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Hideaki Anno

あんの ひであき

Anno Hideaki

Pen Names: Hideaki Anno（Credit name for films and animation works）

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1960-05-22 （Ube, Yamaguchi, Japan）
Nationality
Japanese
Languages
Japanese
Residence History
Ube, Yamaguchi, Japan → Tokyo, Japan (base of activities)

Career

Occupations
Film director, Animator, Screenwriter, Voice actor, Producer
Active Years
1984-
Affiliations
GAINAX, Khara, Inc. (Studio Khara)
Influenced By
Hayao Miyazaki, Tokusatsu works (Ultraman, Godzilla, etc.), Go Nagai
Influenced
Kazuya Tsurumaki, Shinji Higuchi, Subsequent anime directors and works (the 'Sekai-kei' trend etc.)

Education

Osaka University of Arts
Period: 1979-1984
Year of Graduation: 1984
Country: Japan
Involved in animation production during studies. Studied visual expression.

Awards

Japan SF Award (for Neon Genesis Evangelion)
Work: Neon Genesis Evangelion
Organization: Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of Japan
Result: Winner
Japan Media Arts Festival (Animation Division Excellence Award)
Work: Neon Genesis Evangelion
Category: Animation
Organization: Agency for Cultural Affairs (Japan)
Result: Winner
Japan Academy Prize (Popularity Prize, Work category)
Work: The End of Evangelion / Air
Organization: Japan Academy Prize Association
Result: Winner

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Neon Genesis Evangelion

1995 Science fiction / Anime

An original TV anime about teenagers piloting giant humanoid weapons called Evangelions and the crisis facing the world. The series blends psychological portraiture, religious motifs and philosophical elements.

Self and othersLoneliness and rebirthReligious motifs
Adaptations
  • [Film] Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death and Rebirth / The End of Evangelion (film versions) / 庵野秀明 (1997)
  • [Film (Rebuild series)] Rebuild of Evangelion / 庵野秀明 (2007)

Shin Evangelion (film)

2021 Animated film

The final installment of the Rebuild of Evangelion film series, concluding the saga with a new interpretation.

Completion vs individualityReconstruction

Bibliography

  • Neon Genesis Evangelion (creator/director)
  • Love & Pop (live-action film; director)
  • Shin Godzilla (chief supervisor/participant)

Adaptations

  • Theatrical versions (Death and Rebirth / Air / The End of Evangelion)
  • Rebuild of Evangelion film series

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Introspective, psychologically oriented character portrayalsFragmented and symbolic visual storytellingFrequent use of religious and mythic motifs
Recurring Motifs
A.T. Field (boundaries)Motherhood and lossInstability of self-identity

Health

  • Depressive disorder (history)
    1990年代 -
    Reportedly influenced his creative process; contributed to the introspective and melancholic aspects of his works.

Legacy

Hideaki Anno expanded the horizons of anime with Neon Genesis Evangelion, bringing deep psychological depiction and complex themes to the medium. His work influenced the industry domestically and internationally and contributed to the growth of media-mix strategies and late-night anime.

In Popular Culture

  • Numerous tie-ups and media projects such as the 500 TYPE EVA Shinkansen collaboration
  • Became a major subject of anime criticism and scholarship, generating many studies

Quotes

  • In production he sought a 'liberation from cel animation'.
    Source: Hideaki Anno interview (magazine) (2006)

Trivia

  • Born in Ube, Yamaguchi prefecture.
  • Caused a major cultural phenomenon in the 1990s with Neon Genesis Evangelion.
  • Founded Khara and produced the Rebuild of Evangelion film series.