Last week, the world officially bid farewell to one of
the most important and influential Anime studios of all time: Gainax. Personally, I hadn’t kept up with the drama
that had fallen upon the studio in recent years, preventing it from producing
more titles. But whoa boy, Hideaki Anno
shared all and…wow yeah it was, it was bad. But we’re not here to talk about
that. On today’s Top 5 Wednesday I’m
looking through this studio’s impressive catalogue and looking for five titles
that led to some of Anime biggest success stories and even the founding of
successor studios like Khara and Trigger.
These are my Top 5 Studio Gainax Titles.
Based on the lives of Gainax’s very staff, Otaku no Video
chronicles the life of an Otaku who goes from casual viewer with friends at
home to becoming head of a behemoth Anime production company.
The two part OVA has all the special heart,
humor, creativity and honest emotional core that makes for some of Gainax’s
best works.
The feature also intercuts
with documentary style real life interviews with Otaku from every facet of the
fandom from collectors to cosplayers.
It’s
the crazy life of those who love Anime from a studio that was comprised of
those who have nothing but love for Anime itself.
#4-Gurren Lagann
A love letter to the glory days of Super Robots, Gurren
Lagann is a series that doesn’t get nearly as much love as it deserves.
Simon’s journey from underground worker to
literal savior of the universe is filled with tons of F YEAH moments,
heartbreaking losses, and a lot of Giant Robot smack downs…also hot girls with big
guns.
The thing about Gurren Lagann
besides its inspiring speeches is that it never stops going higher and higher
with its spectacle, leading to a finale that is one of the biggest in Anime
history.
If you don’t come away from
this one ready to punch a Giant Robot in the face with your fist, this Anime hasn’t
done its job properly.
#3-Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt
Two Angels who love to party hard and live for debauchery
are banished to Hell and have to work their way back into Heaven as Demon
Bounty Hunters.
Thing is though: the more
you get to know Panty and Stocking, why would they even want that?
This is another shining example of Gainax
throwing everything into the mix and making it so fun and nonsensical that you
cant help but watch. It’s a show with something for everyone: gross out humor,
over the top violence, sex and drugs and hot demon slaying babes.
When you’re riding with Panty and Stocking,
even if they suck at being divine agents of Heaven, they know how to make life
a helluva good time.
#2-Neon Genesis Evangelion
Some might argue Evangelion changed not just the world of
Mecha Anime but Anime as a whole…and they’re right.
Eva trailblazed a new kind of Anime
storytelling that wasn’t afraid to break barriers and push boundaries to an
almost uncomfortable level with its violence and dark look at the battle for
the Human soul against the backdrop of an Apocalypse.
The overall success of Evangelion can be felt
throughout the entire Anime medium from visual cues to merchandising to the
continued love of its cast (especially its leading ladies).
Hey when you see Rogue do an Evangelion kick
in X-Men ’97, almost thirty years after Evangelion first dropped, you know an
Anime has really reached the heights reserved for the greatest of legends.
#1-FLCL
This Anime is up there with Dragon Ball Z and Gundam Wing
as Anime that changed my life forever.
FLCL is a one of a kind, unique experience that still feels like a
graduation ceremony to the next level of Anime Otaku.
Filled to the brim with references, action,
constantly shifting artstyles and a banger of a soundtrack, FLCL hits hard
right out the gate and dares you to hold on for the rest of its short 6 episode
run.
This project has so much passion
and fun injected into it and it shows in every frame, every piece of writing
and every single out of this world action sequence.
It’s no wonder attempts to continue from its
perfection have failed so spectacularly.
And what does “Fooly Cooly” even mean?
Who the heck knows and that’s all part of the fun.
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