[[quoteright:231:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Studio_Shaft_3371.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:231:[[Film/{{Shaft}} Can you dig it?]]]]

->''"Who's the studio that baits otaku dick''
->''By adding sex appeal to all the underage chicks?''
->''SHAFT!"''

Animation studio best known for adding an almost constant stream of references and [[ShoutOut shouts out]] to other series in the backgrounds of their shows. This usually manifests itself as writing on blackboards and posters which change with every cut. Also known for having a somewhat minimalist yet oddly stylish bent to their own productions. One of the more divisive anime studios. People either love the style or hate it. Middle ground is rare. Oh, and keep one thing in mind: whether the adapted work was originally a WidgetSeries or not, the Shaft anime will most likely be one. They were also one of the animation studios behind ''WesternAnimation/JayceAndTheWheeledWarriors''.

AkiyukiShinbo has been their primary director since 2004, and is responsible for much of their present image.

Note that some fans refer to this just as "Shaft". Do not confuse this with [[Film/{{Shaft}} a badass mother]]-- ([[CurseCutShort SHUT YO' MOUTH]]!), or a minor character of the same name in two {{Castlevania}} games.

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!!Studio SHAFT solo productions:
* ''ArakawaUnderTheBridge''
* ''ArcadeGamerFubuki''
* ''LightNovel/{{Bakemonogatari}}''
** ''Nisemonogatari''
** ''Kizumonogatari''
* ''DanceInTheVampireBund''
* ''LightNovel/DenpaOnnaToSeishunOtoko''
* ''Anime/DualParallelTroubleAdventure'' (with {{AIC}})
* ''EfAFairyTaleOfTheTwo'' series
* ''GOnRiders''
* ''HidamariSketch''
* ''InitialD'' (''Extra Stage'')
* ''KatteniKaizo''
* ''MariaHolic''
* ''NatsuNoArashi!''
* ''[[NegimaSecondSeason Negima!?]]''
** ''[[MahouSenseiNegima Mahou Sensei Negima!: Ala Alba]]'' (with StudioPastoral)
** ''[[MahouSenseiNegima Mahou Sensei Negima!: Another World]]''
* ''PaniPoniDash''
* ''Popotan''
* ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'' (the studio's first [[AnimeFirst original]] series)
* ''Rec'' - Not to be confused with the Spanish zombie movie ''Film/{{REC}}''.
* ''LightNovel/{{Sasami-san At Ganbaranai}}''
* ''SayonaraZetsubouSensei''
* ''SoredemoMachiWaMawatteiru''
* ''Anime/TsukuyomiMoonPhase''
* ''VideoGame/KidIcarusUprising'' short "Palutena's Revolting Dinner"

!!In cooperation with StudioGainax:
* ''HeIsMyMaster''
* ''{{Mahoromatic}}''
* ''ThisUglyYetBeautifulWorld''

!!Shows for DiC:
* ''WesternAnimation/JayceAndTheWheeledWarriors'' (With Creator/{{Sunrise}}, KKCAndDAsia and others)
* ''WesternAnimation/HulkHogansRockNWrestling'' (With Creator/HanhoHeungUp and WangFilmProductions)
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Popples}}'' (With KKCAndDAsia, Creator/{{Madhouse}}, StudioJunio and StudioKorumi)
* ''WesternAnimation/DennisTheMenace'' (Color Styling)
* ''ALF Tales'' (With Creator/MookDLE and KKCAndDAsia)

!!Other projects as support include:
* ''Manga/AiYoriAoshi'' (Digital Paint)
* ''AngelSanctuary'' (In-Between Animation)
* ''VideoGame/ArcTheLad'' (Animation)
* ''AshitaNoJoe'' (Finish Animation; Second series)
* ''Manga/{{Beck}}'' (Finish Animation)
* ''Anime/TheBigO'' (Finish Animation)
* ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'' (Animation)
* ''Anime/BloodPlus'' (In-Between Animation)
* ''BlueGender'' (Finish Animation; Animation; Production Assistance)[[note]]latter paired with DangunPictures[[/note]]
* ''BodaciousSpacePirates'' (In-Between Animation)
* ''LeChevalierDEon'' (In-Between Animation)
* ''Anime/CodeGeass'' (In-Between Animation; first season)
* ''Anime/TheCastleOfCagliostro'' (Ink & Paint)
* ''Anime/DarkerThanBlack'' (In-Between Animation; ''Gemini of the Meteor'' season)
* ''DirtyPair'' (Animation, [=OVAs=])
* ''Anime/EdenOfTheEast'' (In-Between Animation)
* ''Anime/EurekaSeven'' (In-Between Animation; Digital Paint)
* ''Anime/ExcelSaga'' (Production Cooperation)
* ''Manga/{{Eyeshield 21}}'' (Animation; Finish Animation)
* ''Anime/{{FLCL}}'' (In-Between Animation)
* ''GeneratorGawl'' (Finish Animation)
* ''GhostHound'' (2nd Key & In-Between Animation)
* ''GhostHunt'' (In-Between Animation)
* ''KaitouSaintTail'' (Ink & Paint)
* ''Anime/{{Kiddy Girl-and}}'' (In-Between Animation)
* ''MobileSuitGundam00'' (In-Between Animation)
** ''Film/Gundam00AWakeningOfTheTrailblazer'' (In-Between Animation)
** ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam0080WarInThePocket'' (In-Between Animation)
** ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam'' (Animation)
** ''MobileSuitGundamAGE'' (Finish Animation)
* ''MoonlightMile'' (In-Between Animation)
* ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'' (Cel Painting)
* ''{{Noein}}'' (In-Between Animation)
* ''Manga/OuranHighSchoolHostClub'' (In-Between Animation)
* ''Anime/RobotRomanceTrilogy''
** ''CombattlerV'' (Finish Animation)
** ''VoltesV'' (Finish Animation)
* ''SkipBeat'' (In-Between Animation)
* ''SkullMan'' (Key & Finish Animation)
* ''SpiritedAway'' (Supporting Animation)
* ''Anime/StreetFighterIITheAnimatedMovie'' (Finish Animation; Associate Animation Production)
* ''TenchiMuyoGXP'' (Paint)
* ''[[Anime/{{Gigantor}} Tetsujin 28th]]'' (In-Between Animation; Digital Paint; Production Cooperation, three episodes)
* ''TokimekiTonight'' (Finish Animation)
* ''Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann'' (In-Between Animation)
* ''YuGiOhZexal'' (Key Animation)

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!!Tropes associated with Shaft:
* AnimeFirst: ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'' is their first ever original work (read: not based on any pre-existing material).
* {{Deconstruction}}
* DerangedAnimation
** To quote a random blogger: ''Whenever I watch a SHAFT anime, I feel like I’m on acid. Not just a little bit of acid, a tanker truck filled with it.''
* DesignStudentsOrgasm
* EnhancedOnDVD: Their by-now infamous scrambling to meet deadlines during a show's original airing season generally means improved animation for the eventual DVD release. They've become so notorious for it that this practice of revising art and animation has come to be known as "Shafting", as in "''LightNovel/{{Bakemonogatari}}'' was Shafted".
* HaremGenre: Most of their series have at most TheOneGuy.
* HeyItsThatGuy: Akiyuki Shinbo has directed a good number of Shaft's productions.
** HeyItsThatVoice: HiroshiKamiya and ChiwaSaitou are often present in many of their shows, and sometimes even share the same show. Other Shaft regulars include AiNonaka, AoiYuki, AsamiSanada, ChiakiOmigawa, EmiriKatou, EriKitamura, KanaHanazawa, MarinaInoue, MiyuMatsuki, MiyukiSawashiro, RyokoShintani, RyokoShiraishi, TakahiroSakurai, TomokazuSugita, Creator/YuiHorie, YukoGoto, YuuKobayashi and YuuichiNakamura, among others.
* MakesJustAsMuchSenseInContext: Whenever they stop trying to get some point across... It is as glorious as orthopedic squid panties to behold.
* MediumBlending
* MindScrew: [[MemeticMutation Meanwhile]] [[ButForMeItWasTuesday at SHAFT...]]
* NightmareFuel: Their DerangedAnimation can get ''really'' deranged at times.
* OffModel: Both intentionally and as a side effect of their trademark ScheduleSlip.
* {{Retraux}}: They'll often add old-timey film effects or use old-timey orthography.
* ScheduleSlip: They're becoming increasingly infamous for this, due to a company policy of not rejecting work. Though they're generally relied upon to [[EnhancedOnDVD fix any error]] on their TV release come the DVD/BD release.
** Justified in the case of ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica''. Due to [[TooSoon certain real life events]], the final two episodes airing was delayed for over a month. Creator/GenUrobuchi, who wrote for the series, explained that the slip came as a bit of a relief because they'd been having trouble animating them. When they finally ''did'' air on April 21st, fans could see why. Shaft ''loves'' its surreal art, after all.
** This was also true for ''WesternAnimation/HulkHogansRockNWrestling'', but it was more DiC's fault in that case.
* ShoutOut
* SignatureStyle: Part from the studio, part from Akiyuki Shinbo, but there are a lot of those:
** UnreadablyFastText
** UnmovingPlaid
** Camera showing whatever instead of the characters that are talking at the moment
** Pictures of real life objects
** The infamous head-tilt ([[http://i.imgur.com/4dqAX.jpg Now compiled for your convenience]])
** MundaneMadeAwesome: Shaft will often, and for no reason, up the framerate and animation quality ''immensely'', and can focus on incredibly mundane things.
* SurrealThemeTune: ''All'' of them [[spoiler: Madoka Magica's makes complete sense, you just don't get context until the end]]
* WidgetSeries: Everything that they are a part of turns into this.
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