The House that Gainax Built
Anime
On May 29,2024 anime studio Gainax filed for bankruptcy, and thus became the final nail in the coffin of the once great titan of the anime industry. To many this came as no surprise. Decades of bad business decisions had finally caught up to them. But still it was sad to see them go. However, rather than dwell on the depressing aspects of Gainax fall from grace, I would rather look back on the legacy they built.
The studio was formed in the early 1980s as Daicon Film by university students Hideaki Anno, Yoshiyuki Sadamoto, Hiroyuki Yamaga, Takami Akai, Toshio Okada, Yasuhiro Takeda and Shinji Higuchi. After the success of their first two anime shorts for the conventions of Daicon III and IV, they firmly established themselves as a talented new anime studio. They would later change their name to Gainax in 1985, basing the term "Gainax" on an obscure Tottori Prefecture term for "giant", with the English suffix -x added because it sounded "good and was international"
Gainax presented themselves as a “by fans, for fans” studio and through it’s ups and downs Gainax lived up to that phrase, for better and for worst. Though the studio is now gone, it’s legacy will live on through both studio Trigger and studio Khara. Here is the list of from the house that Gainax built.
Notes: With a few exception, sequel seasons and/or movies will not be included on the list so that there is room for everthing.
Notes: Even though only the last Rebuild of EVA film is on this list you should watch all of them.
Honorable mentions: There are two anime at the end of the list that warrant being a part of the Gainax legacy. Punch Line was directed by Yutaka Uemura, who also directed Dantalian no Shoka, has a style and story that would be right at home with other Gainax shows. Finally, Grendizer U, produced at studio Gaina, formerly Fukushima Gainax, honors old Gainax’s fandom roots.
The studio was formed in the early 1980s as Daicon Film by university students Hideaki Anno, Yoshiyuki Sadamoto, Hiroyuki Yamaga, Takami Akai, Toshio Okada, Yasuhiro Takeda and Shinji Higuchi. After the success of their first two anime shorts for the conventions of Daicon III and IV, they firmly established themselves as a talented new anime studio. They would later change their name to Gainax in 1985, basing the term "Gainax" on an obscure Tottori Prefecture term for "giant", with the English suffix -x added because it sounded "good and was international"
Gainax presented themselves as a “by fans, for fans” studio and through it’s ups and downs Gainax lived up to that phrase, for better and for worst. Though the studio is now gone, it’s legacy will live on through both studio Trigger and studio Khara. Here is the list of from the house that Gainax built.
Notes: With a few exception, sequel seasons and/or movies will not be included on the list so that there is room for everthing.
Notes: Even though only the last Rebuild of EVA film is on this list you should watch all of them.
Honorable mentions: There are two anime at the end of the list that warrant being a part of the Gainax legacy. Punch Line was directed by Yutaka Uemura, who also directed Dantalian no Shoka, has a style and story that would be right at home with other Gainax shows. Finally, Grendizer U, produced at studio Gaina, formerly Fukushima Gainax, honors old Gainax’s fandom roots.