A fter several poor financial and management results, the
“ Neon
Genesis Evangelion ” studio, GAINAX , has declared
bankruptcy, soon ending its 40-year history.
Through the official site, GAINAX Co., Ltd.'s
bankruptcy petition has been accepted by the Tokyo District Court. The
ad highlights numerous executive failures and unsuccessful ventures, such as
restaurant management, an "unplanned" CG animation company, large
unsecured loans to individual executives, and failure to obtain investment
contracts. As a result, “ we fell into a difficult situation ,”
the report continues, “ such as being expelled from the committee for
non-payment of fees and being sued for loans .” A notable example is
Studio Khara, which successfully sued GAINAX for non-payment of royalties.
The statement paints the studio as a sinking ship,
with numerous executives shedding names bearing "GAINAX," leading to
" numerous resignations and the loss of our animation production
role as a studio ." Those former staff also " continued
to work with the Gainax brand without regard to this predicament ." Former
GAINAX representative director Tomohiro Maki, described in the statement as a
person " with no knowledge of anime production ,"
was arrested a year into his tenure in 2019 for sexual assault of a minor,
which accelerated the collapse.
Following the scandal, GAINAX began
reviewing its financial conditions and discovered large amounts of unreported
loans to banks at management level, the sale and transfer of intellectual
property without legitimate permission, and non-payment of debts to various
companies. Despite attempts, such as selling the rights
to “ Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt ,” GAINAX was unable
to resolve its enormous debt. Finally, a debt collection company sued them in
May 2024. “ We decided it would be difficult to continue our
business, so we filed for bankruptcy ,” GAINAX continued, apologizing
to everyone who had trusted the company.
The bankruptcy of the company marks the end of an
important entity in the production of anime, with works for which GAINAX is
responsible, among others, “ Neon Genesis Evangelion ”,
“ FLCL ” and “ Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann ”.
Hiroyuki Imaishi had left GAINAX to found Studio Trigger, as had Shinji Higuchi
in the case of Gonzo, whose works include “ Welcome to the NHK ”,
“ Hellsing ” and “ Full Metal Panic ”. To
prevent misuse of the GAINAX trademark, he has since transferred to Studio
Khara, who is credited with being an important helper during his struggles.
Source: OfficialSite
