Formed in 2007 by Iwasa Gaku, a former employee of OLM (the latter studio of Pokémon, Yokai Watch and Komi Can't Communicate fame), White Fox has very much found its place as a stalwart of the anime industry, having produced at least one anime almost every year since then.
The majority of the studio’s titles have been based on either visual novel games or light novels, perhaps the most popular and mainstream of these being the isekai series Re:Zero − Starting Life in Another World. However, White Fox has also produced plenty of other shows, some of them just as popular and a couple almost criminally underrated.
Katanagatari (2010)
In a fantastical Edo-period Japan, Yasuri Shichika, the son of an exiled war hero and seventh head of the Kyotouryuu (bare-handed) school of fighting, lives out his banishment on the island of Fushou with his older sister Nanami. That is, until a self-titled strategist named Togame tracks Shichika down and persuades him to accompany her on a mission to find the Deviant Blades -- twelve mystically-crafted “katana” that take distinctly different forms and have their own specific abilities.
While Katanagatari is technically an action/adventure series, it’s a rather unconventional one, being very dialogue-heavy, and with a romance element that’s equally unconventional given the usual blushing, stuttering dynamic that many anime tend to go for. However, this only adds to the show’s charm, and aside from being well-written in general, viewers may also enjoy the extremely crisp and vibrant artwork -- both in terms of character designs and background art -- as well as the excellent soundtrack, courtesy of composer Iwasaki Taku (whose works fans may recognize from the likes of Rurouni Kenshin: Trust & Betrayal/Reflection, Gurren Lagann, Soul Eater, Black Butler and Noragami).
Steins;Gate (2011)
In 2010 Akihabara, self-proclaimed mad scientist Okabe Rintarou is part of a group of hobby-inventors who create “future gadgets” as part of their quest to discover a scientific breakthrough. After they learn that one of their inventions, the Phone Microwave, can send text messages back in time, they are attacked by members of SERN, an organization that’s secretly researching time travel. Rintarou’s friend Shiina Mayuri is tragically killed, and the mad scientist must now find a way to alter history and prevent the multiple tragedies that are apparently destined to befall them.
Now a classic of the medium, Steins;Gate can nonetheless be a rather polarizing title, especially given the pacing problems within the series’ first half. However, the setup is well worth it, delivering an emotionally hard-hitting payoff that makes every second that came beforehand worthwhile. For anyone into stories about time travel or cause and effect philosophy a la The Butterfly Effect, this anime is a must-watch, with plot twists that aren’t overly predictable, characters that the audience can come to deeply feel for and fluid animation that still holds up over a decade later.
The Devil Is a Part-Timer!/Hataraku Maou-sama! (2013)
Demon Lord Satan is close to conquering humanity, and indeed the entire world, thanks to his enormous demon army. However, he is thwarted at the last minute by Hero Emilia, who forces him and his devoted servant Alsiel into a portal that leads to a strange and unknown world -- planet Earth. Now stuck in modern-day Tokyo with little magic and no money, the pair must find a way to fulfill their evil destinies -- while Satan, disguised as a human named Maou Sadao, makes ends meet by working part-time at MgRonald’s.
By far one of the best anime of its year, The Devil Is a Part-Timer! delivers perfect fish-out-of-water comedy, and between Satan/Sadao’s earnestly hardworking persona and Alsiel’s play on a book-balancing housewife, there are plenty of laughs to be had here, even if it weren’t for the whole MgRonald’s angle. Sure, any show can casually namedrop a plain old WcDonalds, but when the local MgRonald’s is not only a major part of the plot but also has a fierce rivalry with the nearby Sentucky Fried Chicken, viewers can be sure they’re in for a good time.
Girls' Last Tour/Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou (2017)
In the deep cold of nuclear winter following an unknown apocalypse, Yuuri and Chito, two lone young girls, travel throughout the ruins of civilization on their motorcycle. Seeking shelter, food and other supplies while going about their daily life, they occasionally encounter fellow survivors on their journey, although as two of the final humans left on Earth, the pair must rely on one another to endure the inhospitable climate and lonely silence of their surroundings.
The disconnect between Chito and Yuuri’s nonchalant cheeriness and their surroundings is left entirely unspoken, but the series is all the more heart-wrenching for it, especially given that the girls are so young that they no longer properly remember a time before; the littered remains of planes and guns are now simply mysterious half-memories of the past, as are whoever used to care for them. Despite this, the show’s slow, understated slice-of-life tone is not pessimistic. If anything, Girls’ Last Tour is a reminder to revel in the simplest of pleasures, like the sound of the rain falling on the roof, and a message that solitude can be faced with hopefulness.
