The Art of Studio Gainax: Experimentation, Style and Innovation at the Leading Edge of Anime

by Dani Cavallaro

Overview

Formed by a small group of university students in the early 1980s, Studio Gainax is now one of the most adventurous and widely esteemed anime companies on the scene. And it is fascinating for its unique approach to animation. Formal experimentation, genre-straddling, self-reflexivity, unpredictable plot twists, a gourmet palate for stylishness, proverbially controversial endings, and a singularly iconoclastic worldview are some of the hallmarks.

This documentation of the studio's achievements provides a critical overview of both the company and its films: in-depth examinations of particular titles that best represent the company's overall work, including television series such as Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water and Neon Genesis Evangelion, and feature films such as Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honneamise and Gunbuster vs. Diebuster. Each chapter highlights the contribution made by a specific production to the company's progress.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781476600703
Publisher:	McFarland & Company, Incorporated Publishers
Publication date:	01/27/2015
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	240
File size:	526 KB
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

The late Dani Cavallaro wrote widely about literature, cultural theory, and anime. She lived in London.
The late Dani Cavallaro wrote widely about literature, cultural theory, and anime. She lived in London.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

PREFACE     

1. A Brief History of Studio Gainax     
2. Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honneamise (1987)     
3. Gunbuster (1988)     
4. Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water (1990–1991)     
5. Otaku no Video (1991)     
6. Neon Genesis Evangelion I—The TV Series (1995–1996)     
7. Neon Genesis Evangelion II—The Movies (1997; 2007-2008)     
8. His and Her Circumstances (1998–1999)     
9. FLCL (2000)     
10. Mahoromatic—Automatic Maiden (2001–2002)     
11. Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi (2002)     
12. This Ugly Yet Beautiful World (2004)     
13. The Diebuster Saga (2004–2006)     
14. The Anime Magic of Studio Gainax     

FILMOGRAPHY     
APPENDIX: ANIME PRODUCTIONS WITH STUDIO GAINAX MEMBERS     
CHAPTER NOTES     
BIBLIOGRAPHY     
INDEX