Hello everyone! Justin here and welcome to the Otaku Mind. Throughout the summer we’ve been looking at My Hero Academia which has become the face of modern shounen anime. Bones, the studio behind MHA can also be considered the studio for today’s modern anime. Bones started off as a small studio only to grow and is now considered one of the most elite anime studios alongside studios such as MAPPA and Ufotable. In honor of MHA, why don’t we take a look at the history, animes, and times of this studio. There’s a lot to cover so let’s get started. I’m Justin and this is The Rewatch: Studio Bones.
The Sun Rises on These Bones
The story of Bones begins at Sunrise with their three founders: Masahiko Minami, Hiroshi Ōsaka, and Toshihiro Kawamoto. Masahiko worked as a production assistant and chief on a number of animes which included City Hunter, Gundam, and Escaflowne. Hiroshi Ōsaka and Toshihiro Kawamoto worked as animators and character designers with their most notable work being Angelic Layer, a few Gundam animes, City Hunter, and Golden Boy. The three men had worked on a number of animes together during their time at Sunrise, but it wasn’t until 1998 where the three would get a chance to showcase their skills and talents on a particular anime we all know and love. You guessed it, Cowboy Bebop. Toshihiro designed the characters of Cowboy Bebop which included, Ed, Spike, and Ein. Hiroshi illustrated backgrounds and ships for the anime, and Masahiko served as a producer. Just like the founders of Manglobe, Cowboy Bebop inspired this trio, Masahiko in particular. He wanted to create something new and not be limited to Sunrise’s mecha-heavy productions. Thus, Masahiko convinced Hiroshi and Toshihiro and five other people to leave Sunrise and start their own studio which they named Bones because they were starting off with the bare minimum like bones but hoped that they would put on some flesh as they grew (and boy did they get plenty of flesh).
Putting Those Bones to Work
In October of 1998, Bones was officially made. In an effort to get the most out of their staff, Bones split itself up into smaller studios. Each led by their own producer who would go on to focus on animes that they wanted to make. It was a similar model Sunrise used and while Bones would start with just two studios, they would later expand to six. Following their departure from Sunrise, one of their first animes was Hiwou War Chronicles. An original mecha anime thought up by Bones and Sho Aikawa. The series follows a boy named Hiwou, his siblings and his friends in the Meiji Period. One day while they were exploring a cave their city was attacked and its citizens kidnapped by the Wind Gang. Hiwou and the others set off on a journey to save the citizens and fight the Wind Gang using a huge clockwork doll that functions like a giant robot. The series was pretty meh and lasted from 2000-2001. Despite it being a mecha series which is something they wanted to get away from, the concept was different, original, and added something new to the genre. During the anime’s run, they would also team up with Sunrise and work with them to do the animation for the Cowboy Bebop movie: Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door.
2001 would continue to see them work on mecha anime as they made an adaptation of Angelic Layer: Battle Doll. Based off the manga by CLAMP the story revolves around a kid’s game called Angelic Layer where players buy and build custom-design dolls known as Angels to duel against each other. Our main character, Misaki, builds a doll she names Hikaru and begins participating in tournaments and duels to become a champion. As she continues battling, she uncovers the truth of Angelic Layer and how it relates to her and her family. I never watched this series but have seen it in multiple AMVs and have been told that it was very good. Many people compared the series to Pokémon and Digimon at the time, and yeah I can see the comparison (I would include Medabots as well). However, the series still won people over thanks to its well-presented animation at the time and its concepts of friendship through common interests. Following Angelic Layer, Bones would make a third mecha anime, this time an original idea called RahXephon. Making its debut in 2002, the series was created and directed by Yutaka Izubuchi who wanted to set a new standard for mecha anime, as well as bring back aspects of 1970s mecha shows. Did he succeed? No, but it was a decent attempt. The story follows a boy named Ayato who has the ability to control a mech named RahXephon and is trying to find his place in the world. The show was praised highly in and out of Japan for its animation, characters, music, and themes. There was also a movie based off the anime which served as an encore of the anime covering everything that happened while adding in new scenes. Some reviewers go as far as saying that this was better than the anime. Despite their first three animes centering around mechas, they were all unique and different from the standard mecha anime at the time. They were fine for what they were and unique to watch.
In 2003, Bones would move away from mecha anime and finally enter the fantasy and supernatural realm. Their first anime in this realm was Wolf’s Rain. Another original anime written by Keiko Nobumoto who also wrote Cowboy Bebop and was even credited for the concept of Lazarus in its early production phases before his untimely passing. Serving as the directorial debut of Tensai Okamura (more on him later), Wolf’s Rain follows the story of four wolves with mystic powers that allow them to disguise themselves as humans. Set in a dystopian future, the wolves are on a journey to find paradise all while being tracked and hunted by humans. The series was considered a big hit for its characters, animation, worldbuilding and soundtrack which was done by Yoko Kanno. It was a mesmerizing series regarded as the best of 2003 and in 2004 when it was brought over to the west. Following Wolf’s Rain, we would also got Scrapped Princess. Based off a manga written by Ichiro Sakaki, the story focuses on a girl named Pacifica who was born as the twin to the royal family of a kingdom called Leinwan. However, she gets sentenced to death thanks to a prophecy that says she is the poison that will destroy the world. She gets dropped off a cliff but saved by a court wizard and adopted into a commoner family where her adopted older siblings become her protectors. When she’s old enough, Pacifica and her siblings head off on a journey to discover the truth about the prophecy and what it truly means for the world. This was another good series with a good twist that leaves you shocked and really gets your attention thanks to its world and characters. It was often said this series was ahead of its time and after reading an overview of the manga I can see how. It’s that good. I honestly think this series deserves a remake or reboot. While both these animes were good, it paled in comparison to their next anime, Fullmetal Alchemist. The first anime of their newest studio, Fullmetal Alchemist pushed the limits to what a shonen manga could be. Based off the manga written by Hiromu Arakawa, the story follows the Elric brothers, Ed and Al. In an attempt to bring their mom back from the dead, the boys use alchemy only for Ed to lose his leg and Al loses his entire body in the process. Not wanting to lose his brother, Ed binds Al’s soul to that of a suit of armor losing his arm in the process. The boys then become state alchemists in the hopes of finding a process to get their bodies back to normal, but on their quest, they uncover a huge government conspiracy that threatens the entire world and have to deal with war criminals, evil alchemists, and homunculus who keep getting in their way. This was the anime that put Bones on the worldwide map. It was one of the best animes at the time. I remember watching it on Adult Swim and being obsessed with the story and characters. Even though the anime did deviate from the manga nobody really seemed to mind as it was still good and kept our attention. It had something for everyone. Comedy, action, drama, tragedy, philosophy, suspense, etc. It was as close to a complete anime at the time that still gets talked about today. 2003 was a great year for Bones and showed everyone that not only could they expand into other genres they do them right.
Dragging the Flesh Through the Valley
Throughout the rest of the 2000s, Bones would continue to make anime that were decent but nothing worth remembering. They had a few gems during this time, but for the most part it was a: I didn’t know they made this moment. First up were three original works that aired from 2004-2006: Mars Daybreak, Kurau Phantom Memory, and Eureka Seven. Mars Daybreak sees Bones return to the mecha genre as the story focuses on a boy named Gram and his childhood friend Vess trying to survive on Mars. Due to a series of events, Gram finds himself on the run with the most notorious pirates on Mars. Next up is Kurau Phantom Memory, a sci-fi adventure about a girl named Kurau who gets struck by a bolt of a new energy known as Rynax. Rather than die, her body gets taken over by Rynax who are actually a pair of sentient binary creatures and give her superhuman strength. The first Rynax takes over Kurau’s body because the second one is too weak, but ten years later, the second Rynax emerges as a 12-year-old girl named Christmas. The story revolves around these two who are on the run from the police force who have deemed those merged with Rynax to be dangerous and must be killed. The anime received mixed reviews with them being overall positive but at the same time not a must watch for people. Lastly, Eureka Seven. Another mecha series that ran from 2005-2006, the series was co-produced by Bandai Entertainment and was directed by Tomoki Kyoda who wanted it to be love letter to the subculture and music of his generation which was the 1980s and 90s. The series focuses on Renton who gets the opportunity to join this lifter group called Gekkostate led by his idol. He befriends one of the group’s main lifters, Eureka, who he’s drawn to and goes on an adventure with the group that will reshape their lives and the world. I remember this series appearing on Adult Swim back in the day. I watched a few episodes but quickly dropped it as I didn’t really get into the story and characters, but I know this series has its followers who love it and still talk about it to this day. A sequel to this series was made in 2012 that wrapped it up along with OVAs and films.
In 2006, Bones would also go on to make Ouran High Host Club one of the funniest animes I’ve ever seen. Based off a manga, the series centers around a girl named Haruhi who goes to the prestigious Ouran High School Academy. It’s there that she meets the Ouran High Host Club composed of spoiled rich boys led by their eccentric leader Tamaki. After accidentally breaking a priceless object, Haruhi gets forced to join the host club to pay them back and spends her time teaching them the ways of a commoner as well as serving as the host’s feminine boy host and voice of reason all while keeping her true gender a secret from the female students. Like I said before the anime is funny as hell thanks in large part to the dub. This was one of the first animes outside of Toonami, WB, and Fox to get dubbed and it has stood the test of time. Each episode gets a good laugh out of me. Whether it be the characters, the situations, the visual gags, this anime will find some way to make you laugh and you’ll enjoy it. The anime did catch up to the manga resulting in them having to make their own ending which was good. Ironically, despite the anime being a hit, Bones never made a sequel to the anime. Even with the manga coming to an end in 2010. There was a rumor of it coming back but that has since then been shut down. Still, me and a lot of fans are still holding out for a second season or reboot sometime in the future. The final anime they made in 2006 was Jyu-Oh-Sei or Planet of the Beast King when translated. A short sci-fi series centered around two twins named Thor and Rai who live on a space colony. When the two brothers come home one day, they find their parents murdered by a mysterious assassin. The assassin captures them and drops them on the planet Chimaera a penal colony ruled by extreme weather. In order to leave the planet, Thor vows to become their king by gathering the four rings that rule their society and become the Beast King. This series pretty much went unnoticed during its run. Hell, the dub didn’t even come out until 2012 that’s how little everyone thought about the series. It also didn’t help that the animation looked old and outdated. This was 2006, this was the same year we got Death Note, Black Lagoon, and Hellsing Ultimate and this anime looked like it was made in 2002 or 2003 and even those animes looked better than this. While I’ve heard the story is okay, this anime is one of Bone’s bottom animes and not fondly remembered by fans.
Broken Bones Recovered
As Bones entered the mid-2000s they still found themselves making anime that didn’t have much impact or reaction from the crowd. Near the end of 2006 Bones would make another original anime called Ghost Slayers Ayashi. Taking place in the Tenpo Era, Edo is attacked by monstrous entities from the underworld known as Youi. A special group called the Ayashi are tasked with fighting these monsters and protecting Edo from doom while trying to show the people of Japan how western knowledge isn’t all bad and can help them grow. This was another series that went mostly unnoticed which is a shame because it’s actually not a bad anime. It had good life lessons and a good cast of characters who each come from different walks of life proving that anyone is capable of learning and doing good. Definitely track this anime down and give it a watch if you can.
In 2007 tragedy would strike as Hiroshi Ōsaka was diagnosed with cancer and unfortunately passed away in September of that year. Despite his death the studio would continue and made another original called Darker than Black: The Black Contractor. The series was originally created by Tensai Okamura who came up with the idea while working on Wolf’s Rain. He felt the characters were too heroic for his liking and wanted to create more violent and grey characters that matched his handling of protagonists. Set in a world where an incident occurs resulting in people known as Contractors gaining special abilities and powers, we followed a Chinese Contractor named Hei who undertakes espionage and assassination missions in Tokyo by The Syndicate while also searching for his missing sister. The series was received well in the west than Japan with some calling it a cross between X-Men and Cowboy Bebop. The series garnered enough support to get a sequel in 2009 called Gemini of the Meteor and a 4-part spin-off in 2010 called Gaiden. Along with this, we also got Skull Man based off an old manga under the same name and was one of the first antiheroes to be seen in a manga. Skull Man is a psychic on the hunt for the mastermind who killed his family which leads to a rather dark and twisted truth you don’t see coming. It’s probably the shortest anime Bones ever made and another one of those animes that went unnoticed by everyone.
Bones would continue to make anime with dark settings. With the success of animes like Death Note and Hellsing Ultimate, it seemed like Japan was entering their emo/gothic phase. Teaming up with Telecom Animation Film, they made Chiko, Heiress of the Phantom Thief an anime based off a manga written by Shinji Ohara who used characters from the work of the famous Edogawa Rampo. Taking place in the Showa period, we follow a girl named Chizuko who goes to live with her aunt and uncle after her parents die. Being an avid reader of detective novels, she knows they’re trying to poison her to get her inheritance and avoids eating her aunt’s food. It then gets revealed that her butler is the world famous phantom thief Twenty Faces who takes pity on her and invites her to join him and his gang which she accepts. For the next two years she learns their trade and tricks to be a skilled phantom thief and then watch them all die in a train accident caused by their archnemesis, Tiger. Chizuko is then forced to live back with her aunt but finds out that Twenty Faces may still be alive and sets off with new friends to find her father figure. This anime was actually pretty good. It had a good mystery, and Chizuko was a great lead along with other great written characters that go through development as the anime progresses. If you like those dark mysterious animes then this one is definitely work checking out. Continuing the trend, Bones would also give us Soul Eater one of their most beloved animes. Based off the manga written by Atsushi Ōkubo, Soul Eater takes place in a world ruled by death itself, Shinegami, who is at war with witches. Shinegami runs a school that trains weapon meisters and humans who can turn into weapons to fight witches and protect the world from the forces of evil to maintain balance in the world. We focus on three different teams who become friends and follow them on their adventures and school life. The series was a big hit loved by everyone who felt it was like the middle ground between Death Note and Bleach (and Shaman King now that I think about it) as well as compared it to movies like The Nightmare Before Christmas and The Corpse Bride. The anime was good until the final third where it deviated from the manga. Just like Ouran High they caught up to the manga and were forced to make their own original ending which wasn’t all that good and rushed. Still, despite this, fans still like the anime to some degree and have spent years asking for a remake that follows the manga more closely. With the ending of the Fire Force anime, it looks like we’re finally getting our wish and I can’t wait to see it. If you want to hear my overall thoughts on the anime, click here to read my reviews.
2009 would see the studio continue to pick up steam and release in my opinion their best anime. They released their sequel to Darker Than Black which focused on an all-new character and would also release Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 an original work co-produced with Kinema Citrus. When Japan gets hit by a massive earthquake, we follow three females in the aftermath who brave the destroyed city in the hopes of making it home safely. The show was praised for its writing, characters, and the fact that it used real life science to predict that Japan would be hit by an earthquake of this magnitude in 2012 and they weren’t far off. Japan would be hit by an earthquake in 2011 and it was a magnitude of 9.0 one of biggest earthquakes ever recorded and saw the death of nearly 16,000 people. While Tokyo Magnitude and Darker Than Black were good it was Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood that stole the show in 2009. A complete remake of the original 2003 anime and first anime by their newest studio, Brotherhood follows the manga from beginning to end giving us the best manga to anime adaptation ever. It set the standards to what anime remakes should be like. So much so that when people call for a remake they expect to be on the same level and treatment as FMA: Brotherhood. As far as the anime goes it was spectacular. I’ve called this my all-time favorite anime on multiple occasions and after all these years stand by it. If I ever did a finale to Project Nitsuj, this is probably the anime I would end it on. Don’t worry, I have no intention of retiring any time soon. Once again, FMA helped the studio stand out in a big way and helped the studio end the 2000s on a high note.
Slow Growth
As a new decade was upon the studio, the first few years were rather slow and uneventful. Brotherhood continued into 2010 and the rest of that year was uneventful with their other animes. There was Heroman which was co-produced by the legendary Stan Lee and follows the story of a boy and his mecha protecting the Earth from insect aliens. It honestly feels like an old-school comic book version of Megas XLR. Then there was Star Driver another original mecha series where we follow a boy named Takuto who enrolls in Southern Cross High School. Beneath the school is a group of mysterious giants called Cybodies, which can be controlled by humans in an alternate dimension known as Zero Time. Takuto finds himself dragged into a battle against an opposition who wants to take control of the mechs for their own purposes. This is easily one of the craziest mecha animes ever created. It’s like what would happen if Evangelion took place in a theatre school. Dramatic, colorful, and filled to the brim with themes that center around suppressed teens who are traumatized and sexually frustrated. While not my cup of tea I will give credit to the anime for not being afraid to be itself. It knows what is and goes all out not hiding it or feeling ashamed. If you’re looking for a mecha anime that breaks the norm then this anime is for you.
In 2011 Bones could see they were starting to fall back into the black hole that is mecha anime and sought to escape by focusing their attention on different anime. The first anime they began adapting light novels and the first one they did was Gosick. Taking in 1924, in the fictional European known as Sauville the story centers around a boy named Kazuya who transfers to St. Marguerite Academy, where urban legends and horror stories are popular. Kazuya befriends a girl named Victorique and spends his days solving mysterious and criminal cases that even detectives have trouble solving as well as dealing with Victorique’s family situation. This series gained very little attraction and once again went unrecognized by the community. Bones would continue the mystery trend with No. 6 and Un-Go. No.6 is a sci-fi somewhat BL series that follows a boy named Shion who grew up in a privileged environment. At the age of 12, he shelters a fugitive named Nezumi, gets discovered, and is stripped of his elite status. Years later he reunites with Nezumi after uncovering a government conspiracy and relocates to a new area where the two grapple against the harsh realities of the world. A rather boring anime but the relationship between Shion and Nezumi is considered one of the best examples of m/m relationships. It avoids the usual tropes you see in these relationships while showing care and respect that every LGBTQ relationship deserves. Un-Go was another boring anime that seemed to have a good idea on paper but sucked in execution. Set a dystopian future, the story centers around an old-school detective named Shinjuro who investigates and solves cases with his supernatural partner, Inga. Most of the anime just feels like filler with the plot making no sense whatsoever and story progression being mid.
In 2012 Eureka Seven would return along with Blast of Tempest. Based off a manga, the series follows Yoshino Takigawa, an ordinary teenager, who is secretly dating his best friend Mahiro Fuwa’s younger sister, Aika. When Aika mysteriously dies, Mahiro disappears, vowing to find the one responsible and make them pay. Yoshino continues his life as usual and has not heard from Mahiro in a month until he is confronted by a strange girl who holds him at gunpoint, and Mahiro arrives in the nick of time to save him. Mahiro reveals he’s working with a witch named Hakaze Kusaribe to find Aika’s killer. However, Hakaze has been banished to a deserted island due to infighting within her clan. Hakaze’s brother, Samon, selfishly desires to make use of the Tree of Exodus’ power, in spite of both his sister’s opposition and the impending peril to the world. With Hakaze out of the picture, it is now up to Yoshino and Mahiro to help her save the world, all while inching ever closer to the truth behind Aika’s death. The show starts off promising but starts to dip in quality around the halfway point and loses its audience. The series was heavily influenced by Hamlet and The Tempest which they love reminding you about as every other minute someone is throwing out a Shakespeare quote for no reason other than to say it. The whole anime just comes across as pretentious because of it and in the second half they contradict the rules they established in the first half and shoehorn in a romance that makes no sense and even gets called out by the characters who degrade in the second half greatly. Blast of Tempest started off good but ultimately fell under its own weight and ruined what could have been a good anime. 2013 was a slow year for Bones as they spent their time working on an anime called Tenkai Knights. An original work based off a toy line by Spin Master. Four boys get selected to become the new guardians of a planet called Quarton and battle against the evil Lord Vilius and his Corrupted Army empire who want to take over Quarton and Earth. A series for kids at best, the show famously aired simultaneously throughout the world. I never really heard kids talk about it all that much so I’m guessing it didn’t leave much of an impact on people.
The first half of Bones’s life was filled with highs but mostly mediocre or forgetful animes, but all of that would change in 2014 when the studio would get back on track and establish itself as one of the best studios in Japan. Join me next time as we continue our rewatch into this fantastic studio. Thanks for reading and I’ll see you next time on Project Nitsuj.