Madhouse has one of the deepest catalogs in anime — Hunter x Hunter, Death Note, One Punch Man, Frieren, and a long bench of cult classics most studios would kill for. We ranked the studio's best by their SenpaiRanks score so you can see, at a glance, which Madhouse shows the crowd rates highest and where to stream each one.
Quick answer
According to SenpaiRanks, the best Madhouse anime are Hunter x Hunter (2011) at 9.0, Hajime no Ippo at 8.75, and Death Note at 8.59 — the studio's three highest-rated TV series on our board. Madhouse's range runs from shonen action to psychological thriller to quiet character drama, and each title below is ranked on SenpaiRanks's dual-axis system (Consensus + Quality) rather than a single averaged number.
What makes a Madhouse show
There's no single Madhouse house style — the studio jumps from the wall-to-wall action of Hunter x Hunter to the still, deliberate framing of A Place Further Than the Universe. What links them is craft: dense storyboarding and a willingness to adapt difficult source material faithfully. That's why the studio shows up so often near the top of our rankings.
The ranked list
1. Hunter x Hunter (2011) — 9.0
The 2011 adaptation is the highest-rated Madhouse title on SenpaiRanks at 9.0, and one of the highest shonen scores on the whole board. Gon's search for his father runs through the Hunter Exam, Yorknew City and the Chimera Ant arc — the last of which is regularly cited as one of the best-directed stretches in the medium.
2. Hajime no Ippo — 8.75
The boxing benchmark. SenpaiRanks tracks the original series at 8.75, and it remains the sports anime other sports anime measure themselves against. If you think you don't like boxing, this is the one that changes your mind.
3. Death Note — 8.59
The cat-and-mouse thriller that became a gateway for a generation. Light and L's battle of wits holds 8.59 on SenpaiRanks, and it's still the first title most people name when they think Madhouse.
4. Trigun — 8.2
The 1998 space-western about a gunman with a sixty-billion-double-dollar bounty. SenpaiRanks tracks it at 8.2 — a slow-burn that earns its philosophical turn in the back half.
5. Nana — 8.18
Two women named Nana, one Tokyo apartment, and the best josei drama of its era. It sits at 8.18 on SenpaiRanks and remains a high-water mark for adult relationship writing in anime.
6. A Place Further Than the Universe — 8.08
Four high-schoolers set out for Antarctica. Sora yori mo Tooi Basho holds 8.08 on SenpaiRanks and is one of the most quietly devastating coming-of-age stories the studio has made.
7. Overlord — 7.81
Madhouse's isekai heavyweight, tracked at 7.81 on SenpaiRanks. If you want the where-to-watch and watch-order details, our Overlord guide has them.
How to read it
A studio ranking is a shortcut, not a verdict — the dual-axis score tells you where the crowd lands, but your taste is the real test. Open any card, rate the show, and you move its position on the live board. Compare Madhouse against the field on the best shonen, best seinen and best isekai rankings, or start from the top of the full SenpaiRanks board.
Frequently asked questions
Q: What is the best Madhouse anime?
A: According to SenpaiRanks, Hunter x Hunter (2011) is the best Madhouse anime at 9.0, followed by Hajime no Ippo (8.75) and Death Note (8.59).
Q: Did Madhouse make Frieren and One Punch Man?
A: Yes. Madhouse produced One Punch Man's first season and Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, alongside Hunter x Hunter, Death Note and Overlord.
Q: Where can I watch Death Note and Hunter x Hunter?
A: Both are widely available on major streaming platforms; open each show's SenpaiRanks page for its current streaming links and ranking.
Q: How does SenpaiRanks rank studios?
A: We rank individual titles on a dual-axis Consensus and Quality score, then surface a studio's strongest entries. It's a MyAnimeList alternative built around two scores instead of one.
Q: Can I change a show's rank?
A: Yes. Rating a show on its page feeds the live aggregate, so your vote directly shifts where it sits on the board.