In recent days, news of the bankruptcy of GAINAXthe iconic anime production studio co-founded in 1984 by Hideaki Anno, the creator of “Neon Genesis Evangelion“. A recent report by Tokyo Shoko Research revealed that GAINAX owed approximately ¥380 million (US$2.42 million) to around 71 creditors prior to its bankruptcy filing. The company filed for bankruptcy 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 their initial statement last week, in which they described how the company had made large unsecured loans to individual executives. Anno's company, Studio Khara, later intervened to stabilize the situation and discovered that large amounts of undisclosed loans had been made at the management level.

GAINAX's inability to honor its debts has led several companies to sue it through a debt collection agency. In response to the bankruptcy, Studio Khara issued an official statement providing additional context. A team was formed to “prevent damage to the reputation of works like Neon Genesis Evangelion and others.” Evangelion's reputation was particularly affected after the arrest of GAINAX's president for sexual assault of a minor.

Hideaki Anno published an opinion piece threatening legal action for any unfair association between his work and the then president of GAINAX.. The team Anno formed included Kadokawa, King Records Co., Ltd., Studio Khara, and TRIGGER Inc., whose founder, Hiroyuki Imaishi, also previously worked at GAINAX.At least“, Khara’s statement continued, “we seek to resolve outstanding payments to animation studios, writers and creators 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 holds the rights to the “FLCL” anime, while TRIGGER will release a sequel to “Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt,” after confirming the acquisition of the intellectual property 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 left an indelible mark on popular culture. Negligence in financial management and legal issues have overshadowed its legacy, but the intervention of Studio Khara and other studios aims to preserve and continue GAINAX's work, ensuring that its contributions to the anime industry are not lost over time.

Source: Tokyo Shoko Survey