Hideaki Anno Breaks Silence on Gainax's Final Dissolution Amid Scandal Reckoning

In a landmark moment for the anime industry, legendary creator Hideaki Anno has publicly addressed the definitive shuttering of Gainax, the seminal studio behind masterpieces like Neon Genesis Evangelion, FLCL, and Gurren Lagann. Following years of financial distress, the venerable company officially completed its bankruptcy reorganization and ceased all operations as of December 2025, concluding an influential 42-year run. Anno, who famously departed Gainax in 2007 to establish Studio Khara but retained ties through Evangelion rights management, expressed profound regret over the studio's collapse. His statement served as both a solemn farewell and a candid reckoning, extending heartfelt appreciation to the dedicated individuals and partner entities that spent nearly six arduous years navigating the complex process of reconstruction and eventual liquidation, a necessity following the 2019 arrest of the former representative director, Tomohiro Maki.

Within his detailed remarks, Anno shone a harsh light on the internal turmoil, praising the selfless efforts of cooperating staff and companies who worked without remuneration to repatriate crucial intellectual property rights, secure vital production assets, and shield the interests of the creators. This commendation was sharply contrasted by his condemnation of the persistent mismanagement and deeply troubling corporate practices that plagued Gainax’s upper echelon for years, leading directly to insolvency filings in 2024 and this final dissolution. The legacy of Gainax remains sharply bifurcated: celebrating the groundbreaking animation that galvanized the medium in the 90s and 2000s, while simultaneously serving as a stark case study in corporate malfeasance, executive misconduct, and rights mismanagement.

Industry analysts note how Khara and allied parties played a critical role in ensuring a proper handover of legacy materials during the shutdown. Anno specifically lauded those who ensured creators’ IPs were safeguarded and systematically transferred to the correct rights holders and production committees for future stewardship. Fan and media reaction mirrors this complexity: while there is genuine mourning for the passing of an institution that shaped modern anime, there is also recognition that many of its most iconic works have already found new custodianship through successor studios or active production groups. This closure is being widely framed as an essential, albeit tragic, lesson for contemporary studios regarding robust corporate governance, mandatory transparency, and the absolute necessity of protecting creator rights from internal exploitation. Future coverage is anticipated to track the final disposition of any remaining physical archives and the long-term management strategy for the Evangelion franchise assets, but for now, Anno’s words stand as both an elegy and an indictment of Gainax’s dramatic fall from grace.