About the studio
Madhouse was founded October 17, 1972 by a group of animators who'd left Mushi Production, including Masao Maruyama, Osamu Dezaki, and Yoshiaki Kawajiri. Based in Nakano, Tokyo, it built a reputation as the studio serious anime fans point to when they want to prove the medium can be art, not just entertainment. Death Note, One Punch Man's first season, and Hunter x Hunter (2011) all came out of Madhouse, but so did Satoshi Kon's films, Perfect Blue, Paprika, the kind of work that gets studied in film classes, not just anime forums. *That's the range we're talking about.* Over five decades, Madhouse has managed something rare: a reputation for prestige without ever fully abandoning mainstream appeal. Plenty of studios chase acclaim or chase audiences. Madhouse has spent 50 plus years quietly doing both.