Hideaki Anno

Hideaki Anno(庵野　秀明) was born in 1960.

One of Japan’s celebrity anime directors. Founded Studio Gainax with Takami Akai and Hiroyuki Yamaga. As someone who grew up with anime and 8mm experimental film, he brought a mindset of homage and intertextuality novel to anime at the time. He is extraordinarily well known in Japan and has branched out into live action filmmaking, acting, and voice acting in addition to his anime works¹.

An effects animator of the first rate. He’s known for drawing hyperrealistic scenes of explosions and debris that sometimes resemble atomic bomb test footage. Mentored by Hayao Miyazaki while on Nausicaa, where he drew the giant insect monsters. Though he’s done excellent work elsewhere (Macross Plus, Abenobashi 12, Pop Chaser, the original DAICON intro films), his crowning masterpiece of animation is generally accepted to be the rocket launch sequence in Wings of the Honneamise¹.

As a director, Anno has made a career out of subverting expectations in established anime genres and tropes. The signatures of Anno’s direction are rhythmic jump cuts, intertitles, minimal camera movement and avant garde techniques like emulsion scratches and found footage photomontage. He’s also fond of using Ozuesque cutaways of urban scenery, particularly things related to infrastructure and technology. Anno’s works are known for being dialogue-driven and for beginning with a light atmosphere before transitioning into the dire. In addition to Miyazaki, Anno lists Ichiro Itano and Yoshiyuki Tomino as artistic influences. He’s also a professed fan of Japanese New Wave director Kihachi Okamoto¹.

Began his directorial career with the OVA series Aim for the Top! Gunbuster (1988), the title a reference to the series Aim for the Ace!. The six episode space opera built up a reputation as a cult classic of the late 80s OVA boom, particularly for its high-stakes monochrome final episode, and established Anno’s name as a director¹.

His follow-up, Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water (1991), was a globe-trotting adventure in the vein of Jules Verne and Future Boy Conan based on an original concept by Hayao Miyazaki. Anno wasn’t involved in the project’s inception and was wary about it initially, but eventually took up the reins as chief director. Due to problems with Gainax struggling to meet production deadlines, Anno didn’t direct a chunk of episodes in the show’s final third and the show saw a precipitous drop in quality during his absence¹.

Anno’s next project would be his biggest: Neon Genesis Evangelion (1995). Suffering from depression and dispirited about anime production in general, Anno was given the opportunity to have anything he wanted greenlit by Gainax head Hiroyuki Yamaga. The result was his unique take on the mecha genre, casting the lead as indecisive and ineffectual instead of the usual enthusiastic, hotblooded hero. The show became infamous for how the initial plot-driven episodes of the first half gave way to increasingly abstract character studies in the second. This reached its limit in the final two episodes which were so experimental that they received significant negative reception after their airing (including one instance of a death threat). Evangelion’s massive financial success helped spurn more interest in late night anime, causing a boom in the market. In response to the polarizing reception to Evangelion’s last two episodes, Anno directed a feature-length sequel called The End of Evangelion (1997) that, though sporting higher production values, was no less experimental than the series proper¹.

After Evangelion, Anno handled the adaptation of the shoujo romance Kare Kano (1999). Though more narratively straightforward than Evangelion, Kare Kano’s visual aesthetic was highly distinctive in its use of stills and cropped framings to emulate the experience of reading a shoujo manga (in a few extreme cases, Anno just filmed pages of the manga). Anno left during the final few episodes due to a dispute between Anno and the source manga’s author about the show’s tone¹.

After some experiments in live action filmmaking, Anno founded Studio Khara and began work on the Rebuild of Evangelion film series. A lavishly animated reboot of the TV series, the Rebuild films have been criticized as emotionally hollow and lacking in Anno’s touch. After the nineties Anno has been much more focused on his non-anime roles like acting in Katsuhito Ishii’s Funky Forest and playing the lead for Miyazaki’s The Wind Rises. He has done minor storyboarding gigs on occasion, including the Yamato 2199 OP, Abenobashi 13, and Diebuster 4¹.

Close friends with director Kunihiko Ikuhara, which fueled rumors that Ikuhara was the model for Kaworu in Evangelion. Both share a jaundiced view of the anime market and a love for the Japanese avant garde. Anno was storyboarder and sakkan for the Sailor Uranus and Neptune henshin sequences in Ikuhara’s Sailor Moon S¹.

MAD - SakugaBooru - Japanese Wiki Page

Works

• DAICON III OPENING ANIMATION(1981)

1. Animation.

• Patriotic Squadron Great Japan(1982/Self-Produced)

1. Optics.
2. Narrator.
3. Directing.
4. Suit Actor of Great Japan Robot(NC).

• Macross(1982~1983/TV)

1. Key Animator: #9(NC), #24, #27.
2. Key Animator Supervision Help: #2(NC).
3. Key Animation Help: #28(NC).
4. In-betweens Help: #18(NC).

• Kaettekita Ultraman Matt Arrow-1 Hasshin Meirei(1983/Self-Produced)

1. General Director.
2. Optics.
3. Main Role.

• DAICON IV OPENING ANIMATION(1983)

1. All other than Animation Direction.

• Kaze no Tani no Nausicaä(1984/Movie)

1. Key Animator.

• Macross: Do You Remember Love?(1984/Movie)

1. Key Animator.

• Birth(1984/OVA)

1. Animator.

• Cream Lemon Part 12(1984/OVA)

1. Key Animation Help.

• Urusei Yatsura(1981~1986/TV)

1. Key Animator: #156.

• Urusei Yatsura: Remember My Love(1985/Movie)

1. Key Animation Help(NC).

• Megazone-23(1985/OVA)

1. Key Animator.

• Cream Lemon Part 4(1985/OVA)

1. Key Animator(Credited in Hiragana).

• Ouritsu Uchuugun: Honneamise no Tsubasa Pilot(1985)

1. Animation Director(Joint).

• Mahou no Star Magical Emi(1985~1986/TV)

1. Key Animator: #1(NC).

• Yamata no Orochi no Gyakushū(1985/Self-Produced)

1. Miniature Design(Joint).
2. Directing.
3. Reporter Role.

• Ouritsu Uchuugun: Honneamise no Tsubasa(1987/Movie)

1. Animation Director(Joint).
2. Special Effects Artist.
3. Production Design.
4. Layout Design.

• Crystal Triangle(1987/OVA)

1. Key Animator.

• Ultraman USA(1987)

1. Mecha Animation Director Help(NC).
2. Key Animator(NC).

• Battle Royal High School(1987/OVA)

1. Animation Director Assistant.
2. Key Animator Help(NC).

• Victor Hyper Robot Component(1987/CM)

1. Storyboard.
2. Animation.

• Mugen Senshi Valis Promotional(1987)

1. Director.
2. Storyboard.

• Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack(1988/Movie)

1. Mechanical Design(Credited under Gainax)(Joint).

• Hotaru no Haka(1988/Movie)

1. Key Animator.

• Apple Seed(1988/OVA)

1. Mecha Supervisor.

• Tsuideni Tonchinkan(1987~1988/TV)

1. Key Animator Help: OP3(NC).

• Dragon Quest Fantasia Video(1988)

1. Effect Animation.
2. Cast: Role of Dragon King.

• Gunbuster(1988~1989/OVA)

1. Director.
2. Storyboard: All.
3. Setting(Joint): All.
4. Screenplay: #6.
5. Key Animator: #6.

• Metal Skin Panic MADOX-01(1988/OVA)

1. Key Animator.

• Baoh Raihousha(1989/OVA)

1. Key Animator Help(NC).

• Eguchi Hisashi no Nantoka Narudesho!(1990/OVA)

1. Key Animator Help(NC).

• Cybernetic Hi-SchoolIII Top wo Nerae!(1990/Game)

1. Director.

• Fushigi no Umi no Nadia(1990~1991/TV)

1. General Director.
2. Storyboard: #1(Joint), #9(Joint).
3. Animation Director: #34(PEN NAME)(Joint), #37(Credited in Hiragana)(Joint).

• Animation Parody CM Battle Mode(1990)

• Fushigi no Umi no Nadia Perfect Collection PV(1991)

1. Composition.
2. Directing.

• Fushigi no Umi no Nadia Omake Gekijou(1991/OVA)

1. Key Animator.

• Soukou Kyojin Z-Knight(1991/OVA)

1. Key Animator.

• Giant Robo the Animation: Chikyuu ga Seishi Suru Hi(1992~1998/OVA)

1. Special Guest Key Animator: #1~#6.
2. Avant-Title Key Animation.

• Teito Monogatari(1991~1992/OVA)

1. Key Animator: #4.

• 龍騎兵団ダンザルブ(1993/Game)

1. Character, Mecha and Monster Design(Joint).

• Hon Ran(1993/OVA)

1. Key Animator.

• Sailor Moon R(1993/Movie)

1. Key Animator Help(NC).

• Shin Top wo Nerae! Kagaku Kouza(1994/OVA)

1. Planning(Joint).
2. Producer(Joint).
3. Screenplay(Joint).
4. Sound.

• Mobile Fighter G Gundam(1994~1995/TV)

1. Storyboard: OP1.

• Sailor Moon S(1994~1995/TV)

1. Uranus and Neptune Transformation Bank Directing.
2. Key Animator Help: #103(NC).

• Macross Plus(1994~1995/OVA)

1. Key Animator: #1.

• Neon Genesis Evanlgeion(1995~1996/TV)

1. Director.
2. Mecha Design(Joint).
3. Screenplay: #1, #2, #3, #5~#26.
4. Storyboard: #1, #2, #7, #10, #14, #20, #23, #24, #25, #26.
5. Key Animator: #2, #20, #26.

• Macross Plus Movie Edition(1995/Movie)

1. Key Animator.

• Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death & Rebirth(1997/Movie)

1. Original Work(Joint).
2. General Director.
3. Screenplay (Joint for Death part).
4. Mecha Design(Joint).
5. Setting Design(Joint).
6. Storyboard(Joint)(Rebirth).
7. Animation Director(Joint).
8. Key Animator(Death).

• Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion(1997/Movie)

1. Planning(Joint).
2. Original Work(Joint).
3. General Director.
4. General Supervision.
5. Director(second part - "Magokoro wo, Kimi ni").
6. Screenplay.
7. Mecha Design(Joint).
8. Setting Design(Joint).
9. Storyboard(Joint)(second part - "Magokoro wo, Kimi ni").
10. Animation Director(Joint).
11. Screenplay(Special Production Team - 特殊制作班).
12. Director(Special Production Team - 特殊制作班).

• Love & Pop(1998/Live-action)#

1. Director.

• Kareshi Kanojo no Jijou(1998~1999/TV)

1. Director(#16 Joint, #16 credited in Hiragana, #17 credited in Katakana).
2. Sound Director.
3. Screenplay: #1~#18, #20~#23, #26(Joint).
4. Series Composition: #14.
5. Storyboard: #26(Joint).

• GAMERA1999(1999/Live-action)

1. General Director.

• GAMERA1999+(1999/Live-action)

1. General Director.

• Oruchuban Ebichu(1999/TV)

1. Planning.

• FLCL(2000~2001/OVA)

1. Key Animator: #2(NC), #5.
2. Fellow Mecha Animation Director: #4.

• Shiki-Jitsu(2000/Live-action)

1. Director.
2. Screenplay.

• Takako Matsu - Koishii Hito(2001/PV)

1. Director.

• Sizzler Project (DVD Bonus for Top wo Nerae! Gunbuster)(2001)

1. Key Animator.

• 24-nin no Katou Ai(2001/Live-action Series)

1. Director for one episode.

• Mahoromatic(2001/TV)

1. Storyboard: OP.

• Animate Promotional "Anime Manager" (2002)

1. Fellow Director.

• Ryusei Kachou Short Video - 流星課長(2002/Live-action)

1. Director.

• Abenobashi Mahou☆Shoutengai(2002/TV)

1. Storyboard: #13.
2. Mecha Animation Director: #13.
3. Key Animator: #12.
4. Yuseijin Voice: #12.

• Mahoromatic: Motto Utsukushii Mono(2002~2003/TV)

1. Storyboard: OP.

• Kusoh no Kikai-tachi no Naka no Hakai no Hatsumei(2002)

1. Original Work.
2. Director.
3. Screenplay.

• Submarine 707R(2003~2004/OVA)

1. OP Episode Director.
2. Key Animator.

• Cutie Honey(2003/Live-action)

1. Director.
2. Screenplay(Joint).

• Re:Cutie Honey(2004/OVA)

1. General Director.
2. Episode Director: #3(Joint).
3. Key Animator: #3.

• Otakus in Love Insert Anime "不可思議実験体 ギバレンガー"(2004/Live-action)

1. Mecha Design.
2. Directing.

• Diebuster(2004~2006/OVA)

1. Storyboard: #4, #6.
2. Key Animator: #2.
3. 2nd Key Animation: #6.

• Sugar Sugar Rune(2005~2006/OVA)

1. Storyboard: OP(Joint), ED1, ED2.
2. Episode Director: OP, ED1, ED2.
3. Key Animator: ED1.

• Boukoku no Aegis(2005/Live-action)

1. Storyboard for Special Effects Part.

• Strings -Japanese Version(2007/Live-action)

1. Director for the Japanese Version.

• Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone(2007/Movie)

1. General Director.
2. Original Work.
3. Screenplay.
4. Sound Director.
5. Storyboard(Joint).
6. Design Works(Joint).
7. Key Animator.

• The Sky Crawlers(2008/Movie)

1. Special Thanks.
2. PV Episode Director.

• Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance(2009/Movie)

1. Executive Producer(Joint).
2. General Director.
3. Original Work.
4. Screenplay.
5. Storyboard(Joint).
6. Design Works(Joint).
7. Key Animator.

• Akiko Yano Promotion Video "Shiawasena Bakatare"(2011)

1. Producer.

• Kantoku Shikkaku(2011/Live-action Movie)

1. Producer.

• Uchuu Senkan Yamato 2199(2012~2013/TV)

1. Storyboard: OP(Joint).

• Content Business Saizensen Japacon TV - コンテンツビジネス最前線 ジャパコンTV(2012)

1. Opening Anime.

• Kyoshinhei Tôkyô ni arawaru(2012/Tokusatsu)

1. Planning.
2. Production.
3. Screenplay.
4. Optics Animation.

• Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo(2012/Movie)

1. Executive Producer(Joint).
2. Production General Director.
3. General Director.
4. Planning.
5. Screenplay.
6. Original Work.
7. Storyboard(Joint).
8. Design Works(Joint).
9. Image Borads.
10. Key Animator.

• Andô Lloyd: A.I. Knows Love?(2013/Live-action)

1. Concept.
2. Setting Cooperation(Joint).

• Peaceful Times(F02)petit film(2013)

1. Supervisor.

• Nihon Animators Expo(2014~/WEB)

1. Executive Producer.
2. Mascot Character Designs.
3. PV Director.

• Nihon Animators Expo OP Studio Khara ver.(2014/WEB)

1. Director.
2. Storyboard.
3. Animation.

• Nihon Animators Expo YAS and Ichiro Itano's Key Frames Collection(2015/WEB)

1. Composition.
2. Editing.

• Nihon Animators Expo Until You Come to Me(2015/WEB)

1. Original Work.
2. Layout(Joint).

• Nihon Animators Expo Evangelion Another Impact（Confidential)(2015/WEB)

1. Original Work.

• Nihon Animators Expo Obake-chan(2015/WEB)

1. Key Animator Cooperation.
2. Special Supervision.

• Nihon Animators Expo The Ultraman(2015/WEB)

1. Executive Producer.

• Shin Godzilla(2016/Tokusatsu Movie)

1. Screenplay.
2. Editing.
3. General Director.
4. Sound Setting.
5. Godzilla Concept Design.
6. Image Setting.
7. Storyboard(Joint).
8. Previs Planing.
9. Previs Director.
10. DTeam(D班) Photography.
11. Recording.
12. Trailer Directing(Joint).
13. Advertising Supervision.
14. Poster Design(Joint).

• Nihon Animators Expo Mobile Police Patlabor REBOOT(2016/WEB)

1. Planing.
2. Executive Producer.

• Yoiko no Rekishi Anime: Ookina Kabu (Kabu)(2016)

1. Executive Producer.
2. Photos(Joint).
3. Editing(Joint).

• The Dragon Dentist(2017/SP)

1. Production Supervisor(制作統括)(Joint).
2. Sound Director.

• Chiisana Eiyuu: Kani to Tamago to Toumei Ningen(2018/Movie)

1. Cooperation(Joint).