Gainax is one of the most legendary names in anime—the studio born from Hideaki Anno’s collaboration with his fellow university students on the famous Daicon III short film that went on to spearhead legendary works like Gunbuster, FLCL, Gurren Lagann, and, of course, Neon Genesis Evangelion. But for many years, it’s mostly been that: a name, a shell of its former self due to years of financial mismanagement. Now, it’s preparing to vanish into the ether entirely.
reports that Gainax that it has filed for bankruptcy in Japan, almost 40 years after the studio—the original architects of which have gone on to spawn other iconic anime studios, like Anno’s own Studio Khara, as well as Studio Trigger—was originally founded. With the announcement, Khara, which has sued Gainax several times in recent years over unpaid creditor debts, has formally taken over the Gainax trademark in the process. The studio confirmed in its own statement acknowledging the bankruptcy notice that as the new manager of Gainax’s trademark, it will begin attempting to distribute the remaining intellectual property rights Gainax held back to suitable companies and individual creators, in order to “ensure that creators, original authors, and writers can continue to manage and produce their works.
” According to ANN, both Gainax and Khara’s statements detail a long history of financial mismanagement at the studio, a situation that worsened around 2012 due to the fallout of a failed restaurant.
