Gainax, the iconic but latterly tarnished, Japanese animation producer behind anime series “Neon Genesis Evangelion,” has filed for bankruptcy. It had been in operation for nearly 40 years.
The company made the announcement on Friday, via its own website, and said that it had filed its petition with the courts on May 29. The problem of the heavy debt burden that it had been carrying for several years had been made worse by the tangles of mismanagement.
The news emerged at a moment when the Japanese government, sensing growing international interest in Japanese pop culture, has pledged to help manga (comic) and anime (animated series and films) exporters. It also comes just a day before the beginning of the world’s biggest annual animation festival, the Annecy International Animated Film Festival (June 9-15).
The company, then called Daicon Film, was founded in 1984 by a team including Anno Hideaki, Sadamoto Yoshiyuki, Yamaga Hiroyuki,...
The company made the announcement on Friday, via its own website, and said that it had filed its petition with the courts on May 29. The problem of the heavy debt burden that it had been carrying for several years had been made worse by the tangles of mismanagement.
The news emerged at a moment when the Japanese government, sensing growing international interest in Japanese pop culture, has pledged to help manga (comic) and anime (animated series and films) exporters. It also comes just a day before the beginning of the world’s biggest annual animation festival, the Annecy International Animated Film Festival (June 9-15).
The company, then called Daicon Film, was founded in 1984 by a team including Anno Hideaki, Sadamoto Yoshiyuki, Yamaga Hiroyuki,...
- 6/9/2024
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Anime studio Gainax announced on its official website on June 7 that the business officially filed for bankruptcy with the Tokyo District Court on May 29, with the court accepting the application. Gainax is best known as the studio that produced Neon Genesis Evangelion , Flcl , Gunbuster , Gurren Lagann and many more classic anime. The statement, penned by representative director Yasuhiro Kamimura, apologized to creditors, those who were working with Gainax to help alleviate the situation prior to the bankruptcy and fans. Kamimura wrote, “We had no choice but to choose bankruptcy because we were unable to fully achieve our goals.” Kamimura states that since 2012 Gainax’s “financial situation worsened" in relation to managing a restaurant, starting a CG company and sizeable unsecured loans to then-executives, all of which caused debt to accrue. This even led to situations where Gainax was removed from production committees they were a part of. The studio also...
- 6/8/2024
- by Daryl Harding
- Crunchyroll
One of Japan’s most celebrated creatives, Mahiro Maeda, will be releasing his first-ever collection of works later this year, tentatively titled “Maeda Mahiro Zatsu Gashu (Masahiro Maeda’s Miscellaneous Art Collection).” Maeda is best known as a concept artist and director on multiple iterations of Evangelion , concepts on Mad Max: Fury Road , Kill Bill , Shin Godzilla , Shin Ultraman , and monster designs on Ssss.Gridman and Kaiju No. 8 . He is currently affiliated with Khara after starting Gonzo and being part of early Gainax. The book will cover over 100 previously released and unreleased materials from Maeda’s storied production history including the aforementioned works as well as Gunbuster , Gankutsuou and many more. Alongside the materials, which include large-scale drawings, concept art and more, will be historical anime commentary, background information and interviews with the people who worked alongside Maeda on these productions. Related: Photos: Evangelion Crossing Expo Uncovers Series' Merch History The...
- 5/17/2024
- by Daryl Harding
- Crunchyroll
We are currently in the midst of an international Kaiju renaissance of sorts. Godzilla Minus One won an Academy Award for its visual effects and was a hit across the globe. Meanwhile, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire was number one in the American box office for a second week in a row. And though he’s certainly “King of the Monsters,” Godzilla isn’t the only giant creature to get the spotlight. With the release of the Kaiju No. 8 anime, based off the wonderful manga by Naoya Matsumoto, the audience for stories of mysterious gargantuan creatures will grow even wider. But even if they don’t necessarily fit into the Kaiju Eiga (monster movie) subgenre of science fiction, the potency of the Kaiju has been explored in anime over and over again. There is a power to the idea of a mammoth monster with god-like strength, one that often...
- 4/15/2024
- by Daniel Dockery
- Crunchyroll
Guillermo del Toro's "Pacific Rim" remains one of the very best live-action films inspired by anime that wasn't actually based on anime (though it eventually became one). The 2013 movie is essentially about giant robots fighting kaiju. Its influences are many, from kaiju movies like "Godzilla" and the work of Ray Harryhausen, but also clearly tokusatsu like del Toro's beloved "Ultraman" and even mecha anime like "Gunbuster," "Getter Robo," and "Mazinger Z."
"Pacific Rim," arguably more so than "The Matrix," feels like the biggest American movie inspired by anime, a movie made by someone who loves the medium, at a time when anime was starting to enter the mainstream. But if you asked Guillermo del Toro that question shortly before the release of the film, it seems he would have been a nervous wreck.
David S. Cohen's book "Pacific Rim: Man, Machines & Monsters — The Inner Workings of an Epic...
"Pacific Rim," arguably more so than "The Matrix," feels like the biggest American movie inspired by anime, a movie made by someone who loves the medium, at a time when anime was starting to enter the mainstream. But if you asked Guillermo del Toro that question shortly before the release of the film, it seems he would have been a nervous wreck.
David S. Cohen's book "Pacific Rim: Man, Machines & Monsters — The Inner Workings of an Epic...
- 4/7/2024
- by Rafael Motamayor
- Slash Film
(Welcome to Ani-time Ani-where, a regular column dedicated to helping the uninitiated understand and appreciate the world of anime.)
We have covered many anime in this series, hopefully providing plenty of choices for your first anime, and shows to watch after that to learn more about the possibilities of this wonderful medium. From new shows that have made a splash, to older classics that marked the medium forever, there truly is enough to watch at anytime, anywhere. This is to say if you have followed this column for the past couple of years, you should have a pretty good understanding of anime and enough points of reference for "Flcl."
Pretty much like all other anime I've covered here before, it is not imperative to have watched anything before experiencing "Flcl," but the experience is improved if you understand some of the many, many references in this short 6-episode Ova. And...
We have covered many anime in this series, hopefully providing plenty of choices for your first anime, and shows to watch after that to learn more about the possibilities of this wonderful medium. From new shows that have made a splash, to older classics that marked the medium forever, there truly is enough to watch at anytime, anywhere. This is to say if you have followed this column for the past couple of years, you should have a pretty good understanding of anime and enough points of reference for "Flcl."
Pretty much like all other anime I've covered here before, it is not imperative to have watched anything before experiencing "Flcl," but the experience is improved if you understand some of the many, many references in this short 6-episode Ova. And...
- 5/30/2023
- by Rafael Motamayor
- Slash Film
Everyone remembers falling in love with Studio Ghibli. The music swells, the bright blue sky surfaces, packed with cotton candy clouds. And our young heroines wander in, taken with smiles and wonder. Director of many iconic titles, including “Spirited Away”, “Kiki's Delivery Service” and “Howl's Moving Castle”, Hayao Miyazaki needs no introduction. His magical tales, sublime and unforgettable, all speak for themselves. As co-founder of the Japanese animation powerhouse Studio Ghibli, Miyazaki's filmography has been characterized by its childlike affinity for fantasy, alongside its complex, coming-of-age protagonists. Despite this, Miyazaki's works have attracted audiences of all ages and walks of life, and continue to even now.
In this list, we take a look at 6 lesser known films and anime from Hayao Miyazaki. Some of these align with the familiar titles we know and love, while some reveal a different side to the auteur's voice.
1. Mei and the Kittenbus (2002)
A de...
In this list, we take a look at 6 lesser known films and anime from Hayao Miyazaki. Some of these align with the familiar titles we know and love, while some reveal a different side to the auteur's voice.
1. Mei and the Kittenbus (2002)
A de...
- 3/27/2023
- by Renee Ng
- AsianMoviePulse
(Welcome to Ani-time Ani-where, a regular column dedicated to helping the uninitiated understand and appreciate the world of anime.) It’s impossible not to think of studio Gainax and Hideaki Anno when considering the most influential or popular mecha anime of the past two decades. Between Neon Genesis Evangelion, Gurren Lagann, Flcl, and the creation of Studio […]
The post ‘Gunbuster’ is a Short But Impactful Mecha Anime That Mixes ‘Interstellar’ With ‘Top Gun’ appeared first on /Film.
The post ‘Gunbuster’ is a Short But Impactful Mecha Anime That Mixes ‘Interstellar’ With ‘Top Gun’ appeared first on /Film.
- 12/8/2020
- by Rafael Motamayor
- Slash Film
Looking back on this still-young century makes clear that 2007 was a major time for cinematic happenings — and, on the basis of this retrospective, one we’re not quite through with ten years on. One’s mind might quickly flash to a few big titles that will be represented, but it is the plurality of both festival and theatrical premieres that truly surprises: late works from old masters, debuts from filmmakers who’ve since become some of our most-respected artists, and mid-career turning points that didn’t necessarily announce themselves as such at the time. Join us as an assembled team, many of whom were coming of age that year, takes on their favorites.
In the world of Japanese pop auteurs, there are few rising stars as unpredictably eclectic, temperamental, and consistently fascinating as Hideaki Anno. Anno began his professional life in the early 1980s as a young animator working literally...
In the world of Japanese pop auteurs, there are few rising stars as unpredictably eclectic, temperamental, and consistently fascinating as Hideaki Anno. Anno began his professional life in the early 1980s as a young animator working literally...
- 9/7/2017
- by The Film Stage
- The Film Stage
Once in a great while a groundbreaking work of art reveals itself, each often revolutionizing the way art is interpreted.
It can come in a variety of different forms, such as Di Vinci’s Mona Lisa or Van Gogh’s Starry Night, to Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby or Orwell’s 1984, to even Hideaki Anno’s Neon Genesis Evangelion. We can easily agree that all of these are very unique to one another in their own right, yet all are great pieces of art expressing ideas and emotions beyond belief. Artists aren’t afraid to cross lines or push boundaries for the sake of their work, and they must throw larger stones to make bigger splashes. Sometimes brilliance comes from very unexpected places. In 2010, a new masterpiece was unveiled in the form of a gag anime by the name of Panty & Stocking With Garterbelt.
If I were to try to sum up Psg,...
It can come in a variety of different forms, such as Di Vinci’s Mona Lisa or Van Gogh’s Starry Night, to Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby or Orwell’s 1984, to even Hideaki Anno’s Neon Genesis Evangelion. We can easily agree that all of these are very unique to one another in their own right, yet all are great pieces of art expressing ideas and emotions beyond belief. Artists aren’t afraid to cross lines or push boundaries for the sake of their work, and they must throw larger stones to make bigger splashes. Sometimes brilliance comes from very unexpected places. In 2010, a new masterpiece was unveiled in the form of a gag anime by the name of Panty & Stocking With Garterbelt.
If I were to try to sum up Psg,...
- 12/29/2010
- by Geek With Taste
- Planet Fury
I don't do much anime series and Oav reviews, but once in a while I'd like to hint at some of the missed out modern "classics". Diebuster fits that description rather well.
Diebuster is the Oav sequel based on Hideaki Anno's original Gunbuster series. Considering the impact of the original it's hard to image how incredibly overlooked this 6-part Oav follow-up series is. Tsurumaki is the one bringing the 15-year old original back to modern standards, completely in the spirit of Gainax, and doing a pretty great job at that.
Gunbuster is the series that kick-started Anno's career. An important event in the history of anime, as he would later go on to direct Evangelion. At the same time, it marks the rise of legendary anime studio Gainax. The original is a series that still stands its ground today, but is somewhat unknown among younger anime fans.
Tsurumaki's sequel...
Diebuster is the Oav sequel based on Hideaki Anno's original Gunbuster series. Considering the impact of the original it's hard to image how incredibly overlooked this 6-part Oav follow-up series is. Tsurumaki is the one bringing the 15-year old original back to modern standards, completely in the spirit of Gainax, and doing a pretty great job at that.
Gunbuster is the series that kick-started Anno's career. An important event in the history of anime, as he would later go on to direct Evangelion. At the same time, it marks the rise of legendary anime studio Gainax. The original is a series that still stands its ground today, but is somewhat unknown among younger anime fans.
Tsurumaki's sequel...
- 1/19/2010
- Screen Anarchy
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