Since its launch in 2005, A-1 Pictures has been the home of many popular anime shows loved by viewers. Black Butler, Sword Art Online, and Your Lie April are some of the few popular anime shows from A-1 Pictures. The studio, a subsidiary of Aniplex and Sony Music Entertainment Japan, first produced a family-focus show for Aniplex before expanding into a wider range of shows, many of which are loved worldwide.
The studio has been working on various projects, including Solo Leveling -Reawakening, Solo Leveling Season 2, Mashle: Magic and Muscles Season 3, and many others. These upcoming shows have already become the topic of discussion among fandom, especially Solo Leveling Season 2. After the successful first season, fans want to explore this Korean manhwa more.
This article will feature the top 16 anime by A-1 Pictures. From action fantasy to thriller suspense to romance comedy, these shows showcase the studio’s versatility and skills at producing high-quality anime, making them the must-watch shows for any anime fans. With a wide variety of genres and themes, they sure appeal to a broad range of viewers.
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Best Anime By A-1 Pictures
A-1 Pictures, without a doubt, is one of the best animation studios, producing several hit anime shows that viewers love. The shows produced by the studio are known for their animation, plot, and world-building. Below are the best anime shows by A-1 Studio you should consider watching.
Black Butler
A dark comedy anime show known for its characters and humor elements, Black Butler is one of the best anime by A-1 Pictures. Written and illustrated by Yana Toboso, based on the manga series of the same name, Black Butler is a 2008 dark comedy anime that follows the life of Ciel Phantomhive, a twelve-year-old and the current head of the Phantomhive house, also known as the “Queen Guard Dog.” His job is to solve the crimes in London, and Sebastian Michaelis, his devoted butler assists him. However, Sebastian is the true manifestation of evil, whose soul is tethered by Ciel.
Because of his traumatic history, Ciel is consumed by darkness. He forms a contract with Sebastian to exchange his soul for vengeance against those who contributed to his traumatic past. As the story progresses, the two become friends and understand each other well.
It is one of the best dark comedy anime series. Are you looking for the best anime to watch on weekends, Black Butler is perfect for you. The show has an IMDB 7.6. You can watch the anime Crunchyroll and Prime Video.
The Seven Deadly Sins
Based on the popular adventure fantasy manga series of the same, written and illustrated by Nakaba Suzuki, The Seven Deadly Sins is a 2014 anime that explores the adventures of a group of warriors. They were wrongly punished for a crime they didn’t commit and went on a quest to prove their innocence.
The plot revolves around Elizabeth, the princess of Liones, who is looking for a group of warriors to help reclaim her kingdom and bring justice to an unjust world. As the story progresses, we discover that the warriors she is looking for are seven deadly sins. They were heavily punished for the crime and left out of the kingdom.
It is one of the best anime by A-1 Pictures. From animation to characters to the plot, everything is perfect. It is safe to say “The Seven Deadly Sins” is one of the finest works by the studio. Even after years, the show is considered one of the most talked-about topics in the fandom.
The Seven Deadly Sins has an IMDB 7.7. You can watch the show on Crunchyroll. Due to its popularity among fans, the studio decided to produce spin-off movies that went wrong. We strongly recommend not to watch them.
Silver Spoon
Unlike The Seven Deadly Sins and Black Butler, Silver Spoon is considered the most underrated anime by A-1 Pictures. Silver Spoon is one of the highest IMDB-rated anime on the list and the best anime by the studio. Based on the manga series of the name, written and illustrated by Hiromu Arakawa, Silver Spoon is a 2013 not-so-hit anime series that follows the life of Yūgo Hachiken, a beautiful soul and high-spirited teenager who hasn’t given up on studying.
After failing to pass the entrance examinations, Yugo Hachiken decided to applied Ooezo Agricultural High School only to satisfy his father’s expectations. However, what he finds is a fry cr
y from what he expected, and soon has to adapt to the harder lifestyle of the early morning wake-up calls and harder labor.
Silver Soon is one of the best anime that teaches several things about life. Nothing is easy and goes according to plan. The show has an IMDB 7.6. You can watch the anime Crunchyroll. Are you bored watching the same old stuff and looking for something new? Silver is perfect for you.
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Solo Leveling
Written and illustrated by Chugong, based on the manhwa series of the same name, Solo Leveling is one of the action fantasy anime shows. First released in 2024, Solo Leveling has broken multiple records and set a new one with 1,000 animation frames in just 20 seconds. Solo Leveling is one of the most talked about anime in 2024. After the successful first season, the studio behind the anime, A-1 Pictures, will bring Solo Leveling -ReAwakening to fans. The film is in production and will be available to watch next year. The film will feature the last two first season episodes and the second season’s first two episodes.
Solo Leveling is an action fantasy manhwa that follows the life of E-level hunter Sung Jinwoo, the weakest among the weakest hunters. While clearing the dungeon, Jinwoo finds him and others inside it. However, unlike any dungeon, this one required to follow certain rules. As the story progresses, Sung Jinwoo understands and follows the rules accordingly. In the end, Jinwoo became the chosen one by the system, granting him the ability to level up after each battle.
The show has an IMDB 8.3. You can watch the anime on Crunchyroll. Are you waiting for the second season of Solo Leveling? It will be available to watch next year.
Sword Art Online
Written by Reki Kawahara and illustrated by Abec, based on the light novel of the same name, Sword Art Online is one of the best action comedy anime series. The show takes place in a world known as Aincrad, a virtual reality world where people come from a game engine called the World Seed.
This engine lets them play the virtual reality game. Before being duplicated for Alfheim Online (ALO), World Seed. It was developed for SAO by Akihiko Kayaba. However, the turn of events came after SAO was willed to Kirito. He wants to revive the virtual reality industry. Therefore, Kirito leaked SAO.
Sword Art Online is one of the best anime by A-1 Pictures. It follows the life of thousands of people getting trapped in a new virtual MMORPG SAO, and the lone wolf player, Kirito, does everything to escape. The main characters are Kirito and Asuna, as they form close bonds.
Later, as the story progresses, Kirito and Asuna work together to let each other escape the game. Unlike other anime, Sword Art Online had a twisted ending that make a fan cry. The anime has an IMDB 7.5. You can watch the anime on Crunchyroll.
Your Lie In April
The 2014 romance comedy anime show, Your Lie In April follows the life of Kousei Arima, a fourteen-year-old piano prodigy who became the talk of the town after winning several music competitions. His life was nothing short of a beautiful dream until Kousei’s mother got sick and died. His mother’s demise left a deep scar on Kousei as he suffered from a mental breakdown and was unable to hear the sound of his piano. Just when he thought there was no hope for survival, he met Kaori Miyazono, a beautiful violinist. She came as a hope in his life and inspired him to play again. The two become good friends and start spending time together. They even play together in many competitions.
Based on the manga series of the same name, Your Lie In April is a beautiful anime that can make any grown-up cry. The show has a beautiful animation style, the character design is very good, and the music is top. It is one of the things you can expect from A-1 Pictures. It is one of the highest IMDB-rated anime 8.5. You can watch the anime on Crunchyroll. You can finish the show in one sitting. Your Lie In April has one season with twenty-two episodes.
Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku
Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku, a romantic comedy anime series written and illustrated by Fujita and produced by A-1 Pictures, is beautiful and funny. The show follows the life of Narumi Momose, an office lady who hides her otaku lifestyle. She is a huge fan of anime and manga, but she keeps her passion hidden from others, as she doesn’t want anyone to find out. However, her life turns into a dream world when she meets Hirotaka Nifuji, a childhood friend. After exchanging a few conversations, she discovered her childhood friend was nothing different than herself. And she can finally open herself to him.
As the story progresses, the two become friends. Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku is one of the best anime for fans with limited time. You can watch the entire season in one sitting. The anime has an IMDB 7.5. You can watch the anime on Crunchyroll.
Mashle: Magic and Muscles
Mashle: Magic and Muscles Season 2 is one of the latest popular anime produced by A-1 Pictures and follows the adventures of Mash Burndead. Based on the manga series of the same, written and illustrated by Hajime Kōmoto, Mashle: Magic and Muscles is a 2020 adventure comedy anime that takes place in a magical world where a person’s social standing is based on their magical skills.
In such a world, a boy is born without magic. Mash Burndead, the main character, has to become a Divine Visnory to live peacefully with his grandpa. However, his life was nothing short of a roller coaster. He passed the entrance exam with high colors and made a good impression in the eyes of the principal. He must remember his goals and keep his secret away from others.
The boy with zero magic abilities stands against the best magic users and is the sure thing to watch. It is one of the best anime for the fans to watch in 2024. Mashle: Magic and Muscles had two seasons, and the third one is in production. Mashle: Magic and Muscles has an IMDB 7.6. You can watch the anime on Crunchyroll.
NieR:Automata Ver1.1a
Based on the 2017 action role-playing game Nier: Automata developed by PlatinumGames and published by Square Enix, NieR: Automata Ver1.1a is one of the best action fantasy anime produced by A-1 Pictures.
The show takes place in 11945 on a post-apocalyptic Earth abandoned by humanity. Captured by aliens, Earth has become part of conflicts between two species. Aliens and humans, with their army of machines, have fought for centuries. The battle goes on and on until the introduction of YoRHa, an elite android who takes part from humans in the battle. NieR: Automata Ver1.1a has an IMDB 7.3. You can watch the anime on Crunchyroll.
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Kaguya-sama: Love Is War
Kaguya-sama: Love Is War is one of the best comedy anime series based on the manga series of the same name, written and illustrated by Aka Akasaka, the anime follows the life of two high school students fighting to make others confess their love first. While this innocent fight between the two classmates may seem harmless at first, however after realizing how extreme it goes, you cannot do anything other than giggle.
Kaguya Shinomiya and Miyuki Shirogane are two classmates who are deeply in love with each other but refuse to confess their feelings first. They plan to make others confess first, but everything something goes wrong, making it more fun to watch.
First released in 2019, Kaguya-sama: Love Is War is one of the best romance comedy anime to watch online. It will be hard not to laugh after watching the show. A-1 Pictures, the studio behind the anime, did great work. The anime has an IMDB 8.5. You can watch the anime on Crunchyroll and Netflix.
Are you looking for the best comedy anime? Kaguya-Sama Love Is War, is the perfect show to watch with your friends and family.
Erased
Follows the life of Satoru Fujinuma, a 29-year-old manga artist who can time walk. This ability allows him to go back to the moment before the life-threatening incident to prevent it from happening. It is called “Revival.”
When a mysterious attacker kills his mother, his power takes him eighteen years back in time. With this time jump, he has a chance to save his mother and also prevent an incident from occurring, which leads to the death of his three childhood friends. Satoru is on a quest to discover what happened eighteen years ago and keep his classmate from dying.
Based on the manga series of the same name, written and illustrated by Kei Sanbe, Erased is one of the best psychological thriller anime produced by A-1 Pictures. The show ran for a year with 12 episodes. You can finish an entire anime in one sitting. The plot of Erased is unique and mindblowing, you’ll not guess what was coming. A-1 Pictures, the best anime studio has done again with Erased. Erased has an IMDB 8.4. You can watch the anime on Crunchyroll.
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Conclusion
A-1 Picture is one of the best anime studios, well-known for producing many high-quality anime like Your Lie In April, Seven Deadly Sins, Earsed, and many more. The show produced by A-1 Pictures has excellent animation, a unique plot, and better character design. Shows like Your Lie April and Erased are still popular among fans even years after their release. They are one of the most talked about anime in the community.
We at Animeking decided to share the best selection of anime with you. Follow the Animeking website to get your daily dose of anime and manga latest updates.