https://n.news.naver.com/article/030/0003379906?sid=105
Hideaki Anno: "Despair over the deceitful actions of my college buddies Yamaga and Takeda." Thankfully, the Intellectual Property (IP) has been safely transferred to the original creators and respective production companies.
GAINAX, the legendary Japanese game and anime studio that defined an era with masterpieces like 'Neon Genesis Evangelion,' 'Gurren Lagann,' and the 'Princess Maker' series, has vanished from history after 42 years. Industry sources confirm today (the 12th) that GAINAX officially ceased to exist as a corporation after its bankruptcy liquidation was finalized on the 10th. Hideaki Anno, a founding member of GAINAX and the current head of Studio Khara, released a statement about the studio's end and the disastrous management by the former executives. Anno started by saying, "As someone who was involved from the founding era for over 20 years and was a shareholder, while this is a regrettable end, I accept it quietly." GAINAX churned out hits like 'Gunbuster' and 'Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water,' but things went south after 2000 as key creators jumped ship to start studios like Khara and Trigger. The final nail in the coffin was in 2019 when then-CEO Tomohiro Maki was arrested for quasi-forcible indecency. After that, drowning in massive debt and management chaos, GAINAX filed for bankruptcy in May 2024. In his statement, Anno heavily criticized the moral failure of the old management, something he hadn't fully revealed before. He exposed, "I learned the truth behind the deceptive actions against me and Khara by former president Hiroyuki Yamaga—who I thought was my friend since college—and Yasuhiro Takeda." He continued, "Former President Yamaga was consistently dishonest, having staff lie that he was hospitalized, and actively trying to antagonize Khara just to avoid repaying debts." Anno added, "When I found this out, it was beyond anger, I felt profound sadness. I know keenly that I can never go back to how things were with them." Studio Khara actually helped GAINAX survive during its crisis by providing emergency loans, but due to the former execs' mismanagement and misappropriation of funds, Khara eventually sued them, reaching a settlement in January 2023. Thankfully, the major IPs and production materials held by GAINAX were not lost; they were successfully transferred to the original creators and relevant production companies. Anno explained, "Thanks to cooperation from the associated companies, the rights processing and material transfers followed proper procedure and safely returned to the respective rights holders and creators." This means IPs like 'Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt' have found new homes (like Trigger) and will continue their legacies. Anno concluded his statement by thanking the last CEO, Yasuhiro Kamimura: "Unlike the former management who shirked their duties and abandoned creditors, I thank the final CEO of GAINAX, Yasuhiro Kamimura, who prevented the scattering of materials, dealt seriously with creditors, and oversaw the company’s final moments."
Seriously, if you hear the real stories about GAINAX, it sounds like the place was an absolute clusterfuck (파파괴) of constant failures, and they only barely stayed alive thanks to works like Gunbuster and Eva. LOL ㄷㄷ
"Anno might troll the fans with the Rebuilds, but at least he saved the Evangelion IP from the GAINAX dumpster fire. That's the real happy ending."
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