Hideaki Anno Doubles Down: Anime Must Retain Japanese Identity, Tells Western Audiences to 'Adjust'

Hideaki Anno, the creative force behind Neon Genesis Evangelion, has firmly stated that anime creators should not be adjusting their narratives for Western audiences. Speaking in a recent Forbes Japan interview, Anno stressed that international viewers need to meet the content halfway and adapt to established Japanese storytelling methods.

He explained that his projects are deeply rooted in specific Japanese emotional and thought structures. Any attempt to significantly alter these works for foreign markets would strip away the core essence of the production. Anno was blunt about the expectation: "A work constructed through Japanese thought processes is, naturally, difficult to understand outside of the Japanese language. I’m sorry, but the audience needs to adjust to the work."

This creative perspective, he noted, is possible due to the independence from profit-driven mandates, particularly concerning his Evangelion films. He drew a direct parallel to the production philosophy of Hayao Miyazaki at Studio Ghibli, confirming that both studios disregard foreign market demands during the initial creation phase.

Anno believes that any necessary global localization or adaptation should be strictly the responsibility of the business teams once the artistic content is finalized.

While Japan actively promotes its cultural exports through the Cool Japan initiative, Anno confirmed this increased global interest has not shifted his creative priorities. International enjoyment remains a welcome side effect, not the primary objective.

He gave credit to Korean and Chinese media for successfully breaking down cultural barriers. Anno suggested that these trends have lessened the Western "allergy" to seeing Asian faces prominently featured on screen, thereby creating a more receptive environment for Japanese content without requiring internal creative compromises.