Favorite shows/movies by Studio BONES

[Critic Chris]

Studio BONES is one of my current favorite animation production companies in Japan. Most of their productions just look topnotch and fantastic, especially in an often stingy business. They can adapt to almost any style, it seems, and you know you're generally in for terrific production values when BONES is attached. What are your favorite shows/movies by them?
My favorites:
Fullmetal Alchemist: Series and Conqueror of Shamballa-Yeah, yeah, I know, it's been said, but the series still looks great for a TV production, with mostly fluid animation throughout, lovely art direction, and good use of CG elements. Say what you will about the movie's storyline/ending, but you can't deny that it looks freaking gorgeous. The fight between Wrath and Gluttony is, hands down, one of the best animated fights ever, and I only wish Noah's dance at the end of the film went on a little longer just so I could see more of that marvelously fluid motion.

Scrapped Princess-Granted, I'm only up through episode 5. This is another "ZOMG, so gorgeous!" show, but it's a tad quieter than most. The fights are sparse but lovely (current favorite: the hilariously one-sided duel between Raquel and a Mauser priest in Episode 1), but the character design/art direction is where it's at. BONES has a particular gift for facial expressions and nuances, and that works in spades in a show where the main character has an incredibly deadly secret. Can't wait to see more.

Cowboy Bebop The Movie: I don't care who you are, the action here is fucking majestic. The fight between Spike and Vincent at the end of the film rivals with Bebop's best action sequences, as does the dogfight.

Wolf's Rain-Again, I'm not terribly far into the series, but the moody, dark art direction and the fluidity here is astounding. The wolves themselves look great, and I have to commend BONES' gift for facial expressions and body language again. Look at the way characters carry themselves (particularly Hige, Toboe, or Tsume), or how they react to things. Wonderful.

Soul Eater-Two episodes and I'm already hooked. The art style, as I said on the discussion thread, looks like the lovechild of Gurren Lagann and Tim Burton, and the fights are bloody insane.

Any takers?

[Westlo]

RahXephon - It became my favorite tv series in 2002 and it still holds that title 6 years later.

Full Metal Alchemist - Was a great watch and I really enjoyed the second half but I haven't read the manga yet.

Cowboy Bebop Movie - The fight sequences were a joy to watch, was the best I've seen from Bones until yesterday.

I'm halfway through Stranger atm, fight scenes are awesome.

[something]

I've seen some amount of the following

Completed:
Angelic Layer
Ouran High School Host Club
RahXephon
Scrapped Princess

Liked, but got licensed and haven't been able to complete yet:
Darker than BLACK

Currently airing:
Soul Eater

Did not like, dropped before end:
Wolf's Rain

Scrapped Princess is far and away their best show, with second probably going to Rahxephon. I also saw a little of FMA and have intended to buy and watch it all one day but doubt I'll ever actually get around to it.

[EmperorBrandon]

Bones tends to be a variable studio for me. A lot of what they do just doesn't suit my taste, but I do think they tend to make good series. My absolute favorite is Angelic Layer - it just does so many things right. I really liked Ouran High School Host Club too, though I didn't watch all the way through it (I expected an R1 license to come, and it did, so I'm waiting on that).

[The Great Bear]

I guess I'd say the Cowboy Bebop movie, though I have not yet seen Scrapped Princess, so that may get added to the list.

Fullmetal Alchemist is a good show, but not in my personal top 10.
Wolf's Rain is a show with certain strengths, but too many flaws for me to like.

[BluWacky]

Let's play rank the BONES shows!

In order of awesometude, out of what I've seen of their output:

RahXephon TV (finished) - just awe-inspiringly clever and wonderful, one of my top 10 TV series of all time
Fullmetal Alchemist TV (finished) - Sho Aikawa is a master of adaptation. Who'd have thought a 51 episode show could be so well paced and made?
Wolf's Rain (finished) - sure, it's depressing as hell, but fantastically characterised and animated.
Darker Than Black (finished) - see Wolf's Rain, essentially, except replace morphing animals with superpowered emotional shells.
Kurau (seen half) - so much more interesting than it seems to be from the outset
Jyu-Oh-Sei (finished) - lousy ending, but luscious shoujo sci-fi is so hard to come by...
Ouran High School Host Club (finished) - great direction, awesome acting and sky-high production values can't quite sustain a rather flimsy comedy for 26 episodes, but they gave it a damn good shot.
Scrapped Princess (finished) - pretty good, but Pacifica is annoying and a plot twist midway through even more so
The Skull Man (finished) - can't decide what it wants to be - ponderous detective show or kickass pulpy kitsch? The latter parts are better...
Mars Daybreak (seen half) - fun but mostly forgettable, unlike all the series above
Escaflowne Movie - I adore the TV show too much to take this on its true merits
Angelic Layer (finished) - fine, nice animation and all, but nothing that's not been done better elsewhere
Eureka Seven (seen 13 episodes) - THOSE DAMN KIDS!
Ayakashi Ayashi (seen 4 episodes) - gorgeous but totally and utterly boring. Great idea, lousy execution.

I've not seen most of their films (Rah, Bebop, FMA, Pia Carrot, Mukoh Hadan), and have no interest in Clockwork Fighters whatsoever so will probably never watch it.

It's too soon to call on Soul Eater and Nijuu Mensou no Musume - the former is visually astounding but relatively boring shounen stuff, the latter isn't as flashy but is an entertaining retro adventure thus far even if the lead character is a total bitch for most of the first episode.

I like BONES. I love their animation ethos, they hire great directors (and with them come great animators), and they tend to pick interesting writers and projects to work on. Even a fairly standard adaptation like Angelic Layer is well made, for instance.

[dragoon]

If I had to force myself to pick a studio, BONES is probably my favorite.

My favorite is definitely Eureka Seven. I just about adored everything in this series. It had a beautifully told semi-long form storyline and it was just so well balanced with action, comedy, drama, romance. I found the large ensemble cast of characters to be the best and most memorable in BONES' stable only rivaled by Fullmetal Alchemist. Loved every second of Eureka Seven. Also helped that the production, art, animation were tops. A pure joy to watch.

RahXephon one of my favorite anime TV series. Stunning production and endearing storyline.

Fullmetal Alchemist a series that really had it all as well, third in my book.

Scrapped Princess probably my fourth favorite BONES series and another really charming show as far as I am concerned with a good balance that offers something for everyone. Great cast of characters.

Others:

Kurau - only have seen a few episodes but it seems very intriguing and I want to finish it.

Angelic Layer - A series that I immediately enjoyed. Very heart-warming but I don't think it stands up in the technical and quality department as BONES' other big budget series.

Ouran - only have seen it in passing but I want to see it in totality badly.

Soul Eater - I've only seen the promos and the trailer, but it looks unbelievably cool so far. The art and animation style is awesome from what I've gathered. This is the new series I want to see licensed and picked up for North America ASAP.

[Suwako Moriya]

Sadly I don't pay enough attention to who makes what. However I do know they did Scrapped Princess and Scrapped Princess is Zeferis level awesome.

[Busaiku]

Ouran High School Host Club is far and away my favorite title.
They did an insane job with the overall look and animation, The jokes were delievered very well, the characters were made so enjoyable. After trying to get into the manga, after watching the anime, it just wasn't the same experience at all. I wasn't able to enjoy it remotely as much as I enjoyed the TV series. My favorite Bones title, and one of my favorite titles overall.

Eureka 7 would be a distant 2nd though (that's not to say it's bad, Ouran is just so much better for me).

[gnikdrazil]

I've enjoyed a few series from Bones like Scrapped Princess, Rahxephon, and Fullmetal Alchemist. I've been really curious and have wanted to watch Wolf's Rain and Eureka Seven.

[Kiggy]

Battle Doll Angelic Layer

nuff said

[Sweeped]

For a top 10 I would rank them as:

1. Eureka Seven
2. Rahxephon
3. Cowboy Bebop the movie
4. Wolf's Rain
5. Fullmetal Alchemist
6. Kurau Phantom memory
7. Ouran High School
8. Scrapped Princess
9. Ayakashi Ayashi
10. Darker than Black

I haven't seen their new movie Stranger yet, but I can't wait to :)

[Ryos]

I'm a big BONES fan too, haven't seen anything I haven't liked yet. My favorite so far is RahXephon just because it's what Eva should have been (and I say that as someone who really likes Evangelion). Although 1/4 of the way through it I have a feeling Fullmetal Alchemist will be my favorite overall show from them just because it's amazing.

[Westlo]

Stranger just dethroned Cowboy Bebop for my fav Bones movie, just a great show and that last fight sequence was amazing, best from Bones period, best animated sword fight I've seen.

[Shsway]

Of the shows that I've seen from this studio, I like Angelic Layer and Wolf's Rain best (the latter having the best visuals overall). I REALLY want Soul Eater to get a license soon, so I can drown in its apparent goodness.

[Damius]

My favorites movie was Cowboy Bebop movie.

For tv series there is a lot...

Eureka Seven
Full Metal Alchemist
Rahxephon
Wolf's Rain

[CGord]

RahXephon, Darker Than Black, Eureka Seven, Ouran High School Host Club. All are fantastic.

[Zalis]

Top-10-level favorites:

Scrapped Princess
Fullmetal Alchemist
Angelic Layer

Others that I've seen and liked:
Wolf's Rain
Kurau Phantom Memory
Ouran High School Host Club

[leongsh]

Stranger just dethroned Cowboy Bebop for my fav Bones movie, just a great show and that last fight sequence was amazing, best from Bones period, best animated sword fight I've seen.
Stranger - Mukoh Hadan (http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=2340), I presume? :)

It has beautiful art and wonderful animation with great action sequences, a stirring and evocative soundtrack, allied to a straightforward story. Tempted by the Blu-Ray release (Amazon Japan link (http://www.amazon.co.jp/gp/switch-language/product/B0010KRT3U/)).


p.s.
My pre-order of the Limited Edition DVD set (release date 11 April 2008) is waiting for the pre-ordered Limited Edition NGE movie DVD set to be released (24 April 2008) so that they could be shipped together. Looking forward to next weekend.

[Talyn]

RahXephon, Wolf's Rain, Scrapped Princess, Eureka 7.... I thoroughly enjoy most of what I see from Bones...