Summer 2026 brought a run of good news for A-1 Pictures: the film Solo Leveling: Beyond the System was announced at Anime Expo, Mashle Season 3 was dated for January 2027, and Solo Leveling Season 3 has been confirmed. To mark the moment, OtaHub looks back at the best anime from the Aniplex-owned studio, from action and war drama to school romance.
What Kind of Studio Is A-1 Pictures?
A-1 Pictures was founded on May 9, 2005, by the anime production division of Sony Music Entertainment Japan, and it now operates under Aniplex. Its founder, Mikihiro Iwata, is a former Sunrise producer, and the studio is based in Suginami, Tokyo. It began by handling a few family-friendly series for Aniplex, then quickly broadened into almost every genre.
Today its catalog runs from Sword Art Online, Your Lie in April and Kaguya-sama: Love Is War to 86, Lycoris Recoil and Solo Leveling. In 2018 the Kōenji branch was spun off as CloverWorks, which remains part of Aniplex; in June 2024 A-1 acquired 3Hz’s anime planning and production business; and in July 2025 it opened Psyde Kick Studio. What its best work shares is a heavy investment in visuals, music and cleanly cut action.
The Best A-1 Pictures Anime to Watch
This list takes its cue from a recent roundup by Vietnamese outlet Tuổi Trẻ, and OtaHub has added production details, air dates and staples such as Kaguya-sama and Your Lie in April.
1. Lycoris Recoil (2022): Gentle Days With Gunfire
An original anime from Spider Lily (Kadokawa, Dentsu Entertainment and Aniplex), directed and written by Shingo Adachi, Lycoris Recoil aired from July 2 to September 24, 2022, for 13 episodes. Chisato and Takina are members of Lycoris, a secret agency that stops crimes before they happen, and they work at Café LycoReco in Tokyo. One is playful and the other serious, and the mismatch gives the show its charm between dangerous missions.
It won Best Original Anime at the 2023 Crunchyroll Anime Awards and was nominated for Anime of the Year, and its first Blu-ray volume was Japan’s best-selling TV anime disc of 2022. Best for: newcomers who like light action with comedy.
2. 86 -Eighty Six- (2021–2022): Heavyweight War Drama
Adapted from Asato Asato’s light novels and directed by Toshimasa Ishii, 86 runs for 23 episodes in two parts: 11 episodes from April 11, 2021, and 12 more from October 3, 2021, to March 19, 2022. The story centers on unmanned Juggernaut drones that are in fact piloted by the "Eighty-sixers", people treated as less than human, right on the front line.
Vladilena Milizé commands from behind the lines, while Shinei Nouzen fights on the front as part of the Spearhead Squadron. They live in different worlds yet can communicate, and through them the show exposes the discrimination that the war hides. The sound design and emotional visual direction are major strengths. Best for: fans of mecha, military stories and psychological drama.
3. NieR:Automata Ver1.1a (2023–2024): Philosophical Sci-Fi
Adapted from Square Enix’s game, the anime was directed by Ryoji Masuyama, who co-wrote it with Yoko Taro, the creator of the game series. 2B (Yui Ishikawa) and 9S (Natsuki Hanae) are androids fighting machines sent down by aliens, in a post-apocalyptic world full of layered meaning.
The first part began on January 7, 2023, but suffered several hiatuses over staff health, and its final episodes were released together in July 2023. The second part aired from July 5 to September 27, 2024. The CGI sometimes clashes with the rest of the art, but the world and the fights are memorable. Best for: fans of the game and anyone who likes reflective sci-fi.
4. Solo Leveling (2024–2025): The Studio’s Action Flagship
Solo Leveling was directed by Shunsuke Nakashige, with scripts by Noboru Kimura and music by Hiroyuki Sawano. Season 1 began on January 7, 2024, and Season 2, Arise from the Shadow, ran from January 5 to March 30, 2025. Sung Jinwoo goes from the weakest hunter to the only one who can "level up", and its large-scale battles turned it into a global phenomenon. At the 9th Crunchyroll Anime Awards, Solo Leveling won Anime of the Year along with several other categories.
You can read more about Season 2 in OtaHub’s Solo Leveling Season 2 rundown. Best for: anyone who loves power-up stories and big action.
5. Mashle: Magic and Muscles (2023–2024): Silly and Addictive
In a world where magic decides social rank, Mash Burnedead cannot use magic at all, yet he has extraordinary physical strength. The anime adapts Hajime Komoto’s manga and is directed by Tomonari Tanaka; Season 1 aired from April 8 to July 1, 2023, and Season 2 from January 6 to March 30, 2024, with 12 episodes each. The "muscles beat magic" formula is funny while keeping the drama of a proper shonen. Best for: anyone after a light, laugh-heavy watch.
6. Makeine: Too Many Losing Heroines! (2024): Friendship Behind Failed Crushes
This school rom-com focuses on girls who lose in love, while lead character Nukumizu is a student who does everything to stay out of romantic trouble. Shōtarō Kitamura directed and Masahiro Yokotani handled series composition; its 12 episodes aired from July 13 to September 29, 2024. The comedy comes alongside down-to-earth youth problems, and a second season was announced at an event on April 6, 2025. Best for: fans of dialogue-driven rom-coms with strong personalities.
7. Kaguya-sama: Love Is War (2019–2022): A Battle of Pride
Adapted from Aka Akasaka’s manga, the anime follows student council president Miyuki Shirogane and vice president Kaguya Shinomiya, who each want the other to confess first. It has three seasons (2019, 2020, and 2022 with the Ultra Romantic subtitle), an OVA episode in 2021, and the film The First Kiss That Never Ends, released in December 2022. Best for: fans of clever romantic comedy.
8. Your Lie in April (2014–2015): Music and Tears
The 22-episode series aired on Fuji TV’s Noitamina block from October 10, 2014, to March 20, 2015, and follows piano prodigy Kousei Arima as he meets violinist Kaori Miyazono. It remains one of the most beloved titles in A-1 Pictures’ catalog. Best for: anyone who likes love stories with music and plenty of emotion.
Also worth a mention: Engage Kiss (2022), a 13-episode original that mixes action, comedy and drama around Shu Ogata, while Sword Art Online and its Progressive films remain the studio’s familiar ambassador for international audiences.
Which One First? Picks by Taste
| If you like | Watch | Scale |
|---|---|---|
| Light action with comedy | Lycoris Recoil | 13 episodes |
| War and heavy drama | 86 -Eighty Six- | 23 episodes |
| Philosophical sci-fi, game fans | NieR:Automata Ver1.1a | 2 parts |
| Big "level up" action | Solo Leveling | 2 seasons, a film and Season 3 to come |
| Shonen-style silliness | Mashle: Magic and Muscles | 2 seasons, Season 3 in January 2027 |
| School rom-com | Makeine / Kaguya-sama | 12 episodes / 3 seasons and a film |
| Music and romance | Your Lie in April | 22 episodes |
If you only pick three, OtaHub suggests Lycoris Recoil to get a feel for the studio, 86 for a serious story, and Solo Leveling to see A-1 handle large-scale action.
Latest News From A-1 Pictures
Solo Leveling: Beyond the System
The film Solo Leveling: Beyond the System was announced by Crunchyroll and Aniplex at Anime Expo 2026 in early July, along with a teaser and key visual. A-1 Pictures is producing it, with Tao Tajima directing (and also serving as director of photography, editor and colorist), Tomoko Sudo on character design and Hiroyuki Sawano on music. According to reports, it is a direct continuation of Season 2 with its own storyline, not a recap or side story. No release date has been announced, though some outlets expect it in 2027.
Solo Leveling Season 3
Season 3 is confirmed and is a separate project from the film. According to a D&C Media investor report cited by several outlets, it is aimed at a 2027–2028 window, but Crunchyroll has not announced an official date.
Mashle Season 3
At Aniplex’s Anime Expo 2026 panel on July 2, Mashle: Magic and Muscles Season 3 was set for January 2027 alongside its first teaser. Most of the team returns, including director Tomonari Tanaka, series composer Yosuke Kuroda and character designer Chiaki Furuzumi. The new season adapts the Tri-Magic-Athalon Divine Visionary Final Exam arc.
Strengths and Caveats
The most obvious strength of A-1 Pictures is its range: one studio can deliver rom-coms, mecha, fantasy action and originals such as Lycoris Recoil and Engage Kiss. Investment in visuals and music is the shared thread across most of its standout series.
That said, quality is not always even. NieR:Automata Ver1.1a had to interrupt its broadcast schedule, and its CGI never fully blends with the 2D art. Pick by genre rather than watching everything just because it says A-1 Pictures.
With a busy release slate over the next two years, A-1 Pictures remains one of the studios most worth following. OtaHub will keep updating as more details emerge on the Solo Leveling film, Mashle Season 3 and the studio’s next projects.
Source: Compiled from Tuổi Trẻ, Anime News Network, Anime Corner, Crunchyroll and Wikipedia. Images belong to their respective rights holders and are used for informational purposes.