While the animation studio achieve defunct, it has released a lot of great anime series during its activities, from 1984 to 2018. These works are of different genres and styles, and some of Some of them have been considered major works in the anime industry. Almost any anime fan has probably seen at least one Gainax series, and that’s something that not many studios can say. This list compiles the 10 best series that Gainax has released over the years and some of them belong to the best anime of all time.
While Gainax has also produced various films and other smaller projects over the years, this list is looking at films specifically, so those will not be considered. Still, many of them are worth a look, especially if one enjoys other Gainax anime.
Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi is almost a parody of isekai, from before the concept of isekai really took off. This 2002 film is adapted from the manga and follows Arumi and Sasshi, two children who live in the Abenobashi district of Osaka and are transported to a fantasy world after an incident. The story then follows Arumi and Sasshi as they traverse various alternate realities in their attempt to get home. Unlike most isekai, it’s themed about the dangers of escapism, making it more real than almost anything else that can claim the genre.
9 His and Her Circumstances
Better known to some anime fans as Kare Kano, this 1998 film is a full-blown animated romantic comedy. Yukino has always been perfect in public, but her private life is a mess. When a new boy, Soichiro, arrives and becomes the new top student, the two immediately begin to confront. As the truth comes out about both of them, they begin to realize that they have more in common than they ever imagined, and learn to be more comfortable with themselves, even if it means breaking the illusion of Perfection. In that sense, it’s a sweet romance about learning to love yourself as well as others, something that many romantic works often cover up.
8 Nadia: The secret of the clear blue water
Nadia was the first anime series Gainax made, released in 1990 with Evangelion creator Hideaki Anno. In an alternate history in the late 1800s, Nadia mysteriously appeared without knowing her origins. She is found by a French inventor, and together the two go on a journey that sees them confront the forces of the lost Kingdom of Atlantis. It is based on Jules Verne’s early sci-fi works, such as 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, and even features Captain Nemo and the submarine Nautilus. This series was once very popular, but today it is not as well known, although still a pretty good watch.
7 Panties and socks
Panty and Stocking (2010) is a wild show with an unusual art style for anime. It has a deranged sense of humor that isn’t for everyone, so be warned when considering it. Despite the random humor, the film actually has a plot, following Panty and Stocking of the same name, two angels who are evicted from heaven and flown to Daten City, where they are assigned a mission. Defeat the ghosts to help them. move to the sky. The show gets wilder as it goes on, with some surprising revelations towards the end.
6 Re: Cute honey
Re:Cutie Honey is based on the live-action film Cutie Honey, which itself is also based on the original 1970s manga series by legendary Go Nagai. A three-episode miniseries, the series follows Honey, a girl with a superhero ego known as Cutie Honey, who sets out to stop an evil organization called the Panther Claw. It’s filled with references and cameos to other anime and manga, and each episode has a unique style, as each episode has a different director in charge with relative autonomy.
5 shootings
Gunbuster is a six-episode OVA series released in 1988 and 1989, also by Hideaki Anno of Evangelion. Gunbuster is an anime mecha revolving around an invasion of insect-like aliens. The story follows Noriko, whose father was a hero lost in the war against the aliens, and who hopes to follow in his footsteps, even though she has no skills in controlling giant robots. The series is known for popularizing many tropic anime mechas, but it’s almost as famous for its lack of funding towards the end of the series, with the animation sometimes lagging at single frames. Even so, it’s definitely worth a look for mecha fans.
4 magic
Mahoromatic is a 2001 sci-fi anime about a robot soldier who decides to spend the rest of her pre-programmed life atone for her sins by working as the maid for her former commander’s son. While this series is primarily a comedy about life, it does have its fair share of action. The fact that Mahoro, the android maid, has a directly measurable finite lifespan gives the entire series an eerie atmosphere that doesn’t let viewers forget Mahoro’s impending death. The show lasted for two seasons and even returned in 2009 with two specials.
3 Gurren Lagann
Gurren Lagann was a huge hit when it debuted in 2007, becoming the source of the memes that are sometimes still seen today. The story follows Kamina and Simon, two members of a human society forced to live underground due to the evil Spiral King who chased them from the surface. Kamina did not like this very much, and the two went to the surface, discovering a whole new world of giant robots and beastmen. Things take an abrupt turn from there, but it would reveal too much plot to discuss in detail here. If fans are looking for some “nothing is impossible” encouragement, it’s hard to go wrong with Gurren Lagann.
2 FLCL
FLCL (often read as “Fooly Cooly”) is a 6-episode OVA series that was a huge hit when it aired on Adult Swim in the mid-2000s. It tells the story of Naota, who one day clash with a bizarre woman named Haruko. Haruko blends in with her family and becomes their maid, but she has big, universe-wide plans of her own, as well as a piece of bone to choose from with the biggest boss in town, Medical Mechanica. FLCL (and its English dub in particular) became such a cult classic that it had 4 sequels created decades later and it remains one of the greatest stories of all time. Anime’s best teenage years.
1 Neon Genesis Mission
No surprises here: Neon Genesis Evangelion is considered by many to be one of the best anime of all time, so of course it’s Gainax’s best yet. The series focuses on the invasion of mysterious creatures called Angels, these creatures must be fended off by giant “robots” known as EVA and these EVAs need very special pilots. separate to operate. Unfortunately for Shinji Ikari, he’s one of those pilots, even though he really wants to do anything else. Evangelion’s dark and apocalyptic atmosphere makes much of the series scary, especially as it moves deeper into the plot. Anyone who hasn’t seen Evangelion but loves anime should stop what they’re doing right now and start watching it, as long as they’re in the right space for some bad desperation.
While Gainax may no longer exist, the works they created have earned a great deal of respect within the anime community and the industry itself, and many former Gainax employees have gone on to form today’s biggest movie studios, such as Trigger. achieve will always be remembered for producing some of the great cartoons of its day, and fortunately for fans, many of these are still available to watch.