Studio Pierrot is one of the biggest anime production companies in Japan and they're responsible for some of the biggest titles in the industry. As with most anime production studios, they also tend to abide by their own established style and even choice of manga to adapt into an anime. For them, this has paid off well as they've become almost synonymous with big productions.
It's almost as if they're the go-to for big-name manga in Japan, for that matter. One good look at their portfolio as an animation studio ought to be enough to convince both viewers and manga owners to prefer their name and style. Thus, if beginner anime fans (or even intermediate ones) need some kind of primer on which shows to watch, then Studio Pierrot's cream of the crop will more than suffice.
10 The Twelve Kingdoms
- Release year: 2002
- Number of seasons: 1 (45 episodes total)
The Twelve Kingdoms is Studio Pierrot's answer to some of the strongest titles in the isekai genre. It has a similar theme, protagonist, and even storyline to something like InuYasha or Fushigi Yugi and is thus a good anime to recommend to a wide range of audiences be it shonen or shoujo fans.
The Twelve Kingdoms starts off with its lead girl, Youko Nakajima, who then gets transported to another world away from her mundane contemporary existence. In this new medieval fantasy world, she's one of the key figures that can save everyone from what practically stands in for demons. Pretty standard as far as isekai go.
9 Yona of the Dawn
- Release year: 2014
- Number of seasons: 1 (24 episodes total)
Yona of the Dawn shares a similar plot to The Twelve Kingdoms and even a setting that's quite familiar but it's no isekai. Instead, it's an epic low-fantasy period piece where a medieval princess suddenly finds herself in a perilous power struggle after her king and father are abruptly murdered.
Yona then has to fend for herself and collect and keep what little allies she has left in order to restore her birthright kingdom to order. It's a coming-of-age story that picks a grand war and adventure story as its backdrop. As an added bonus for girls and shoujo fans, Yona is also surrounded by an all-male and all-handsome retinue.
8 Baby Steps
- Release year: 2014
- Number of seasons: 2 (50 episodes total)
Baby Steps is a sports anime among many, plain and simple. Where it does differentiate itself is the fact that there aren't many anime about the drama involving tennis, apart from Prince of Tennis, of course. As such, one can expect plenty of similarities between the two titles. Even the protagonist has a homogenous aura with Prince of Tennis' Ryoma Echizen.
That protagonist would be Eiichirou Maruo. Despite being a consistent honor student, he's not perfect as being an achiever in academics isn't his passion. That's why he found his true calling and something he loved after stumbling upon a tennis tryout event. Baby Steps thus chronicles Eiichirou's journey as he applies his perfectionism into his newfound sport.
7 Kyou Kara Ore Wa!!
- Release year: 1992
- Number of seasons: 1 (10 episodes total)
Kyou kara Ore Wa!! was released during the days when grunge and rebel rock were the flavors of the decade (the 1990s). Consequently, it took on a radical approach for its storyline and makes heroes or protagonists out of delinquent youth in a school nonetheless.
Kyou kara Ore Wa!! sees the misadventures of two transfer students who are out to reinvent their image in a new environment by becoming the most notorious delinquents in Japan. Those who like Beavis and Butthead will surely find plenty to love in this show as it's quite comparable; even the hairstyles are somewhat on-point.
6 Black Clover
- Release year: 2017
- Number of seasons: 1 (170 episodes total)
Black Clover is one of the many big shonen titles vying it out for supremacy in the power void that Naruto left behind. The key difference here is that it's set in a magical world where instead of being ninjas, everyone is a mage. The highest title a human can attain is, in turn, the Wizard King, similar to the Hokage in Naruto.
As expected, the main character is an aspiring but fundamentally handicapped young man who still wants to be the Wizard King. The problem is, he's not as talented as his prodigy friend whom he designated as his childhood rival and nemesis.
5 Hikaru No Go
- Release year: 2001
- Number of seasons: (75 episodes total)
Hikaru No Go is also a sports anime except the sport here is Go which is an oriental board game that rivals chess when it comes to popularity and strategy. As such, Hikaru No Go is one of the most peculiar sports anime in existence; it's truly one-of-a-kind.
The varsity here is a boy named Hikaru who discovers an old Go board in his grandfather's attic. Turns out this old Go set has a ghost inside of it and it's an ancient Go master who's so addicted, he compels Hikaru to play Go in his stead. Gaining a somewhat unfair advantage thanks to the ghost, Hikaru sets out to become a Go pro. As in professional.
4 Naruto/Naruto: Shippuuden
- Release year: 2002
- Number of seasons: 26 (720 episodes total)
It's impossible to not have heard of this one. Even boomers probably know it by now. In any case, anyone who's out of the loop and has nothing good to do for about a month will be pleased to know that Naruto and Naruto: Shippuuden exists and is binge-worthy.
It's more or less Studio Pierrot's most prominent anime title under its portfolio. Naruto is about the titular character's journey to become the Hokage or the most powerful and respected ninja in his nation. Along the way, he encounters monumental challenges such as a giant demon fox imprisoned inside him, a backstabbing emo best friend, and the fact that almost everyone he knows doesn't like him, initially at least.
3 Kingdom
- Release year: 2012
- Number of seasons: Ongoing (103 episodes and counting)
Kingdom is another big project and undertaking by Studio Pierrot. That's because it's a war anime and those tend to be on the expensive side thanks to the big action set pieces which require a seamless and large order of animations. Nevertheless, Kingdom remains strong today and has withstood the test of time as a war epic.
The whole anime is about the warring states period of China back in the Zhou dynasty era where China is yet to be recognized as such or even unified. The whole anime time period is explored through the eyes of an orphan who dreams big and wants to become a general.
2 Yuu Yuu Hakusho
- Release year: 1992
- Number of seasons: 1 (112 episodes total)
A classic, this one, Yuu Yuu Hakusho is one of the most important shonen anime ever as it popularized the battle anime sub-genre. It's that sub-genre where the toughest fighters all converge in one spot or arena and duke it out in an elimination match of supremacy or some other context.
In this case, it's about Yuusuke Urameshi and his gang as they get enlisted to help fight a demon lord and round up some of his evil spirits. To do this, however, they have to battle some of the most imposing figures known in the Spirit World.
1 Great Teacher Onizuka
- Release year: 1999
- Number of seasons: 1 (43 episodes total)
Yet another cultural cornerstone in anime brought to us by Studio Pierrot and the manga, of course, would be none other than Great Teacher Onizuka. It's a realistic anime that explores contemporary issues regarding the academic system and its victimized students.
At the heart of it all is Eikichi Onizuka, a bad boy ex-Yakuza member who decided to throw up the mantle and straighten himself up. He does this by becoming a teacher and setting an example for the youth. Except, to his surprise, some of the students he's supposed to be teaching are often on a crash course to ruining their life and trudging a life path less desirable than what Onizuka had. No one said it's easy being a teacher.