GONZO

""And then you unpause the image, the animation starts up and THIS HAPPENS. Why? Studio Gonzo, that's why. It's like their calling card, I don't know.""

- Jesu Otaku, reviewing Welcome to The NHK.

Or "How to run a successful company into the ground."

Established in 1992 when producer Shouji Murahama left Gainax to found his own company. The name likely refers to 'gonzo journalism' (as opposed to the Muppet), in which a subjective point of view is used to convey a message.

GONZO is known for its progressive style, using detailed backgrounds, uneven animation and large amounts of CG, as well as a preference for adventure stories. Although their plots and pacing can suffer due to an emphasis on Rule of Cool, their characters often compensate for this. They often have difficulty ending a series, and their adaptations of existing manga are somewhat infamous.

Their unrestrained flamboyancy eventually took its toll, as a string of unpopular/unsuccessful adaptations forced them to sack 75% of their staff. Already in such dire financial straits, their death as a company seemed all but assured by late 2009, having lost the rights to produce the second season of their last hope, the Cash Cow Franchise Strike Witches.

However, since then, they have recovered to a state where they can make new anime and produced the short anime called Nyanpire the Animation for the (Summer 2011) season, and a new version of Last Exile debuted in the Fall 2011 season.

Compare with DR Movie, Toon City, Rough Draft Studios, Production IG and Digital E Mation for their CGI blending. Don't confuse with Gonzo the Great.

Works include:

 * Afro Samurai
 * Bakuretsu Tenshi (Burst Angel)
 * Basilisk
 * Black Cat
 * Blassreiter
 * Blaz Blue (Cutscenes only)
 * Blue Drop
 * Blue Submarine No. 6
 * Bokurano
 * Chrono Crusade
 * Desert Punk
 * Dragonaut the Resonance
 * Final Fantasy Unlimited
 * Full Metal Panic! (First anime only; Fumoffu and The Second Raid were done by Kyoto Animation)
 * Gad Guard
 * Gankutsuou
 * Gantz
 * Gate Keepers
 * G.I. Joe Sigma 6 (Animation only; with Mook DLE)
 * Glass Fleet
 * Gravion
 * Hellsing (TV series)
 * Kaleido Star
 * Kiddy Grade
 * Last Exile
 * Linebarrels of Iron (Anime only)
 * Melty Lancer
 * Nyanpire the Animation
 * Origin Spirits of the Past
 * Phantasy Star Zero (Cutscenes Only)
 * Pumpkin Scissors (with AIC)
 * Radiant Silvergun (Cutscenes Only)
 * Real Bout High School
 * Red Garden
 * Romeo X Juliet
 * Rosario to Vampire
 * Saikano
 * Saki (episodes 1-14 only; episodes 15-25 by Picture Magic)
 * Samurai 7
 * Seto no Hanayome (with AIC)
 * Shangri La
 * Solty Rei (with AIC)
 * Special A
 * Speed Grapher (with Toei Animation's Philippines unit)
 * Strike Witches (season 1 only)
 * Super Street Fighter IV (cutscenes)
 * The Tower of Druaga
 * Transformers Cybertron (Co-production with Sunwoo Entertainment)
 * Trinity Blood
 * Vandread
 * Welcome to The NHK
 * Witchblade