DVD cover of North American release of Otaku no Video.

Gainax Company, Limited (株式会社ガイナックス, Kabushki Gaisha Gainakkusu^?) (pronounced "guy-nax") is a Japanese anime studio most well known for the series Neon Genesis Evangelion and its ambitious, experimental works and ambiguous endings. ^[1] Image File history File links Otaku-no-Video-DVDcover. ... Image File history File links Otaku-no-Video-DVDcover. ... The main cast of the anime Cowboy Bebop (1998) (L to R: Spike Spiegel, Jet Black, Ed Tivrusky, Faye Valentine, and Ein the dog) For the oleo-resin, see Animé (oleo-resin). ... A film series is a collection of related films in succession. ... Original run October 4, 1995 – March 27, 1996 No. ...

Until Neon Genesis Evangelion, Gainax typically worked on stories created in-house, but the studio has increasingly developed anime adaptations of existing manga like Kareshi Kanojo no Jijou and Mahoromatic. Gainax could be said to produce two types of anime today^{[citation needed]}: commercial works like Mahoromatic and He is My Master versus more experimental works that follow the company's traditions, such as FLCL and Gunbuster 2. In addition to anime production, Gainax heavily merchandises its famous properties. For example, even though Evangelion ended in 1996, games, t-shirts, and various other memorabilia are still being produced. Kare Kano manga, volume 1 (English version) His and Her Circumstances, or Kareshi Kanojo no Jijō (彼氏彼女の事情), or Kare Kano (カレカノ), is a manga by Masami Tsuda and a 26 episode TV anime series, directed by Hideaki Anno of Gainax. ... Mahoromatic ) is a sci-fi romantic comedy manga and anime series which contains the elements of the literary genre of tragic dramas. ... Mahoromatic ) is a sci-fi romantic comedy manga and anime series which contains the elements of the literary genre of tragic dramas. ... He is My Master ) is a gag comedy manga which ran in Monthly Shonen Gangan, later spun off into a television anime series. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... This is the sequel to Gunbuster. ...

History

The studio was formed in the early 1980s as Daicon Film by university students Hideaki Anno, Yoshiyuki Sadamoto, Takami Akai, and Shinji Higuchi. Their first project was to make an animated short for the 20th Annual Japan National SF Convention, also known as Daicon III, held in 1981 in Osaka, Japan. The short film is about a little girl who fights all sorts of monsters, robots, and spaceships from earlier science fiction TV shows (including Ultraman, Gundam, Space Battleship Yamato, Star Trek, Star Wars, Godzilla, and many others) until she finally reaches a desert plain and pours a glass of water on a dried-out daikon radish, which immediately resurrects itself and grows into a huge spaceship and beams her aboard. While this animated short was ambitious, its animation was rough and low-quality. 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday. ... Hideaki Anno (庵野秀明 Anno Hideaki, born 22 May 1960 in Ube, Japan) is a Japanese animation and video director. ... Yoshiyuki Sadamoto (貞本 義行 Sadamoto Yoshiyuki) (born 29 January 1962, in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan) is one of the founding members of the Gainax anime studio. ... Self portrait of Takami Akai. ... Shinji Higuchi (樋口真嗣) was born on September 22, 1965 in Tokyo, Japan. ... The Nihon SF Taikai (日本SF大会; Japan SF Convention) is an annual science fiction convention held in Japan. ... 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Ultraman logo. ... Gundam ) is one of the longest running series of anime featuring giant robots or mecha. ... Space Battleship Yamato ) is a Japanese science fiction anime series and the name of its eponymous space craft. ... The current Star Trek franchise logo Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment series. ... This article is about the series. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Binomial name Raphanus sativus L. Daikon (Japanese: , literally large root; Traditional Chinese: , literally white carrot; Korean: mu, literally radish), is a mild-flavored East Asian giant white radish. ...

The group made a much bigger splash at the 22nd Annual Japan National SF Convention, Daicon IV, in 1983. The short they produced for this convention started with a recap of the original short, showing highlights of the little girl's adventures with much better animation quality; then it showed the girl all grown up: wearing a Playboy bunny suit, fighting an even wider selection of creatures from all sorts of science fiction and fantasy movies and novels (appearances include various Mobile Suits from the Gundam series, Darth Vader, an Alien, a Macross Valkyrie, a Pern dragon, Aslan, a Klingon battle cruiser, Spider-Man, and a pan across a vast array of hundreds of other characters) as she surfs through the sky on the sword Stormbringer. The action was set to the song "Twilight" from the group Electric Light Orchestra. The use of this song, however, was unlicensed, preventing the short from being officially released on DVD, making the limited laserdisc release (Daicon Film) of the Daicon shorts very rare and highly sought after. The song was used again, legitimately licensed for the opening of the Japanese live-action TV series Densha Otoko, which had opening animation by GONZO. The Daicon IV short firmly established Daicon Film as a talented new anime studio. The studio changed its name to Gainax in 1985. Daicon IV was a sci-fi convention held in 1983, in Osaka, Japan; the 22nd Nihon SF Taikai. ... 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The first issue of Playboy. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Mobile Suits are humanoid weapon systems in the Gundam anime series. ... Gundam ) is one of the longest running series of anime featuring giant robots or mecha. ... Darth Vader is a fictional character in the Star Wars universe. ... Alien; for the other films, and spin-offs, see Alien (film series) Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Alien (film) Alien is a 1979 science fiction / horror film directed by Ridley Scott. ... The Super Dimension Fortress Macross ) is an anime television series. ... In the fictional series Macross and its English adaptation Robotech: The Macross Saga, the first mass-produced variable fighter (Macross) or Veritech fighter (Robotech) is called the VF-1 Valkyrie. ... Pern is a fictional planet in the universe created by science fiction writer Anne McCaffrey for her Dragonriders of Pern series of novels. ... The Dragons of Pern are a fictional race created by Anne McCaffrey as an integral part of the science fiction world depicted in her Dragonriders of Pern novels. ... For other uses, see Aslan (disambiguation). ... This article is about the fictional race. ... HMS Invincible, one of Britains first battlecruisers Battlecruisers were large warships of the early 20th century. ... Spider-Man swinging around his hometown, New York City. ... Stormbringer (Lancer, 1967) Stormbringer is the name of the infamous black sword featured in a number of fantasy stories by the author Michael Moorcock. ... “ELO” redirects here. ... DVD (also known as Digital Versatile Disc or Digital Video Disc) is an optical disc storage media format that can be used for data storage, including movies with high video and sound quality. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Densha Otoko translated as Train Man) is a Japanese movie, television series, manga, novel, and other media, all based on the purportedly true story of a twenty-three year old otaku, who intervened when a drunk man was harassing several women on a train, and who himself ultimately begins dating... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Gonzo journalism. ... 1985 (MCMLXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

In 1995 Gainax produced perhaps their best known series, the commercially successful and critically acclaimed Neon Genesis Evangelion. In the wake of Evangelion's success, Gainax was accused of tax evasion and its president, Takeshi Sawamura, was sentenced to jail for accounting fraud^[2].

Gainax marked their 20th anniversary with the production of the sequel to Gunbuster, Diebuster. Gunbuster, known in Japan as Aim for the Top! ) is a six episode anime OVA series created by Gainax in 1988. ...

Works

Gainax works include (year given is that of first broadcast, theatre showing, or publishing):

• Series
  • Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water (1990) (Fushigi no Umi no Nadia)
  • Neon Genesis Evangelion (1995) (Shin Seiki Evangelion)
  • His and Her Circumstances (1998) (Kareshi Kanojo no Jijo or "Kare Kano")
  • Modern Love's Silliness (1999)
  • Oruchuban Ebichu (1999) (Considered as mini-series)
  • Mahoromatic (2001)
  • Puchi Puri Yūshi (2002) ("Petite Princess Yucie")
  • Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi (2002)
  • Melody of Oblivion (2004) (Boukyaku no Senritsu)
  • This Ugly and Beautiful World (2004) (Kono Minikuku mo Utsukushii Sekai or "Konomini")
  • He is My Master (2005)
  • Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann (2007)
• Films
  • Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honneamise (1987)
  • Evangelion: Death & Rebirth / The End of Evangelion / Revival of Evangelion (1997/1998)
  • Love & Pop (1998) (live action)
  • Shiki-Jitsu (2001) (live action film with brief animated sequences)
  • Cutie Honey(2004) (live action film)
  • Gunbuster & Diebuster Movie (2006)
  • Rebuild of Evangelion series (2007-????)
• OVAs
  • Top o Nerae! Gunbuster (1988) ("Aim for the Top! Gunbuster")
  • Beat Shot (1989)
  • Circuit no Ohkami 2 Modena no Tsurugi" (1990)
  • Blazing Transfer Student (1991)
  • Money Wars (1991)
  • Otaku no Video (1991)
  • KO Seiki Beast Sanjuushi (1992) (K.O. Beast)
  • FLCL (2000) (pronounced "Furi Kuri", or "Fooly Cooly" in English)
  • Re: Cutie Honey (2004)
  • Diebuster (2004) (Top o Nerae! 2 or "Aim for the Top! 2")

Gainax has also produced a number of computer games, including a strip mahjong game featuring Evangelion characters, and its most famous games, the Princess Maker series, which was later adapted as Puchi Puri Yūshi. Nadia — the heroine of the series. ... Original run October 4, 1995 – March 27, 1996 No. ... Kare Kano manga, volume 1 (English version) His and Her Circumstances, or Kareshi Kanojo no Jijō (彼氏彼女の事情), or Kare Kano (カレカノ), is a manga by Masami Tsuda and a 26 episode TV anime series, directed by Hideaki Anno of Gainax. ... Modern Loves Silliness, known in Japanese as Anime no Ai Awa Awa Awa- (literally Anime Love Bubble Bubble Hour) was an anime anthology series produced by Gainax. ... Oruchuban Ebichu (or Ebichu Minds the House, in Japanese: おるちゅばんエビちゅ) is an anime produced by Gainax (the studio responsible for Neon Genesis Evangelion) and directed by Hideaki Anno—also director and creator of Neon Genesis Evangelion—and is based on the manga by Risa Ito that was published by Futabasha Publishers. ... Mahoromatic ) is a sci-fi romantic comedy manga and anime series which contains the elements of the literary genre of tragic dramas. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi Magical Shopping Arcade of Abenobashi (アベノ橋魔法☆商店街, Abenobashi Mahō Shōtengai), also known as Abenobashi Magical Shopping District and as Magical Shopping Street Abenobashi is a 13-episode Japanese TV series from the famous anime studio Gainax; it is directed by Hiroyuki Yamaga. ... The Melody of Oblivion ) is an anime series by J.C.STAFF, with some involvement from Gainax. ... This Ugly and Beautiful World is an anime series by Gainax. ... He is My Master ) is a gag comedy manga which ran in Monthly Shonen Gangan, later spun off into a television anime series. ... Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann , lit. ... The End of Evangelion ) is a 1997 anime film written and chief directed by Hideaki Anno; it won the Japan Academy Prize for popularity. ... Love & Pop (ラブ&ポップ Rabu & Poppu) is director Hideaki Annos first live action film, an adaptation of Ryu Murakamis novel, Topaz II. It somewhat follows the film Tokyo Decadence, an adaptation of Topaz I filmed by Murakami himself. ... Categories: Movie stubs | Japanese films ... Cutey Honey or Cutie Honey ) is a widely known anime and manga series created by Go Nagai in 1973. ... This article is about a series of animated films. ... Gunbuster, known in Japan as Aim for the Top! ) is a six episode anime OVA series created by Gainax in 1988. ... Blazing Transfer Student (炎の転校生; Honoo no Tenkōsei in Japanese) was a relatively obscure two-episode Original Video Animation series made in 1991 by Gainax (though technically it was the worlds first OLA, see below), based on a manga by Shimamoto Kazuhiko. ... Money Wars ) was produced by Gainax and was released on September 21, 1991. ... DVD cover of North American release of Otaku no Video. ... K.O. BEAST (KO世紀ビースト三獣士, K.O. Century Beast Musketeers) is an anime. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Cutey Honey or Cutie Honey ) is a widely known anime and manga series created by Go Nagai in 1973. ... Diebuster, known in Japan as Aim for the Top 2! ) is a six episode anime OVA series created by Gainax in 2004. ... Mahjong (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; Hanyu Pinyin: ; Cantonese: Màhjeung; or Chinese: ; Hanyu Pinyin: ; Cantonese: Màhjeuk; other common English spellings include mahjongg, majiang, and hyphenated forms such as mah-jong or mah-jongg) is a game for four players that originated in China. ... Princess Maker is a series of Japanese life simulation bishōjo games by the computer game and anime production company Gainax. ...

Daicon Tokusatsu fan films

As Daicon Films, Gainax was also notable for making a series of tokusatsu fan film shorts in the 1980s^{[citation needed]}, usually parodies of monster movies and superhero shows, which have gotten lots of favorable media coverage^{[citation needed]}. These productions included: This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... A fan film is a film or video inspired by a film, television program, comic book or a similar source, created by fans rather than by the sources copyright holders or creators. ...

• Patriotic Task Force Dai-Nippon (愛国戦隊大日本, Aikoku Sentai Dai-Nippon^?) (1982) — A parody of the popular Super Sentai shows, which is also a satire of the Russo-Japanese War. The title team is based on Japanese culture (of course) and the villains, the evil Red Bear Empire led by "Death Kremlin", are Russians. In this "episode", Red Bear confronts our heroes with the giant shark monster, Minsk Mask, while attempting to brainwash the children of Japan by swapping out the pages of their textbooks with red paper. Shinji Higuchi worked on the special effects.^{[citation needed]}
• Swift Hero Noutenki (快傑のーてんき, Kaiketsu Nōtenki^?) (1982) — A parody of Shotaro Ishinomori's Kaiketsu Zubat; the name of the hero's alter-ego (Ken Hayakawa) is the same, but the hero wears a sillier costume! Daicon/Gainax producer Yasuhiro Takeda played Ken Hayakawa. It spawned three sequels: "Kaiketsu Noutenki 2" in which he faces off against a mechanical clone of himself, Mecha Noutenki; "Noutenki in USA" where the hero walks around in San Francisco, California, seeing the sights whilst in costume; and a supposed role-playing video.^{[citation needed]}
• Return of Ultraman (帰ってきたウルトラマン, Kaettekita Urutoraman^?) (1983) — A same-title parody of Return of Ultraman, with some impressive special effects, even for a low budget. The usual Ultraman derring-do ensues, only replace New Ultraman/Ultraman Jack with a giant Hideaki Anno in a vinyl Ultraman trick-or-treat outfit and glasses! Anno directed while Takami Akai directed the special effects.^[3]
• The Eight-Headed Giant Serpent Strikes Back (八岐之大蛇の逆襲, Yamata no Orochi no Gyakushū^?) (1985) — Daicon's epic 72-minute sendup of daikaiju (giant monster) movies, with special effects by Shinji Higuchi. This was the most heavily promoted of their short films.^[4]

The official logo of the Super Sentai Series introduced in 2000 during the run of Mirai Sentai Timeranger The Super Sentai Series ) is the name given to the long running Japanese superhero team genre of shows produced by Toei Company Ltd. ... Combatants Russian Empire Empire of Japan Commanders Emperor Nicholas II Aleksey Kuropatkin Stepan Makarov† Emperor Meiji Oyama Iwao Heihachiro Togo Greater Manchuria, Russian (outer) Manchuria is region to upper right in lighter Red; Liaodong Peninsula is the wedge extending into the Yellow Sea The Russo–Japanese War (February 10, 1904... Moscow Kremlin in the 19th century. ... Location of Minsk, shown within the Minsk Voblast Coordinates: Country Subdivision Belarus Minsk Founded 1067 Government  - Mayor Mikhail Pavlov Area  - City 305. ... Shinji Higuchi (樋口真嗣) was born on September 22, 1965 in Tokyo, Japan. ... Kaiketsu Noutenki (快傑のうてんき), or, more prominently spelled, Kaiketsu Nōtenki (快傑のーてんき), is a series of tokusatsu fan film parodies produced by Daicon Films (now Gainax). ... Shotaro Ishinomori (石ノ森章太郎 Ishinomori Shôtarô), (January 25, 1938- January 28, 1998) was an influential figure in manga, anime and tokusatsu who created several long-running series such as Cyborg 009 and Kamen Rider (Japans answer to Spider-Man). ... Kaiketsu Zubat ), translated into English as Swift Hero Zubat, Wonderman Zubat or Vigilante Zubat, is a tokusatsu superhero series that aired in 1977. ... This does not cite any references or sources. ... Yasuhiro Takeda (12[1] September 1957[2]-) is a Japanese anime director and founding member of Gainax; for most of his career, he was General Manager. ... Nickname: Location of the City and County of San Francisco, California Coordinates: Country United States of America State California City-County San Francisco Government  - Mayor Gavin Newsom Area  - City  47 sq mi (122 km²)  - Land  46. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Area  Ranked 3rd  - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 770 miles (1,240 km)  - % water 4. ... Return of Ultraman (帰ってきたウルトラマン - Kaettekita Urutoraman - roughly meaning Ultraman Has Returned) is a tokusatsu SF/kaiju/superhero TV series, and is the 4th Ultra Series. ... Ultraman logo. ... Hideaki Anno (庵野秀明 Anno Hideaki, born 22 May 1960 in Ube, Japan) is a Japanese animation and video director. ... Self portrait of Takami Akai. ... Yamata no Orochi no Gyakushû (八岐之大蛇の逆襲), translated as The Eight-Headed Giant Serpent Strikes Back, is a tokusatsu kaiju fan film shot on 16mm by Daicon Films (now Gainax). ... KaijÅ« (怪獣) is a Japanese term that generically translates to monster. ... Shinji Higuchi (樋口真嗣) was born on September 22, 1965 in Tokyo, Japan. ...

Trivia

• In American fandom, Gainax popularized the term and usage of fan service, and unusually precise animation of a woman's chest bouncing became known as "the Gainax bounce" or "gainaxing"^[5], first seen in a scene of Gunbuster featuring Noriko Takaya.^[6]
• Gainax have also worked on a 1987 promotional video for the song "Marionette" by Boøwy.^[7]
• The Character known as Gainax Boy was created in 2002 as an amalgamation of various Gainax Male Characters and mannerisms.
• In 2006, Gainax even collaborated with a Japanese fashion doll company to create Momoko-based "Gainax Girls" fashion dolls.^[8]

This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Beat Emotion (1986) Tomoyasu Hotei (left), Kyosuke Himuro (right) BOØWY is a famous Japanese rock group consisting of Kyosuke Himuro (vocals), Tomoyasu Hotei (guitar), Tsunematsu Matsui (bass) and Makoto Takahashi (drums). ... Fashion dolls are typically small dolls (often 12. ... Momoko , モモコ) is a Japanese name for girls. ...

External links

• (Japanese) GAINAX NET — Gainax's official Web site
  • Gainax's Official Daicon Films Website — Info on their classic tokusatsu & anime shorts (DVDs available there).

References

• Takeda, Yasuhiro; Yu Sugitani, Yasuhiro Kamimura, Takayoshi Miwa; translated by Javier Lopez, Jack Wiedrick, Brendan Frayne, Kay Bertrand, Gina Koerner, Hiroaki Fukuda, and Sheridan Jacobs (2002, 2005). The Notenki memoirs: studio Gainax and the men who created Evangelion. ADV Manga, 190. ISBN 1-4139-0234-0.