The 13 Best Shaft Anime

Head-tilts, text flashes and bold colour, applied to everything from magical girls to quiet shogi dramas.

1. 1
   Puella Magi Madoka Magica

   The 2011 deconstruction of the magical girl genre, known for its stark visuals and a sharp turn in tone.
   1000pts
2. 2
   Madoka Magica: Rebellion

   The 2013 film sequel that revisited the Madoka story with new twists.
   785pts
3. 3
   March Comes in Like a Lion

   A quiet drama about a teenage shogi professional and the neighbours who help him through loneliness.
   699pts
4. 4
   Bakemonogatari

   The 2009 start of the Monogatari franchise, with dialogue-heavy supernatural stories and Shaft's head-tilt style.
   576pts
5. 5
   Dance in the Vampire Bund

   A 2010 supernatural drama about a vampire princess and a human protector.
   500pts
6. 6
   Sayonara, Zetsubou-Sensei

   A satirical comedy about a pessimistic teacher and his oddball class, famous for its fast text-heavy visuals.
   409pts
7. 7
   Soul Eater

   An action series about students at a school for weapons and meisters who hunt corrupted souls.
   300pts
8. 8
   Tsukuyomi: Moon Phase

   A 2004 supernatural comedy about a vampire girl and a photographer.
   300pts
9. 9
   Pani Poni Dash!

   A fast, reference-heavy comedy about a child genius who becomes a teacher.
   300pts
10. 10
    Monogatari Series: Second Season

    The 2013 follow-up that adapted a large stretch of the light novels.
    300pts
11. 11
    Hidamari Sketch

    A gentle slice-of-life series about art students living in an apartment building.
    300pts
12. 12
    Nisekoi

    A romantic comedy about a boy whose fake relationship with a gangster's daughter becomes complicated.
    300pts
13. 13
    Arakawa Under the Bridge

    A surreal comedy about a businessman who falls in with eccentric people living under a bridge.
    0pts

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