In recent days, news of the bankruptcy of GAINAX , the iconic
anime production studio co-founded in 1984 by Hideaki Anno, the creator of
“ Neon
Genesis Evangelion ,” has been confirmed. A recent report by Tokyo
Shoko Research has revealed that GAINAX was approximately 380 million
yen ($2.42 million) in debt to around 71 creditors before its
bankruptcy filing. The company filed its bankruptcy petition on May 29, 2024,
which was accepted by the Tokyo District Court on June 5, 2024.
GAINAX's financial mismanagement and large number of
creditors came as no surprise following its initial statement last week, in
which it described how the company had made large unsecured loans to
individual executives . Anno's studio, Studio Khara, subsequently
intervened to stabilize the situation and discovered that large amounts of
undisclosed loans had been made at the management level.
GAINAX's inability to meet its debts led
to various companies suing it through a debt collection company. In
response to the bankruptcy, Studio Khara issued an official statement providing
additional context. A team was formed to “prevent reputational damage
to works such as Neon Genesis Evangelion and others.” Evangelion's
reputation had been particularly affected following the arrest of GAINAX's
president for sexual assault of a minor.
Hideaki Anno published an op-ed
threatening legal action for any unfair association between his work and the
then-president of GAINAX . The team Anno assembled
included Kadokawa, King Records Co., Ltd., Studio Khara, and TRIGGER Inc.,
whose founder, Hiroyuki Imaishi, also previously worked at GAINAX. “ At
the very least ,” Khara’s statement continued, “ we
seek to resolve outstanding payments to studios, writers, and creators within
the animation industry, and prevent the loss of intellectual property and
documents .”
As for the future of GAINAX’s
intellectual properties, many of them have already been transferred to other
companies . Production IG now owns the rights to the
anime “FLCL,” while TRIGGER will release a sequel to “Panty & Stocking with
Garterbelt,” after confirming the acquisition of the IP last year.
The fall of GAINAX marks the end of an
era for one of the most influential studios in the history of anime, whose
productions have left an indelible mark on popular culture. Negligent
financial management and legal issues have overshadowed its legacy, but the
intervention of Studio Khara and other studios seeks to preserve and continue
GAINAX's work, ensuring that its contributions to the anime industry are not
lost to time.
Source: Tokyo WordResearch
