is a Japanese

Japanese people

The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...

 key animator

Key frame

A key frame in animation and filmmaking is a drawing that defines the starting and ending points of any smooth transition. They are called "frames" because their position in time is measured in frames on a strip of film...

 and anime

Anime

is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....

 director. His style is marked by fast and frantic animation combined with elaborate storyboarding and punchy direction.

Early career

Imaishi began his career at Gainax

Gainax

is a Japanese anime studio famous for productions such as Gunbuster, The Wings of Honneamise, Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water, Neon Genesis Evangelion, FLCL and Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann which have gone on to critical acclaim and commercial success, as well as for their association with...

 in 1995 as a key animator on Neon Genesis Evangelion. Some of his early works include animation direction, storyboarding, and key animation in FLCL

FLCL

is an original video animation series written by Yōji Enokido, directed by Kazuya Tsurumaki and produced by the FLCL Production Committee, which included Gainax, Production I.G, and Starchild Records....

episode 5, Diebuster

Diebuster

Diebuster, known in Japan as is a six episode anime Original Video Animation series created by Gainax in 2004.The first episode was aired on October 3, 2004, while the final episode was released on August 14, 2005. A movie, officially titled retells and recaps the end of the first Gunbuster OVA...

, Oval X Over, and the ending animation of Paradise Kiss. Imaishi was also known for his "manga

Manga

Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...

" scenes in Kare Kano

Kare Kano

, is a manga series by Masami Tsuda. It was serialized in LaLa from 1996 to 2005 and collected in 21 tankōbon volumes by Hakusensha. It depicts the romance between "perfect" student Yukino Miyazawa and her academic rival Soichiro Arima, and the relationships of several of their friends.The series...

(His and Her Circumstances) and FLCL. He went on to direct Dead Leaves

Dead Leaves

is a 2004 Japanese animated science fiction film produced by animation studio Production I.G. It was distributed in Japan by Shochiku, in North America, Canada and the UK by Manga Entertainment, and in Australia and New Zealand by Madman Entertainment. It is directed by Hiroyuki Imaishi...

, a 2004 anime film produced by animation studio Production I.G.

Production I.G.

is a Japanese anime studio and production enterprise, which was founded on December 15, 1987 by Mitsuhisa Ishikawa. It is headquartered in Kokubunji, Tokyo, Japan....

, and the first episode of Re: Cutie Honey

Re: Cutie Honey

is a three-episode OVA series based on the 2004 tokusatsu film Cutie Honey, both being adaptations of the 1970s manga written and illustrated by Go Nagai. The series was co-produced with Gainax and Toei Animation, directed by Hideaki Anno, and shown on the Animax satellite television network in...

.

Director

His series director debut was Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann (2007). The anime received an Excellence Prize at the 2007 Japan Media Arts Festival

Japan Media Arts Festival

The Japan Media Arts Festival is an annual festival held by Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs since 1997. The festival for a nominal year was usually held during February or March next year, rather than at the end of the nominal year. For instance, the 2010 Japan Media Arts Festival, where...

, and Imaishi himself received an individual award at the twelfth Animation Kobe

Animation Kobe

The is an event created by Kobe city in 1996, to promote anime and other visual media. In the event, the are awarded annually by Kobe and the Organizing Committee of the event, to creators and creations.-Event:...

 Festival. In 2008, the anime received both "best television production" and "best character design" from the Tokyo International Anime Fair

Tokyo International Anime Fair

The Tokyo International Anime Fair also known as Tokyo International Animation Fair is one of the largest anime trade fairs in the world, held annually in Japan. The first event was held in 2002 as "Tokyo International Anime Fair 21". The event is held at Tokyo Big Sight, a convention and...

. His most recent work as director is the 2010 anime series, Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt

Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt

is a Japanese anime television series produced by Gainax. It aired nationwide between October 1, 2010 and December 24, 2010 on BS NTV and was also simulcast on Nico Nico Douga and Crunchyroll...

.

In 2011, Imaishi left Gainax to form a new studio, Trigger, alongside Masahiko Ohtsuka and others.

External links

• Hiroyuki Imaishi profile & works Hiroyuki Imaishi interview -(Archived Japanese )