Madhouse

Masao Maruyama, Osamu Dezaki, and Yoshiaki Kawajiri, former employees of Mushi Pro, created the Japanese animation studio Madhouse, Inc. in 1972. Madhouse has created and helped to produce many well-known shows, OVAs and films, starting with TV anime series Ace o Nerae! (produced by Tokyo Movie Shinsha) 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 and the first season of One-Punch Man. Their strength was and is in TV shows and theatrical movies, unlike other studios established at this period like AIC and J.C.Staff.

In the 1990s, Madhouse added to the original Mushi Pro team by hiring significant directors including Satoshi Kon, Masayuki Kojima, and Morio Asaka. In the 2000s, they hired many more younger television directors as well as Mamoru Hosoda, Takeshi Koike, and Mitsuo Iso. The studio was also in charge of the original Beyblade anime series, the Dragon Drive anime, and the 2011 Hunter Hunter anime adaption.

The studio frequently works with well-known manga creators like Naoki Urasawa and Clamp. Yawara! by Urasawa, Master Keaton, and Monster were all adapted by Madhouse; Masayuki Kojima directed the latter two. The firm has animated several CLAMP series, such as Tokyo Babylon, X (both the theatrical film and the TV series), Cardcaptor Sakura and its follow-up Clear Card, Chobits, and two versions of X.

Founded: October 17, 1972
Headquarters: Honchō, Nakano, Tokyo
Number of employees: 70
Website: madhouse.co.jp