History Creator / StudioGainax

* ''LightNovel/DirtyPair: Project Eden'' (In-Between Cooperation)
* ''LightNovel/DragonCrisis'' (In-Between Animation)

* ''LightNovel/HarukaNogizakasSecret: Purezza'' (2nd Key Animation)

* ''LightNovel/OutbreakCompany'' (In-Between Animation)

* ''Anime/TekkonKinkreet'' (In-Between Animation)

* ''Anime/TweenyWitches: The Adventures'' (In-Between Animation)

* ''LightNovel/TheMysticArchivesOfDantalian'' (TV series; 2011)

[[http://www.gainax.co.jp/ Studio Gainax]] is a Japanese {{anime}} studio founded in 1984 by Creator/HideakiAnno, Yoshiyuki Sadamoto, Hiroyuki Yamaga, Takami Akai, Toshio Okada, Yasuhiro Takeda and Shinji Higuchi. It is best known for producing works such as ''Anime/NadiaTheSecretOfBlueWater'', ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'', ''Anime/{{FLCL}}'' and ''Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann''. Their work provides the origin for terms such as {{Gainaxing}} and the GainaxEnding.

However, Gainax is not what it used to be. During the latter half of the 2000s, the studio began to lose some of its longstanding and most noteworthy talent. In 2006, Anno would depart to form Creator/StudioKhara and take the ''Evangelion'' IP with him. A few years later in 2011, Creator/HiroyukiImaishi would follow suit and establish Creator/StudioTrigger. Then there's the situation with Creator/{{Gaina}} (note the lack of an "X"), previously known as Fukushima Gainax: despite being founded by the company in 2015, it soon became a legally-distinct entity that was later bought out in 2018; a sale which included the rights to Gainax properties such as ''Anime/{{Gunbuster}}'' and ''Anime/RoyalSpaceForceTheWingsOfHonneamise'' sequel ''Uru in Blue''. Toss in a number of troubling financial and legal issues, and the end result is an anime studio that was all but dead by the end of the 2010s, now operating out of an apartment. Perhaps most damning, Anno would publicly express severe disappointment towards the conduct of his old employers in an open letter published in 2020, saying the studio had taken several large loans from Studio Khara in the first half of the 2010s, but so far have failed to pay any of them back, and even all but outright stating that he strongly suspected that all that was left of the company was little more than an embezzlement scheme. But whatever may befall Gainax in the 2020s, be it a decisive death or surprise comeback, at least the "Daicon Spirit" lives on through their aforementioned descendant studios.

* ''Manga/StellaWomensAcademyHighSchoolDivisionClassC3'' (TV series; 2013)

* ''Series/ReturnOfUltraman'', a parody of the ''Franchise/UltraSeries'' show of [[NamesTheSame the same name]], featuring Creator/HideakiAnno as Ultraman!

* {{Fanservice}}: '''''YES.'''''

* ''LightNovel/ShakuganNoShana'' (Key & 2nd Key Animation)

* ''LightNovel/{{Slayers}} Great'' (Production Assistance)

* ''LightNovel/{{Toradora}}'' (2nd Key Animation)
* ''LightNovel/TrinityBlood'' (Animation)

[[http://www.gainax.co.jp/ Studio Gainax]] is a Japanese {{anime}} studio founded in 1984 by Creator/HideakiAnno, Yoshiyuki Sadamoto, Hiroyuki Yamaga, Takami Akai, Toshio Okada, Yasuhiro Takeda and Shinji Higuchi. It is best known for producing works such as ''Anime/NadiaTheSecretOfBlueWater'', ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'', ''Anime/{{FLCL}}'', and ''Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann''. Their work provides the origin for terms such as {{Gainaxing}} and the GainaxEnding.

However, Gainax is not what it used to be. During the latter half of the 2000s, the studio began to lose some of its longstanding and most noteworthy talent. In 2006, Creator/HideakiAnno would leave to form Creator/StudioKhara and take the ''Evangelion'' IP with him. A few years later in 2011, Creator/HiroyukiImaishi would follow suit and establish Creator/StudioTrigger. Then there's the situation with Creator/{{Gaina}} (note the lack of an "X"), previously known as Fukushima Gainax: despite being founded by the company in 2015, it soon became a legally-distinct entity that was later bought out in 2018; a sale which included the rights to Gainax properties such as ''Anime/{{Gunbuster}}'' and ''Anime/RoyalSpaceForceTheWingsOfHonneamise'' sequel ''Uru in Blue''. Toss in a number of troubling financial and legal issues, and the end result is an anime studio that was all but dead by the end of the 2010s, now operating out of an apartment. Perhaps most damning, Anno would publicly express severe disappointment towards the conduct of his old employers in an open letter published in 2020, saying the studio had taken several large loans from Studio Khara in the first half of the 2010s, but so far have failed to pay any of them back, and even all but outright stating that he strongly suspected that all that was left of the company was little more than an embezzlement scheme. But whatever may befall Gainax in the 2020s, be it a decisive death or surprise comeback, at least the "Daicon Spirit" lives on through their aforementioned descendant studios.

* ''Anime/DaiconIIIAndIV'': Two introductory animated short films for Daicon III (1981) and IV (1983), both iterations of a major {{science fiction}} convention in Japan. These were their first creations, before they had really formed the studio. Due to the truly staggering amounts of [[ShoutOut shout-outs]] to both anime and American science fiction in both, plus the latter using Music/ElectricLightOrchestra's song "Twilight" and featuring the protagonist in a PlayboyBunny costume (which is copyrighted by Magazine/{{Playboy}} in the US), any release above and beyond 8mm copies sold at the convention and an unauthorized [=LaserDisc=] version based on said 8mm copies have been [[ScrewedByTheLawyers vetoed by pretty much every license holder.]]

* ''Yamata no Orochi no Gyakushu'' (''The Revenge of Yamata no Orochi''), a {{direct to video}} {{kaiju}} movie made when Gainax was still Daicon Film, featuring {{ancient astronauts}} and a giant cybernetic Yamata no Orochi. Special effects by Creator/ShinjiHiguchi.[[invoked]]

* ''Manga/StellaWomensAcademyHighSchoolDivisionClassC3'' - 2nd Key, Finish & In-Between Animation. (TV series; 2013)

* ''Manga/StellaWomensAcademyHighSchoolDivisionClassC3'' - 2nd Key, Finish & In-Between Animation.'' (TV series; 2013)

* ''Anime/WishUponThePleiades'' (TV series; 2015)[[note]]Collaboration with Subaru (yes, the car manufacturer).[[/note]]

* ''Manga/HisAndHerCircumstances'''' (TV series; 1998-99)[[note]]co-production with Creator/JCStaff.[[/note]]

* ''Route 20 - Galactic Airport'': An unfinished movie based on a Manga of the same name. Originally set for 1993, the only thing ever released was a three minute trailer.

* LimitedAnimation: [[UpToEleven Taken to extremes]] in the last two episodes of ''Evangelion''.

* ''Manga/{{Spriggan}}'' (In-Between Animation)

* AsskickingPose: The BadassArmFold. Technically only used in [[Anime/GunBuster two]] [[Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann series]] and a [[Anime/DieBuster continuation]], it's done memorably enough to be known as the Gainax Stance in Japan.

!! Studio Gainax and their works provide examples of:

-->[[Webvideo/EvangelionAbridged "It's Gainax! Fanservice adds to our character development!"]]

* OffModel: Episode four of ''Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann'' changed [[ArtShift its entire art style]], The fans were pissed off to say the least.

* AsskickingPose: The BadassArmFold. Technically only used in [[Anime/GunBuster two]] [[Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann series]] and a [[Anime/DieBuster continuation]], it's done memorably enough to be known as the [[FanNickname Gainax Stance]] in Japan.

* ''Manga/{{Bastard}}'' (In-Between Animation)

* ''Manga/{{Working}}'' (2nd Key & In-Between Animation; Production Assistance)

* ''Anime/DieBuster'' (OVA; 1988-89)[[note]]aka ''Aim for the Top! 2'' or ''Gunbuster 2''[[/note]]

* ''Film/{{Mutafukaz}}'' (In-Between Animation)

However, Gainax is not what it used to be. During the latter half of the 2000s, the studio began to lose some of its longstanding and most noteworthy talent. In 2006, Creator/HideakiAnno would leave to form Creator/StudioKhara and take the ''Evangelion'' IP with him. A few years later in 2011, Creator/HiroyukiImaishi would follow suit and establish Creator/StudioTrigger. Then there's the situation with Creator/{{Gaina}} (note the lack of an "X"), previously known as Fukushima Gainax: despite being founded by the company in 2015, it soon became a legally-distinct entity that was later bought out in 2018; a sale which included the rights to Gainax properties such as ''Anime/{{Gunbuster}}'' and ''Anime/RoyalSpaceForceTheWingsOfHonneamise'' sequel ''Uru in Blue''. Toss in a number of troubling financial and legal issues, and the end result is an anime studio that was all but dead by the end of the 2010s, now operating out of an apartment. Perhaps most damning, Anno would publicly express severe disappointment towards the conduct of his old employers in an open letter published in 2020, saying the studio had taken several large loans from Studio Khara in the first half of the 2010s, but so far have failed to any of them back, and even all but outright stating that he strongly suspected that all that was left of the company was little more than an embezzlement scheme. But whatever may befall Gainax in the 2020s, be it a decisive death or surprise comeback, at least the "Daicon Spirit" lives on through their aforementioned descendant studios.

* {{Fanservice}}: Tons and tons of it.

While Gainax has collaborated with a good number of other anime studios on the majority of its projects for Years, it shared it's closest business relationship with Creator/ProductionIG, who did quite a lot of work on ''[[Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion End of Evangelion]]'' and ''Anime/{{FLCL}}''.

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