Ufotable is a Japanese animation production company, popularly known as “UFO” by Japanese fans. In addition to planning and producing anime, the company is also involved in a wide range of other businesses, from series composition and scenario planning to live-action film production.
With production studios located in Suginami Ward, Tokyo and Tokushima City, Tokushima Prefecture, Ufotable has a combined staff of nearly 200 people. The company is also famous for its president, Hikaru Kondo, who is the director of the Garden of Sinners series.
In this article, we will introduce the features of such anime production company Ufotable, and also introduce our top 10 recommended anime from them. If you find something that tickles your fancy, please check it out.
What is Ufotable?
Ufotable has an environment that allows them to complete most of the animation production in-house, which allows for smoother cooperation between staff members. Therefore, it is said that there are many TV animation works that have the same quality as movies.
The appeal of Ufotable’s visuals lies especially in the depiction of action, beautiful backgrounds, and camera work. In battle scenes, dynamic action is captured with unique and bold camera work, overwhelming viewers with powerful images.
The backgrounds are also one of the attractions of the film, and their beauty will capture the viewer’s hearts and minds.
Each film is not only faithful to the original work, but also draws out the charm of the original work to the maximum extent, and has received high praise from fans of the original work.
1. Demon Slayer
Ever since the death of his father, the burden of supporting the family has fallen upon Tanjirou Kamado’s shoulders. Though living impoverished on a remote mountain, the Kamado family is able to enjoy a relatively peaceful and happy life. One day, Tanjirou decides to go down to the local village to make a little money selling charcoal. On his way back, night falls, forcing Tanjirou to take shelter in the house of a strange man, who warns him of the existence of flesh-eating demons that lurk in the woods at night.
When he finally arrives back home the next day, he is met with a horrifying sight—his whole family has been slaughtered. Worse still, the sole survivor is his sister Nezuko, who has been turned into a bloodthirsty demon. Consumed by rage and hatred, Tanjirou swears to avenge his family and stay by his only remaining sibling. Alongside the mysterious group calling themselves the Demon Slayer Corps, Tanjirou will do whatever it takes to slay the demons and protect the remnants of his beloved sister’s humanity.
- The art is AWESOME, we can see this in every episode with the detailed design of the characters, the background, and the landscapes. The drawing style is outstanding even in the little bonus at the end of every chapter
- It has a strong and stunning opening that goes according to the story and an OST which remarks on every important scene. The ending is remarkable too
- Every character has their inner story, Tanjirou and his family and the others with their past
2. Fate Series
The Fate series has been adapted into a TV anime and theater anime as part of the TYPE-MOON×ufotable Project; the TV anime aired for two seasons between 2014 and 2015. The TV anime aired for two seasons from 2014 to 2015, while the theatrical anime was released in three chapters in 2017, 2019, and 2020.
Both the TV and theatrical anime were directed by Takahiro Miura, who also directed Chapter 6 in the project’s The Garden of Sinners series.
The story is faithful to the original work and the battle scenes with three-dimensional depth throughout the series have captured the hearts of fans. The cherry blossom scenes that appear in the movie have a Japanese beauty and show the true essence of Ufotable’s method of expression.
- Story-wise, it’s been following the light novel consistently with great precision, picking up almost every single finest detail that is required to elaborate the story into a fine piece
- The battle scenes are just simply amazing, you could never get enough of the fighting scenes, some of the episodes filled with action just make your blood boiled when you watch them
- Sound-wise, the OP and the ED are just simply amazing. Watching the ED especially brings you into the story, making you want to know which era and where every single servant comes from
3. Katsugeki Touken Ranbu
Based on the popular game Touken Ranbu, this is a full-fledged action anime based on historical facts. The production team that worked on Fate/Zero has reunited and attracted many fans with the beauty of its images. The action scenes, which is Ufotable’s forte, are breathtaking, and some people say that the flowing water and fire scenes during battles are so beautiful that you would think they were live-action.
In addition to the powerful action scenes, the scenes of everyday life in the main castle are also carefully designed and filled with Ufotable’s unique expressions. This anime is recommended not only for those who like the original game but also for those who want to enjoy the beauty of the images.
- This anime is meant for the fans of Touken Ranbu, not for those who have no idea what it is
- The action sequence is slick, the visual effects blend beautifully with the hand-drawn animations, no “lazy” 3D animation in place, and it doesn’t hurt to maintain the bishounen-ness of our brave Touken
- This anime focuses on the history of their country, their hero, the people who fight for it, and the importance of their sword and being a warrior in their life
4. The Garden of Sinners Series
In the TYPE-MOON x Ufotable project, The Garden of the Sinners based on Kinoko Nasu’s novel has been adapted into a theatrical anime for the first time.
Like the original work, this work consists of seven chapters, and its high quality has become a topic of conversation, with the number of theatrical releases gradually increasing. Also, the first chapter Overlooking View was selected as a Jury Recommended Work for the 12th Japan Media Arts Festival.
The overall visual beauty of this work is outstanding, and the battle scene on the rooftop in Overlooking View is especially appreciated by fans.
The flowing action scenes with impressive drawings and shadows will take your breath away. The effective use of blue color is also impressive.
- This movie carries very explicit themes, thus, it would be best suited for a mature audience
- The animation is vivid and beautifully executed, with the dark tones of the series, the skilled animations surround you more and more as you watch
- Kinoko Nasu’s earliest work introduces some concepts that are later found in the Fate series.
5. Today’s Menu For The Emiya Family
With the threat of the Holy Grail War no longer looming over Fuyuki City, its inhabitants can finally enjoy a time of peace. Now that all of the masters and Servants have adjusted to their new mundane lives, Shirou has taken it upon himself to cook for his household and show Saber the wonders of modern cuisine. Every day, he ventures into the marketplace to see what kind of different meals he can cook with unique ingredients and a limited budget. However, his legendary skills often attract uninvited guests from all over the city, so there is never a dull moment at dinner with the Emiya family.
As his guests entertain themselves in the living room, Shirou walks through the step-by-step process of creating some of his favorite meals. With delicacies such as his savory New Year soba with shrimp tempura, steamy foil-baked salmon, and cheesy bamboo shoot gratin, everything is up for grabs on his menu. Itadakimasu!
- The first thing you may notice is how lovely everyone looks with this new art style and these eye-catching wardrobes
- The second thing you may notice is that the food looks scrumptious as all hell. The fine folks over at Ufotable worked their asses off to prepare these good looks for you and boy does it show when the food starts cooking
- This isn’t your ordinary Japanese class. Professors Emiya, Ramsey, and CBF are ‘bout to teach you some life skills, and class
6. GOT EATER
GOD EATER is an anime adaptation of a game of the same name released by Namco Bandai Games in 2010. The anime was adapted as a project to commemorate the 5th anniversary of the series and was broadcast on TV from 2015 to 2016.
The highlights of this anime adaptation of the popular game are the way the characters and backgrounds are expressed, and the powerful effects in the battle scenes. All enemy characters called “Aragami” are drawn in 3DCG, and 2D and 3D coexist in the animation.
As Ufotable has an established reputation for its backgrounds, the world of devastation and beauty has been beautifully expressed using methods of expression that have never been seen before.
- God Eater is one of those odd shows that starts out as kind of a slow burn for a few episodes at risk of losing you, but then goes from 0-100 real fast to grab you right back in
- The visuals are just stunning, as is to be expected from Studio Ufotable
- The OP is great and gets you super pumped, the ED is fantastic closure, and the insert songs in this show were just on a whole other level
7. Tales of Symphonia
Tales of Symphonia The Animation is one of the Tales series, which was animated as an OVA from 2007 to 2011, divided into three seasons: the Silverlance Arc, the Theasela Arc, and the World Integration Arc.
Haruo Tonozaki, who has directed many popular works such as Demon Slayer and Katsugeki Toukendanbu, was in charge of the director. At first, it was planned to produce only the Silverlance Arc, but at the request of Tonozaki, a sequel was produced.
This work makes full use of the beauty of the artwork, which is one of Ufotable’s strengths. In particular, the power of the battle scenes is remarkable.
One of the charms of this work is that it respects the original work, and the great story of the game is fully packed into a 120-minute OVA.
- The artwork is like the cut scenes from the video game. Which means it’s pretty good
- The voice acting really couldn’t have been better. The voices really fit the characters greatly
- The characters are all cool, and each has a different personality, making them very likable
8. Tales of Zestiria The Cross
Tales of Zestiria the Cross is one of the popular RPG games “Tales” series. The anime was adapted into two seasons in 2016 and 2017 to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the “Tales” series.
This work has gained popularity all over the world, and the total number of views from the official distribution has exceeded 100 million times.
The story follows the adventures of a young human boy named Suray, who becomes an “imam” to ward off the world’s ills and goes on adventures with his friends. The highlight of this game is the amazingly beautiful graphics.
It is said by fans that everything from the first episode to the last episode is a “divine drawing”. The content of the game is also very easy to watch throughout as it carefully introduces the world and the characters.
- Tales of Zestiria offers plenty of time for building more into its fantasy themes. From malevolence to devious Hellions, it has the feel of a high-fantasy adventure
- Animated by Ufotable, a powerhouse studio well known for their high quality. This show does not disappoint at all when it comes to visuals. In fact, if there’s anything to talk about, it would the high-level production
- The OP and ED theme songs are dosed with instrumental beats that will get the adrenaline pumping
9. Magical Sisters Yoyo and Nene
The movie Magical Sisters Yoyo and Nene is based on the manga Noroiya Shimai by Hirarin. Unlike the original story, the movie version is an original story set in modern Japan.
The film was released worldwide in 2013 and received high acclaim overseas as well. The director is Hirao Takayuki, who also directed The Garden of the Sinners Chapter 5: Contradictory Spiral and the short film The Temperature of Cherry Blossoms.
The story follows Yoyo and Nene, two witch sisters who live in a magical land and run a “Noroi-ya” and solve problems that straddle modern Japan and the magical land. In particular, the scene in which Yoyo uses up all her magic power to protect the hospital is a real thriller, and with the beauty of the images, I’m sure there are many people who have watched the movie.
At first glance, you may think that this is an anime for children, but even adults will surely fall in love with the charm of this work.
- With such an expansive use of colors, themes, and textures, this anime movie stands among the best-looking anime you will ever see
- We are immediately treated to a battle scene with SFX that perfectly accentuate what is going on onscreen. From peddling noises, to explosions, to Zimms and Zooms, the sound is just perfect.
- The characters are not all unique, but they do a great job providing fun and interesting scenes
10. Sakura no Ondo
Sakura no Ondo is an original short animation film by Ufotable released in October 2011. It is directed by Hirao Takayuki, who also directed The Garden of the Sinners Chapter 5: Contradictory Spiral.
The film is only shown at Ufotable CINEMA in Tokushima, and although it has not been released on BD or DVD, it has been shown daily at the theater since its first day of release in February 2021.
As this film is set in Kagawa, the rural scenery and night sky are depicted realistically with a delicate touch. Therefore, you will feel very satisfied when you see it in the theater.
- Fluid and eye-catching visuals. Crisp bright colors and art styles that suit Ufotable’s expertise
- The OP and ED are a treat to one’s ears. Each soundtrack used helps bring out the scenes more emotionally
- A perfect movie choice if you want to kick back and watch a sweet story
Summary
Ufotable is an animation production company that has been releasing popular works one after another, and in addition to the works introduced in this article, they are also involved in many other works such as animation and games, and there are also works that have already been decided to be produced.
With a reputation for beautiful artwork and battle scenes, we can’t wait to see what Ufotable will come up with next. Be sure to keep checking back on our site for more great anime recommendations!
