The Best Works of Science SARU

DAN DA DAN has been a hit this fall 2024 anime season which may have made you curious about the anime studio behind it. Longtime anime fans may already be well aware of Science SARU , but if you’re new to their stellar animation, then let’s introduce you. Science SARU was founded by Masaaki Yuasa and Eunyong Choi in 2013. They were one of the first anime studios that successfully combined traditional animation with digital tools and techniques. If you are familiar with Adventure Time , you may remember the studio’s first work, the short Adventure Time: Food Chain from 2014. The studio’s been creating unforgettable anime ever since ranging from YUREI DECO , Keike Monogatari , shorts for Star Wars: Visions and more, reaching critical acclaim along the way from the likes of the Japan Media Arts Festival, Annecy International Animated Film Festival and several others. With DAN DA DAN shaping up to be another global hit from the studio, we wanted to highlight some of their works. Check out our list of some of the best anime that Science SARU has to offer. Ping Pong the Animation Year released: 2014 RELATED: Ping Pong the Animation Was the Perfect Combination of Manga Creator and Director Following their jaw-dropping debut in Adventure Time, Masaaki Yuasa and Science SARU set about adapting Taiyou Matsumoto’s beloved manga in 2014. This resulted in a seamless 11-episode adaptation that not only thrills us with the ping pong matches between Peco and Smile, but also with the extraordinary animation that allows us to see the way so many lives, interests, and passions are intertwined. Perfect for fans of sports anime who know that there's more to the story than the sport being played, Ping Pong the Animation went on to win Anime of the Year at the 2015 Tokyo Anime Awards Festival. Lu Over the Wall Year released: (2017) Image via Prime Video We all know the story of the mermaid who meets the guy and walks on land to learn about his world, but what about if that story had a rock band? Enter Lu Over the Wall , a story about a kid named Kai, his rock band, and how his life changes when he meets Lu, a mermaid whose song causes people to dance. Released in 2017, Lu Over the Wall is the second film from Science SARU. This movie is a MUST-watch anime, not only for the beautiful and funny story but for the incredible animation created by the studio. Devilman Crybaby Year released: (2018) Image via Netflix RELATED: 10 Supernatural Anime That Highlight How Unique the Genre Is Anyone who admires Go Nagai knows that his success goes beyond Mazinger Z and giant mechas. One of his most notable works is Devilman , originally released back in 1972, which centers on a boy named Akira dealing with the fact that demons are real. Not exactly what he expected to learn from his childhood friend, Ryo. In 2018, Science SARU would take on Devilman Crybaby , a new version of the classic story. Not only is it refreshing and visually stunning, but it breaks free from the censorship of yesteryear, delivering, in my opinion, the perfect anime adaptation of Nagai's work. Ride Your Wave Year released: 2019 Image via Prime Video RELATED: Masaaki Yuasa on Why You Should Never Stop Learning Surfer Hinako and firefighter Minato fall in love on the shores of a beautiful beach… but he dies in an accident. Afterward, whenever Hinako sings the song she used to sing with Minato, he appears in the water. But is that enough to live with? With outstanding animation and music by Michiru Oshima ( Little Witch Academia ), Ride Your Wave has been hailed as one of the best films from Science SARU, winning at the Annecy, Shanghai International Film Festival, Japan Media Arts, and Fantasia International Film Festival awards. Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken! Year released: 2020 Based on the manga by Sumito Owara, this anime adaptation by Science SARU takes on a unique identity four years after the release of the original source material. Midori Asakusa loves anime, and together with her friend Sayaka Kanamori and fellow anime enthusiast Tsubame Mizusaki, the three create an animation club at school (Eizouken) and decide to make anime together. What makes Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken! stand out is its anime-making premise and its amazing sequences that capture how imaginative teenagers can be, a very fitting way of telling a story about creating anime. Japan Sinks: 2020 Year released: 2020 Image via Netflix This particular Science SARU anime is based on the best-selling novel by Sakyo Komatsu. The story centers on a family that is put to the ultimate test when a series of devastating earthquakes throw Japan into chaos. This adaptation not only modernized this story of anguish, survival and human values, but the talent of director Ho Pyeon-gang (in tandem with Masaaki Yuasa) allowed them to create a unique and inclusive narrative that captured audiences. As always with Science SARU, a key ingredient in Japan Sinks: 2020 is its remarkable animation. The series won an Annecy Award and its compilation version in film was awarded at the Japan Media Arts Festival. The Heike Story Year released: 2021 RELATED: Best Historical Japanese Historical Anime on Crunchyroll An orphan, Biwa, is taken in by the Taira clan after its leader discovers her psychic abilities. Unfortunately, what she predicts is a future full of blood, violence, and war. Even if you’re not into historical anime series, you MUST make an exception for The Heike Story ! This is an adaptation of Heike Monogatari , an epic that comes from the 12th century. The score by famous musician Kensuke Ushio is splendid and the animation is completely outstanding, directed by the highly talented Naoko Yamada ( Free! - Iwatobi Swim Club ). Inu-Oh Year released: 2022 Image via Netflix RELATED: Masaaki Yuasa Discusses Film vs. TV, the Music of Inu-Oh and What’s Next Inu-Oh is based on Hideo Furukawa's novel. Set in 14th-century Japan, the titular, masked Inu-Oh has become an outcast. He soon meets Tomona, a blind biwa player haunted by his past. The two become friends who perform together, but not everyone is pleased with their rising popularity. There’s a reason why Inu-Oh won the Satoshi Kon Award at the 2022 Fantasia International Film Festival. Science SARU’s anime adaptation is spectacular. Not only does the film visually tell the story with beautiful animation and great acting, but it's enriched by Otomo Yoshihide ' s astonishing score, which is perfect for the story’s musical feel. The Tatami Time Machine Blues Year released: 2022 Image via Disney+ RELATED: ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION's All-Time Favorite Anime The Tatami Time Machine Blues adapts the sequel novel of the successful The Tatami Galaxy , which takes those characters and works them into the Japanese play Summer Time Machine Blues . Here, the protagonist devises a plan to get into a time machine and change the past so that the remote control to his air conditioner doesn't break. As to be expected with time travel, things are never that simple when you try and change the past. Shingo Natsume ( One-Punch Man ) was the director on duty and the musical presence of ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION made this adventure something epic, to the point that the Japanese rock band has adopted the art of the novels and anime in their albums. Scott Pilgrim Takes Off! Year released: 2023 Image via Netflix RELATED: The Scott Pilgrim Anime Has Some Serious Industry Heavyweights Behind It Scott Pilgrim Takes Off! caught many fans of the source material off guard after its first episode. Written by Bryan Lee O'Malley himself (the original creator of the Scott Pilgrim graphic novel), the anime took things in an unexpected direction that, honestly, would be a waste to spoil in this article if you haven’t seen it already. Here, Science SARU adapted a Western comic into a spectacular anime series. In terms of animation, music and acting, the Scott Pilgrim anime series is great, spiced up by a soundtrack composed by the same Western geniuses behind the Ubisoft video game Anamanaguchi . DAN DA DAN Year released: 2024 RELATED: DAN DA DAN Anime Staff on Drawing Upon the Rhythm of the Supernatural Series When Momo, a high school student from a family of spiritual mediums, meets her classmate Ken Takakura Okarun, an occult geek, they immediately argue. Momo believes in ghosts but not aliens, and Okarun believes in aliens but not ghosts. When it turns out that both phenomena are real, Momo is overcome with a hidden power and Okarun with a curse. Together, they must challenge the paranormal forces that threaten their world. The anime adaptation of Yukinobu Tatsu’s manga is the latest anime from Science SARU. After going through all the other anime on this list, you get a real sense of why this studio was the perfect match for DAN DA DAN . To me, the DAN DA DAN anime is absolutely perfect, giving us a wonderful adaptation of such a unique story. If this is the anime that pulled you toward Science SARU, it's an incredible start to their work. As you can see there are a variety of options when it comes to Science SARU. Whether you're in the mood for one-of-a-kind supernatural stories or emotionally gripping, character-driven narratives, you're sure to find something special from this amazing anime studio.

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