WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK HE IS?!?!?
Hiroyuki Imaishi (born October 4, 1971) is an Anime director and animator, and co-founder of Studio TRIGGER, also well-known for his work at Studio Gainax.
Imaishi began his animation career in 1995, working on the iconic anime Neon Genesis Evangelion as a key animator. He continued to work on other Gainax works such as FLCL and DieBuster in various animation roles. The first two anime he worked on as a director were the Production I.G film Dead Leaves and the first episode of the Re: Cutie Honey OVA.
Imaishi's debut as a series director was the 2007 Gainax anime Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, released to critical acclaim. He also directed the 2010 anime Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt, months before leaving Gainax. In August of 2011, he co-founded Studio Trigger and made his studio debut as director in Kill la Kill, released in 2013.
Imaishi is famous for his fast-paced action series, which are often overdosed with Rule of Cool and Fanservice. His works are also known for having distinct and unique art styles, ranging from gritty and sketchy to inspired by 90's cartoons.
Works Directed by Imaishi:
- Dead Leaves (2004)
- Re: Cutie Honey (Episode 1, 2004)
- Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann (2007)
- Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt (2010)
- Kill la Kill (2013)
- SEX and VIOLENCE with MACHSPEED (Japan Animator Expo short, 2015)
- Space Patrol Luluco (2016)
- Promare (2019)
- Star Wars: Visions (Episode "The Twins", 2021)
- Cyberpunk: Edgerunners (2022)
Other Works Imaishi has Worked On:
- Neon Genesis Evangelion (1995) — Key and Inbetween Animator
- Saber Marionette J — Key Animator for episode 19
- GaoGaiGar — Key Animator for episodes 28 and 30
- Lupin III (1997-2003) — Key Animator for "Island Of Assassins", "Crisis In Tokyo", "Alcatraz Connection", and "Return The Treasure".
- His and Her Circumstances (1998) — Co-wrote Episode 19, Animation Director for Episodes 3, 11 and 19, Key Animator for Episodes 3, 10, 19 and 24-26, Storyboarder for Episodes 1, 3, 8, 19 and 24.
- Medabots (1999) — Animation Director, storyboard artist and key animator for episode 14.
- FLCL (2000) — Animation Director for Episode 5, also provided Storyboards, Key Animation, Art Layouts and Setting for other episodes
- Shaman King (2001) — Key Animator for both opening animations
- Cromartie High School (2003) — Storyboards for the opening animation
- Fullmetal Alchemist (2003) (2003) — Key Animator for episodes 4 and 22
- Samurai Champloo — Storyboard for episode 9
- Black Cat (2005) — Storyboard and Key Animator for episode 18
- Mobile Suit Gundam 00 (2007) — Key Animator for episode 25
- REDLINE (2009) — Key Animator
- Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva (2009) — Storyboard
- Black★Rock Shooter (2012) — CG Battle Director
- Lupin III: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine — Key Animator for episode 12
- Inferno Cop (2012) — Supervisor
- Little Witch Academia (2013) — Story Cooperation
- Little Witch Academia: The Enchanted Parade (2015) — Key Animator and Story Cooperation
- Ninja Slayer (2015) — Character Designer
- Aikatsu! — Key Animator for episode 159
- Nerdland (2016) — Animation for one of the "Video XV" sequences
- Little Witch Academia (2017) — Key Animator for episodes 3, 18, and 25, Storyboard for episodes 8 and 25
- OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes (2017) — Storyboards for the opening animation
- DARLING in the FRANXX (2018) — Action scene Storyboards
List tropes, you motherfucker!
- Author Appeal:
- He is a fan of the mecha genre, which served as the basis for Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann's conception.
- He's also a big fan of western media in general, which is especially prominent in Panty & Stocking.
- Art Shift: As mentioned above, his shows have two distinct art styles: The rough and gritty direction taken by Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann and Kill la Kill, and the one taken by Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt and Space Patrol Luluco, both of which could pass off as 90's cartoons.
- Badass Adorable: Most of his protagonists are endearingly adorable, but they're still the protagonists of his shows.
- Creator Thumbprint:
- At first, it was drills. It first appeared in Dead Leaves as a character's Gag Penis before becoming the weapon for many characters in Gurren Lagann. It later appeared as the Ultimate Weapon in Panty & Stocking, and finally in Kill la Kill as the weapon of a Two-Star Student's Goku Uniform.
- Clothes have become this for him. In Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt, the titular characters and their rivals could transform various lingerie into weapons. In Kill la Kill, clothes are used to boost the wearer's abilities immensely and grant them various powers. Space Patrol Luluco seems to strike a balance between the two: in it, clothes are used to transform the wearer into a weapon.
- He loves referencing his past works, as mentioned in Expy.
- Crosses the Line Twice: Expect his shows to have very few restraints in the way of humor.
- Expy: All of his shows have at least one character inspired by another one from a previous Gainax or Trigger work:
- Retro is partially based off of Canti.
- Simon is a composite expy of Shinji Ikari and Naota Nandaba.
- The Daemon Sisters are similar appearance wise to Yoko Littner and Nia Teppelin.
- Ryuko Matoi is a blend of Simon and Panty Anarchy. Likewise, Satsuki Kiryuin is based off of Lordgenome, Rossiu Adai, and Stocking Anarchy.
- Up to eleven in Space Patrol Luluco where everyone is an expy to a previous series or a cameo from a previous series.
- Fanservice: Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt was built on this premise, with Kill la Kill even turning this into a plot point.
- Germans Love David Hasselhoff: It's been noted that his shows do much better in America than in Japan. In fact, this is why Panty & Stocking failed in Japan; by making great attempts to appeal to Western audiences, the show alienated much of its domestic audience.
- God Does Not Own This World: Imaishi does not own the rights to Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann or Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt, both being part of Studio Gainax. He would later make a sequel doujin for the latter.
- No longer the case for the former as of March 2021, according to this report.
- Homage:
- Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann is essentially a love letter to mecha anime, with each major arc representing an era of the history of the genre.
- Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt serves the same purpose for Western Animation, and takes cues from all kinds of American culture. SEX and VIOLENCE with MACHSPEED itself serves as one to Panty & Stocking.
- Kill la Kill is a big one to Project A-Ko, which inspired much of the cast found in Kill la Kill.
- Space Patrol Luluco is self-reflexively one to Studio TRIGGER and Imaishi anime. Yes, he made a homage to himself.
- Improbable Weapon User: Clothes.
- Limited Animation: Happens frequently, and quite often deliberately. The use of limited animation adds a lot of charm to comedic moments in his works, especially if it's apparent that the work itself is not lacking in production value. For example, limiting the animation in certain parts of "If Angels Wore Swimsuits" in Panty & Stocking With Garterbelt helps ramp up both the comedy and the chaos caused by the Monster of the Week.
- Love Hurts: If there's an Official Couple in his show, chances are that one of the lovers won't come out of the series alive. Just ask Nia Teppelin, Alpha Omega Nova, and David Martinez.
- Production Posse: Tends to have the same crew members for his shows; with Kill la Kill’s Elite Four and Team Pet being the most frequently cast. People can say they are Imaishi’s Five-Man Band.
- Ami Koshimizu voiced Ryuko Matoi in Kill la Kill, and Ellis Ardebit in Promare.
- Ayumi Fujimura voiced Kneesocks in Panty & Stocking and Mataro and Rei in Kill la Kill.
- Hiroyuki Sawano is the composer for Kill la Kill, and Promare.
- Hiroyuki Yoshino voiced Brief in Panty & Stocking, Inamuta in Kill la Kill, and Remi Puguna in Promare.
- Katsuyuki Konishi voiced Kamina in Gurren Lagann, Tsumugu and Guts in Kill la Kill, and Meis in Promare.
- Kazuki Nakashima is Imaishi's partner-in-crime in charge of scriptwriting Gurren Lagann, Kill la Kill, and Promare.
- Marina Inoue voiced Yoko in Gurren Lagann and Maiko in Kill la Kill.
- Mayumi Shintani voiced Jakuzure in Kill la Kill, Midori in Space Patrol Luluco, and Lucia Fex in Promare. They also worked together on FLCL.
- Nobuyuki Hiyama voiced Viral in Gurren Lagann, Sanageyama in Kill la Kill, Space Patrol Galaxy Commander-in-Chief in Space Patrol Luluco, and Gueira in Promare.
- Ryōka Yuzuki voiced Satsuki Kiryuin from Kill la Kill, and Biar Colossus in Promare.
- Teddyloid, the main composer of Panty & Stocking, also composed the ending for Space Patrol Luluco.
- Tetsu Inada voiced Gamagoori in Kill la Kill, Over Justice in Space Patrol Luluco, and Varys Truss in Promare.
- Yukari Fukui voiced Nia in Gurren Lagann and Sukuyo in Kill la Kill.
- Recurring Element:
- A character who reveals their true allegiance by betraying their allies, usually by attacking them from the back (Stocking Anarchy, Satsuki Kiryuin, Alpha Omega Nova, Kiwi).
- A character who may or may not be the protagonist's Love Interest, who ends up dying as a result of fighting the Final Boss (Nia Teppelin, Senketsu, Alpha Omega Nova). Inverted in Cyberpunk: Edgerunners as the protagonist (David Martinez) meets his end to the Final Boss while the Love Interest (Lucy) comes out alive.
- Rule of Cool: What most of his shows run on.
- Reconstruction: Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann brought back the fun the mecha genre was known for. Likewise, Kill la Kill served as one to the Magical Girl Warrior genre.
- Signature Style: His signature art styles, batshit insane premises, and lack of common sense in favor of awesomeness have become trademarks of his.
- Spiritual Antithesis:
- Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann is one to Neon Genesis Evangelion.
- Kill la Kill is one to Puella Magi Madoka Magica.
- Spiritual Successor:
- Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann is one to FLCL.
- Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt is one to Dead Leaves.
- Kill la Kill is one to Gurren Lagann.
- The 'Verse: Space Patrol Luluco shows that many Trigger shows exist in one.
- Word of Dante: A very weird example: Imaishi released a doujin that serves as a sequel to Panty & Stocking and connects it to Space Patrol Luluco. But because the show still belongs to Gainax, it is dubiously canon.
- World of Badass
- World of Ham