Mecha Personnel Profile: Hiroyuki Imaishi – A Director Whose Style Pierces The Heavens
In the anime fan community, everyone seems to know and love Studio Trigger. They are known for their energetic, youthful, eccentric and unrestrained animation style, and which makes almost every anime series they produce so well received and highly rated. Behind the style and success of the Trigger, is a man whose artistic vision pierces the heavens, that is, director Hiroyuki Imaishi.
I. Background:
Hiroyuki Imaishi, born on October 4, 1971, grew up in a middle-class family. Since he was 10 years old, he has seen the theatrical version of Mobile Suit Gundam, thus his love for Gundam and model kits was kickstarted. When he was in middle school and high school, Imaishi joined cinema and visual media appreciation clubs and around the same time, began to practice drawing manga. After graduating from high school, he enrolled in an art college to study film, but he turned his attention to animation instead, and during that time he started making his own anime.
Imaishi took his baby steps into the anime industry after being employed by Gainax and participating in the Neon Genesis Evangelion (1995) project as a douga artist, and thanks to his talent, he gradually gained the trust of Gainax and got entrusted with more important positions. He was further involved in their next project, FLCL (Fooly Cooly) (2000), as storyboard artist, key animator, animation director for most of the episodes, and art layout manager. In addition, he also participated in the production of Aim for the Top! Diebuster (2004) as key animator and mechanical animation director (in episode 4).
The biggest turning point in Hiroyuki Imaishi’s career was probably when he was entrusted with the directorship of Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann (2007), a mecha anime series full of optimism and style that I’m pretty sure everyone has heard of (or seen) at least once. Thanks to the success of that series, Imaishi received many arts awards, and his name also rose to fame, leading to him taking the helm in Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt (2010).
After Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt ended in 2011, Imaishi left Gainax and together with Masahiko Otsuka and Kazuya Masumoto founded Studio Trigger. Until now, besides being a board member of Studio Trigger, he has also participated in directing many Trigger anime series, from Kill la Kill (2013), Space Patrol Luluco (2016), to Promare (2019) and most recently Cyberpunk: Edgerunners (2022), all of which were successful and highly rated by the community and critics alike.
Hiroyuki Imaishi, born on October 4, 1971, grew up in a middle-class family. Since he was 10 years old, he has seen the theatrical version of Mobile Suit Gundam, thus his love for Gundam and model kits was kickstarted. When he was in middle school and high school, Imaishi joined cinema and visual media appreciation clubs and around the same time, began to practice drawing manga. After graduating from high school, he enrolled in an art college to study film, but he turned his attention to animation instead, and during that time he started making his own anime.
Imaishi took his baby steps into the anime industry after being employed by Gainax and participating in the Neon Genesis Evangelion (1995) project as a douga artist, and thanks to his talent, he gradually gained the trust of Gainax and got entrusted with more important positions. He was further involved in their next project, FLCL (Fooly Cooly) (2000), as storyboard artist, key animator, animation director for most of the episodes, and art layout manager. In addition, he also participated in the production of Aim for the Top! Diebuster (2004) as key animator and mechanical animation director (in episode 4).
The biggest turning point in Hiroyuki Imaishi’s career was probably when he was entrusted with the directorship of Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann (2007), a mecha anime series full of optimism and style that I’m pretty sure everyone has heard of (or seen) at least once. Thanks to the success of that series, Imaishi received many arts awards, and his name also rose to fame, leading to him taking the helm in Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt (2010).
After Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt ended in 2011, Imaishi left Gainax and together with Masahiko Otsuka and Kazuya Masumoto founded Studio Trigger. Until now, besides being a board member of Studio Trigger, he has also participated in directing many Trigger anime series, from Kill la Kill (2013), Space Patrol Luluco (2016), to Promare (2019) and most recently Cyberpunk: Edgerunners (2022), all of which were successful and highly rated by the community and critics alike.
II. Notable Works:
Throughout his career, Hiroyuki Imaishi’s works as both artist and director have been numerous in quantity and excellent in quality. As an animator, he has done lots of key animations and storyboards for multiple mecha anime such as Neon Genesis Evangelion, Dai-Guard, Gad-Guard, Gaiking: Legend of Daikū-maryū, King of Braves Gaogaigar, Getter Robo: Armageddon, Diebuster, Heroman, Mobile Suit Gundam 00, Star Driver, etc. When sitting in the director’s chair, Hiroyuki Imaishi was able to make 100% use of his artistic sense, thereby giving birth to many works full of his unique style.
As a follower of Yoshinori Kanada’s school of animation – an influential animator in Japan and known for his intense action scenes, Hiroyuki Imaishi creates anarchic, hyperactive, and wildly deformed animation that never sits still. His style is the antithesis of anime in which animation plays a secondary role to the plot, bringing back the animator-centric approach and innocent fun of old anime like Gutsy Frog (which is one of his main inspirations). In short, in the works of Imaishi, animators are the main priority. In addition, he also utilizes his years of drawing manga into his works, such as in FLCL and Karekano.
Loving the mecha genre, and being a big fan Xabungle, Hiroyuki Imaishi gives back to the passion that inspires him: not only has he done countless key animations for many mecha anime, he has also created Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann and Promare, two must-see mechas for anyone who enjoys pure entertainment and non-stop action. In particular, Gurren Lagann is not only an extremely excellent anime with animation scenes full of motion and energy, gathering the essence of mecha series from each period and then re-conveying it, it also helps younger generations, myself included, to get to know and enjoy Super Robot, a subgenre that is no longer as well-known as before. Hiroyuki Imaishi’s contributions to the mecha genre are really no less than that of his predecessors.
For mecha fans like me, the very “raw” fire that Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann lit up inside each of us is hard to fade from memory, and the name Hiroyuki Imaishi will forever be associated with the words like “hype”, “fire” and “style”. I hope that, no matter what kind of anime he wants to produce, in the future, Imaishi sensei will still release anime filled with his extraordinary style like so far.
III. Gallery:
See Also:
The first of many – Kunio Okawara is a household name for any mecha fans. From Super to Real Robots, he has had a hand in almost everything.
The chosen child to become Everything himself – Kazuki Makabe is no doubt the greatest Fafner pilot. He is born into it and has blessed the world with his existence.
A twin unit of the Musashi, the Musashi-O is an experienced combat machine that helped Arshem to achieve her goal. A Megaton-class with a Megaton sass.
Sakugas are hard and usually required a team effort. But that isn’t true for the One-man-army Kou Yoshinari – a super animator that can draw sakugas by himself.
A modern day hot-blooded Super Pilot – Yamato Ichidaiji is a potent combination between brains and brawn. And he isn’t afraid to show it with his fists or his giant mecha.
Carrying the weight of both worlds in his arms, Teru set out to protect the world where his loved one lives. He heads to battle in an electrifying Megaton-class: the Sparkman.
Power overwhelming. The tanky brawler from the hood is here to protect! Ryugo Hijikata – a rough but kind-hearted boy – pilot his Megaton-class into battle – the Gaudia.
The ultimate Megaton-class – the Musashi X. The final hope of humanity sees the reunion of the original trio – Yamato, Teru and Ryuugo for the final battle.
The girl that stand shoulders-to-shoulders with the most hot-blooded men out there. Noriko Takaya is a sweet girl but also a complete badass when piloting humanity’s strongest machine – Gunbuster.
Do the impossible! See the invisible! The person whose animated vision exceed all boundaries – the Director that gave us the “soul” of Trigger – Hiroyuki Imaishi!
After the all-rounder and the galloping Rogue, next is the bulky Gladiator. The Maximus is a one-Rogue-army capable of clearing the battlefield in just one attack.
The first generation Dynamic Super Robot pilot: Kouji Kabuto. He is a reckless teenager that grew into a hot-blooded hero that stops at nothing to protect everyone.
The white knight is here! And he is one with his horse. The Megaton-class Arthur is a quadruple Rogue with the ability to channel extremely powerful psychic energy.
Listen to the songs of Mecha! If you watch mecha or anime, chances are you’ve heard their songs. The superband that keep the fires burning for mecha – JAM PROJECT.
A giant robot that is the hope of humanity. The Megaton-class Musashi is the titular robot with a unique fighting style and extremely powerful abilities.
A man who has sacrificed all that he is – has now gained the power of Everything. The Fafner Mark Alles is Kazuki’s ultimate machine with immeasurable power.
A denier of ‘reason’ – the Mark Raison encompasses the Festum’s desire to comprehend and assimilate human. The 3rd Salvator model that bring calamity.
A tenacious shield of the Island, Mimika Mikagami inherited the mantle of the Kidou Samurai Goubain and withit the Fafner Mark Funf Kai Tsukuyomi.
A brilliant strategist plus an agile warrior with an entire armory in his hands, Sui Kaburagi and the Amaterasu prove they are a man-machine army!
The pinnacle of martial might and discipline. The Mark Elf was rebuilt and assigned to the best swordman on the Island – Reo Mikado. Holding the title of Susanoo, the Mark Elf’s sword can reach any target.
A machine inherited from the future – the Mark DreiZehn lost its original master and gain another surprising pilot. Kurusu Misao – a Festum – took over the clairvoyant Fafner.
