Barefoot Gen films, and Lensman, an anime movie based on the space opera series by pulp science fiction author E.E. "Doc" Smith.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, director Yoshiaki Kawajiri produced a string of action films including Wicked City, Demon City Shinjuku, and Ninja Scroll.
In the late 1990s, the studio aimed at a younger female audience with Morio Asaka's two Cardcaptor Sakura films, based on the popular television series.
In the early 2000s, an ambitious collaboration with Tezuka Productions resulted in Metropolis, directed by Rintaro and adapted from the manga by Osamu Tezuka. Earlier collaborations with Tezuka productions included two feature-length films made for Sanrio starring Tezuka's unicorn character Unico.
Director Satoshi Kon produced all four of his films with the studio: Perfect Blue, Millennium Actress, Tokyo Godfathers, and Paprika, as well as his TV series Paranoia Agent. Kon was also making his fifth film the Dreaming Machine with Madhouse, although it was left incomplete at his death in 2010.
In 2003, Madhouse produced Nasu: Summer in Andalusia, which was adapted from the seinen manga Nasu by Iou Kuroda and directed by Studio Ghibli veteran Kitarō Kōsaka. Nasu was the first Japanese animated film ever selected for screening at the Cannes Film Festival. Kōsaka followed up his film with an OVA sequel in 2007.
In 2006, director Mamoru Hosoda began his career with the studio by directing The [Girl Who Leapt Through Time (2006 film)|The Girl Who Leapt Through Time].
Recent productions included Masayuki Kojima's theatrical debut Forest of Piano, Hosoda's acclaimed Summer Wars, Sunao Katabuchi's Mai Mai Miracle, the company's first CG animated film, Yona Yona Penguin, Takeshi Koike's feature film debut Redline, a theatrical version of the Trigun series, Trigun: Badlands Rumble, and The Tibetan Dog, a co-production with China.
The first film in the Hunter × Hunter franchise, Hunter × Hunter: Phantom Rouge premiered on January 12, 2013.
After producing and animating Mamoru Hosoda's The Girl Who Leapt Through Time and Summer Wars, Madhouse co-produced Wolf Children with Hosoda's newly-founded Studio Chizu.
Collectively, Madhouse films have won a total of two Japan Academy Prizes, four Grand Prizes in the Animation Division at Japan Media Arts Festival, two Gertie Awards, six Mainichi Film Awards, two Tokyo Anime Awards for Animation of the Year, and five Animation Kobe Feature Film Awards.

1980s

The Fantastic Adventures of Unico Natsu e no Tobira Haguregumo Harmagedon Unico in the Island of Magic Barefoot Gen Lensman: Secret of the Lens The Dagger of Kamui Barefoot Gen 2 Phoenix: Karma Chapter Toki no Tabibito: Time Stranger Hoero! Bun Bun Wicked City Neo Tokyo Twilight of the Cockroaches

1990s

A Wind Named Amnesia Urusei Yatsura: Always, My Darling Yawara! Soreyuke Koshinuke Kids!! Ninja Scroll Rail of the Star Kattobase! Dreamers ―Carp Tanjō Monogatari― Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie Anne no Nikki Memories X Black Jack: The Movie Perfect Blue Clover

2000s

Cardcaptor Sakura Movie 2: The Sealed Card Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust Metropolis Millennium Actress Di Gi Charat - A Trip to the Planet WXIII: [Patlabor the Movie 3] Hajime no Ippo: Champion Road Tokyo Godfathers Nasu: Summer in Andalusia The Girl Who Leapt Through Time Paprika Memories of Nobody">Memories (1995 film)">Memories of Nobody Highlander: The Search for Vengeance Forest of Piano Cinnamon the Movie Bleach: The DiamondDust Rebellion Hells Summer Wars Redline Mai Mai Miracle

2010s

Trigun: Badlands Rumble The Tibetan Dog The Princess and the Pilot Wolf Children Hunter × Hunter: Phantom Rouge Death Billiards Hunter × Hunter: The Last Mission No Game, No Life Zero Kimi no Koe wo Todoketai

2020s

Goodbye, Don Glees! Gold Kingdom and Water Kingdom

OVAs

1980s

Wounded Man Phoenix: Yamato Chapter Phoenix: Space Chapter Bride of Deimos Demon City Shinjuku Kaze wo Nuke! Fairy King

1990s

Eguchi Hisashi no Nantoka Narudesho! Nineteen 19 Cyber City Oedo 808 Record of Lodoss War Devil Hunter Yohko Doomed Megalopolis Urusei Yatsura Tokyo Babylon Zetsuai 1989 Download (OVA) Battle Angel Mermaid's Scar The Cockpit Black Jack Final Fantasy: Legend of the Crystals Phantom Quest Corp. Clamp in Wonderland Spirit Warrior DNA² Bio Hunter Birdy the Mighty Psycho Diver: Soul Siren Night Warriors: Darkstalkers' Revenge

2000s

48x61 Space Pirate Captain Herlock: The Endless Odyssey Trava: Fist Planet The Animatrix Hajime no Ippo: Mashiba vs. Kimura Lament of the Lamb Aquarian Age: The Movie Di Gi Charat Theater - Leave it to Pyoko! Tsuki no Waltz Otogi-Jūshi Akazukin Last Order: Final Fantasy VII Strawberry 100% Nasu: A Migratory Bird with Suitcase Batman: Gotham Knight

2010s

Black Lagoon Omake Black Lagoon: Roberta's Blood Trail Supernatural: The Anime Series Highschool of the Dead: Drifters of the Dead Arata-naru Sekai Iron Man: Rise of Technovore Chihayafuru 2: Waga Mi Yo ni Furu Nagame Seshi Ma ni Black Widow and Punisher">Black Widow (Natasha Romanova)">Black Widow and Punisher One-Punch Man: Road to Hero

2020s

Video games

Sol-Feace Earnest Evans Anett Futatabi Wild Arms Elemental Gearbolt Solatorobo: Red the Hunter Persona 2: Eternal Punishment Persona 4 Golden Persona 4 Arena Etrian Odyssey Untold: The Millennium Girl Etrian Odyssey 2 Untold: The Fafnir Knight
  • ''Echoes of Mana''

Collaborations

Madhouse designed the characters for Hudson Soft's game Virus. Madhouse worked with Square Enix on the OVA Last Order: Final Fantasy VII as well as Capcom for Devil May Cry: The Animated Series, Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie, and Street Fighter: The Animated Series.
They collaborated with Studio Ghibli by contributing key animation assistance to Hayao Miyazaki's films including My Neighbor Totoro, Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle, and The Secret World of Arrietty, as well as Tomomi Mochizuki's films I Can Hear the Sea and Goro Miyazaki's Tales from Earthsea.
Madhouse also collaborated with Disney Company|Disney] for the anime Stitch! for its first and second arcs, between 2008 and 2010. They also animated the intro cutscene to PlayStation video game Wild Arms and the opening movie to PlayStation Vita video game Persona 4 Golden, along with opening to the PSP remake of Persona 2: Eternal Punishment.
Madhouse collaborated with professional rapper Snoop Dogg in the 2006 horror-comedy anthology movie Hood of Horror, in which they assisted in the animated sections of the movie. They also worked with the Wachowskis and other famed Japanese animators and studios to create The Animatrix, an animated anthology adaptation of the Matrix (franchise)|Matrix] franchise; Madhouse particularly worked on its short films "Program" and "World Record."
In 2010 to 2014, Madhouse collaborated with Marvel Entertainment and Sony Pictures to create adaptations of Blade, Iron Man, Wolverine, X-Men, Black Widow, and Punisher, and then in 2017, collaborated again with Marvel Entertainment, Disney+, and Walt Disney Japan to create an adaptation of the Avengers. Conversely, they worked with Marvel's rival company, DC Entertainment, Warner Premiere, and Warner Brothers to create an anthology adaptation of Batman. Madhouse had also worked with Warner Brothers and Sony on separate occasions to create series adaptations of Ultraviolet and Supernatural. Furthermore, Madhouse worked with Imagi Animation Studios and Davis-Panzer Productions to create an adaptation of Highlander as an animated film. Additionally, they were commissioned by Top Cow Productions, an imprint of Image Comics, to provide an anime adaptation of Aphrodite IX. However, the project was suddenly canceled without any explanation.
2010 also saw the publication of Devil, a manga intended specifically for the American market; the property is a collaboration with Dark Horse Comics, and is written and drawn by Torajiro Kishi.
Madhouse also participated in animating the Wakfu TV special Ogrest, la légende in collaboration with Ankama Japan.

Foreign production history

In addition to Madhouse creating anime of Western media, they were also responsible for making a few notable American cartoons, particularly through collaborations with Western companies such as Hanna-Barbera, Film Roman, and HBO. Typically, though, many cartoons that has involved creative input from Madhouse in any way are done through its South Korean subsidiary DR Movie.The Jetsons The Transformers: The Movie Popples The Pirates of Dark Water The Adventures of T-Rex The Tick Street Fighter Wing Commander Academy Todd McFarlane's Spawn X-Men: Evolution Constant Payne Megas XLR Hellboy Animated Hood of Horror Hulk Vs. Wolverine Hulk Vs. Thor Planet Hulk The Boondocks