Overview

Shaft (stylized as SHAFT) was founded on September 1, 1975 by Hiroshi Wakao, a former Mushi Production's animator. The company was originally founded as a company that does subcontract work instead of producing their own anime. Most notably, there were first created as a color design company. In 1987, They were able to produce their own first original series, Yume kara samenai (夢から、さめない). In 1995, they first produced their own TV series, Juuni Senshi Bakuretsu Eto Ranger.

In 2000, SHAFT cooperated with Gainax to produce a DVD special of remastered Gunbuster. After Gunbuster, they were in joint production with Gainax to produce Mahoromatic, This Ugly and Beautiful World, and He is My Master. After Hiroshi Wakao's retirement in 2004, Kubota Mitsutoshi has become Shaft's representative director. Their painting group has also been downsized in order to strengthen their digital group.

With the production of Tsukuyomi −MOON PHASE−, they established their very own SHAFT style as a trademark in their anime production, mostly contributed by Akiyuki Shinbo.

Their unique direction in their anime production has since created a criticisms among fans. Some liked it, and of course some hated it.

They are also noted to have various illustrations to draw Ending Illustrations for their anime. Seiyuus are also noted to contribute their drawings for anime. For example, the casts provided some of their drawings for Negima!? ; and Yuu Kobayashi also provided some of her drawings to SHAFT before. It is there where her "artistic" ability is well known among the fans.

Currently almost every SHAFT anime are produced by director Shinbo. It is because of that, fans associated SHAFT with Shinbo most of the time.

The appearance of a Shaft title without director Shinbo's involvement had to wait 14 years since "REC" (directed by Ryūtarō Nakamura), which was broadcast in 2006, until "Assault Lily BOUQUET" (directed by Shouji Saeki), which was on air in 2020.

In June 2022, a new local branch, Shaft Shizuoka Studio AOI, was established in Shizuoka City in the Chūbu region. The studio will study hybrid production methods for drawing and 3DCG. (Video reported in press)

Produced Works

TV anime

Juuni Senshi Bakuretsu Eto Ranger (TV, 1995)

Dotto Koni-chan (TV, 2000)

Mahoromatic series (joint production with Gainax)

• Mahoromatic: Automatic Maiden (TV, 2001)
• Mahoromatic: Something More Beautiful (TV, 2002)
• Mahoromatic: Summer Special (OVA, 2003)

G-On Riders (TV, 2002, joint production with TNK)

Popotan (TV, 2003)

This Ugly Yet Beautiful World (TV, 2004, joint production with Gainax)

Tsukuyomi: Moon Phase (TV, 2004)

He is My Master (TV, 2005, joint production with Gainax)

Pani Poni Dash! (TV, 2005)

Rec (TV, 2006)

Negima!? (TV, 2006)

Hidamari Sketch series (2007-)

• Hidamari Sketch (TV, 2007)
• Hidamari Sketch Special (TV, 2007)
• Hidamari Sketch ×365 (TV, 2008)
• Hidamari Sketch ×365 Special (TV, 2009)
• Hidamari Sketch ×Hoshimittsu (TV, January 2010)
• Hidamari Sketch ×Hoshimittsu Special (TV, October 2010)
• Hidamari Sketch x SP (TV, October 2011)
• Hidamari Sketch × Honeycomb (TV, October 2012)
• Hidamari Sketch: Sae & Hiro's Graduation Arc (OVA, November 2013)

Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei series (2007-)

• Sayonara Zetsubō Sensei (TV, 2007)
• Zoku Sayonara Zetsubō Sensei (TV, 2008)
• Goku Sayonara Zetsubō Sensei (OVA, 2008-2009)
• Zan Sayonara Zetsubō Sensei (TV, July 2009)
• Zan Sayonara Zetsubō Sensei Bangaichi (OVA, 2009-2010)

Ef: A Fairy Tale of the Two. series

• Ef: A Tale of Memories. (TV, 2007)
• Ef: A Tale of Melodies. (TV, 2008)

Maria Holic series

• Maria Holic (TV, January 2009)
• Maria Holic: Alive (TV, April 2011)

Natsu no Arashi! series

• Natsu no Arashi! (TV, April 2009)
• Natsu no Arashi! Akinai chū (TV, October 2009)

Monogatari series (2009-2019)

• Bakemonogatari (TV, July 2009)
• Nisemonogatari (TV, January 2012)
• Nekomonogatari (Black) (TV, December 2012)
• Monogatari series Second Season
  • Nekomonogatari (White) (TV, July 2013)
  • Kabukimonogatari (August 2013)
  • Otorimonogatari (September 2013)
  • Onimonogatari (October 2013)
  • Koimonogatari (November 2013)
• Hanamonogatari (TV, August 2014)
• Tsukimonogatari (TV, December 2014)
• Owarimonogatari I (TV, October 2015)
• Koyomimonogatari (ONA, January 2016)
• Kizumonogatari I (Movie, January 2016)
• Kizumonogatari II (Movie, August 2016)
• Kizumonogatari III (Movie, January 2017)
• Owarimonogatari II (TV, August 2017)
• Zoku Owarimonogatari (TV, May 2019)

Dance in the Vampire Bund (TV, January 2010)

Arakawa Under the Bridge series

• Arakawa Under the Bridge (TV, April 2010)
• Arakawa Under the Bridge x Bridge (TV, October 2010)

Soredemo Machi wa Mawatteiru (TV, October 2010)

Puella Magi Madoka Magica series (2011-)

• Puella Magi Madoka Magica (TV, January 2011)
• Puella Magi Madoka Magica: The Movie (Trilogy film series)
  • Beginnings (Movie, October 6 2012)
  • Eternal (Movie, October 13 2012)
  • Rebellion (Movie, October 26, 2013)
• Puella Magi Madoka Magica the Movie - Walpurgisnacht: Rising (Planned movie, TBA)

Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko (TV, April 2011)

Sasami-san@Ganbaranai (TV, January 2013)

Nisekoi (TV, January 2014)

Mekakucity Actors (TV, April 2014)

Gourmet Girl Graffiti (TV, January 2015)

Nisekoi： (TV, April 2015)

Magical Suite Prism Nana (OVA, 2015-)

The Beheading Cycle: The Blue Savant and the Nonsense Bearer (OVA, October 2016)

March Comes In Like a Lion (TV, October 2016 - March 2018)

Fireworks, Should We See It from the Side or the Bottom? (Movie, August 2017)

Akuma no Memumemu-chan (ONA, January 2018)

Fate/EXTRA Last Encore (TV, January 2018)

Ikebukuro PR Anime　(PR for a local authority, January 2019)

HUNGRY_DAYS(ONEPIECE) (Commercial for Cup Noodles, May 2019)

Magia Record series

• Magia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story (TV, January 2020)
• Magia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story - Eve of Awakening (TV, August 2021)
• Magia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story - Dawn of a Shallow Dream (TV, April 2022)

Assault Lily BOUQUET (TV, October 2020)

Pretty Boy Detective Club (TV, April 2021)

Assault Lily Fruits (ONA, July 2021 - January 2022)

Luminous Witches (TV, July 2022)

RWBY: Ice Queendom (TV, July 2022)

Other works

Yume kara samenai (OVA, 1987)

Arcade Gamer Fubuki (OVA, 2002)

Mahou Sensei Negima! event screenings

Mahou Sensei Negima! Haru (OVA, 2006)

Mahou Sensei Negima! Natsu (OVA, 2006)

Kino no Tabi: Byouki no Kuni -For You- (Movie, 2007)

Shina Dark (Music Clip DVD, 2008)

Mahou Sensei Negima! OVA series

Mahou Sensei Negima!: Shiroki Tsubasa Ala Alba (OVA, 2008-2009)

Mahou Sensei Negima! Magic World arc (OVA, September 2009)

Katte ni Kaizo (OVA, May 2011 - October 2011)

Kid Icarus: Uprising (ONA, 2012)

Magia Record opening animations, transformation animations (App game, 2017-)

Assault Lily Last Bullet opening animation, Legion introduction animations (1, 2) (App game, 2021-)

North American Productions

Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n' Wrestling (animation production shared with Wang Film Productions and Hanho Heung-Up)

Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors (animation production shared with Sunrise and other studios)

ALF Tales (animation production shared with MOOK DLE)

Related Illustration

External Link

Official Webpage

Official Twitter (@shaft_official)

Article in Other Languages

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