Hiroyuki Imaishi

(born October 4, 1971 in Tokyo) is a Japanese key animator and anime director. His style is marked by fast and frantic animation combined with elaborate storyboarding and punchy direction.
==Personal life==
Hiroyuki Imaishi used to work for Gainax in 1995 as an in-between animator for Neon Genesis Evangelion, though he sometimes involved in projects for other companies — a distinction he shared with Atsushi Nishigori. It made easier by Gainax which provided a fair amount of freedom for its staff in choosing what project they wanted to work on independently at the time. The generational shift at the time saw new members joining the studio. A similar change occured also during the airing of Gurren LagannInterview: Hiroyuki Imaishi and Atsushi Nishigori @ AX 2009/English transcription.
Looking back at between productions of Neon Genesis Evangelion and Gurren Lagan, Imaishi's post-Neon Genesis Evangelion Gainax works featured quiet main characters which he and Atsushi Nishigori deemed to be enjoyable by audience. They also avoided working on main characters with too strong personalities by contrast. Ten years later, some time prior to the production of Gurren Lagann, they sensed a general shift in the feeling and the atmosphere — a sign to move on to main characters with more powerful mindset and worldviews (in some ways however, Imaishi and the rest of Gainax staffs they brought such characters back after their decline 20-30 years back) This was also done to change perception on Gainax that came off as not straightforward and little cynical and twisted due to Neon Genesis Evangelion and true to Imaishi's statement where a real man was one who never abandoned his beliefs.
Hiroyuki Imaishi, alongside his fellow former members of Gainax (Yō Yoshinari included), formed Studio Trigger in 2011.
During the development of the original short of Little Witch Academia as part of 2013 Anime Mirai, he assisted Yoshinari in ensuring it to be completed properly.
Hiroyuki Imaishi admired Yoshinari as the 'trigger' for him in deciding his would-be career in animation industry not just for the development of spectacular animation style he best known at, but also getting invested with directing and screenwriting to improve himself.
==Animation Style and influences==
Hiroyuki Imaishi's distinct style, as well as that of Shouji Saeki, was inspired by the one used in His and Her CircumstancesEPISODIC GURREN LAGANN INTERVIEWS WITH DIRECTOR HIROYUKI IMIASHI & CO. – EPISODE 2 (ANIME STYLE, JANUARY 2008). When it comes about establishing unique style for each anime he worked on and its visual thematic elements, he and his fellow Studio Trigger staff challenged themselves in creating art styles and visuals which normally difficult to achieve in TV anime — an endeavor that required assistance from international artists and designer such as Shigeto Koyama.https://www.crunchyroll.com/news/features/2019/9/12/talking-trigger-with-the-masterminds-behind-promare
According to Matteo Watzky during his session on the Kanada Style held in the second day of Jonetsu 666 eventhttps://x.com/JonetsuConf/status/1787038525549867168https://x.com/anime_gaku/status/1787199191279702154, which reportedly featured Yoh Yoshinarihttps://x.com/fufuro_moe/status/1787046034075455577, Hiroyuki Imaishi is listed as part of the students and heirs to the Kanada Style - animators who are influenced by the Kanada Style, with his style aligning with the "Classic" branch, known for readability, simplicity, and is focused on the movementhttps://x.com/JonetsuConf/status/1787053019013517324. Imaishi's style was also shaped by the works of Masami Obari, who was also influenced by the Kanada Style.
Hiroyuki Imaishi's drawing style is more refined than that of Yoshinori Kanada. While both involved heavy interior block shading techniques, the former's more simplified in comparison yet its movement aspect (particularly the warping and dynamic aesthetic) much better than the latter.Sakuga pt.4 - Hiroyuki Imaishi: Kanada-School to the Max/English transcription
== Other notable works==
*Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt in Manga Striphttp://www.style.fm/as/02_topics/topics/top_110606a.shtml
==Gallery==
===Official artworks===
Gurren Lagann Quake Charity Book Cover.jpg|Gurren Lagann Quake Charity Book front and back cover as illustrated by Sushio and Hiroyuki
Gurren Lagann by series director Hiroyuki Imaishi, one of the guest illustrations that were featured in Yoh Yoshinari’s new artbook “You Yoshinari Rough Works and Sketches”.jpg|Gurren Lagann by series director Hiroyuki Imaishi, one of the guest illustrations that were featured in Yoh Yoshinari’s new artbook “You Yoshinari Rough Works and Sketches"
=== Videos===
Animation Interview - Little Witch Academia creators Hiroyuki Imaishi and Yoh Yoshinari
Interview- Hiroyuki Imaishi and Atsushi Nishigori @ AX 2009
===Miscellaneous ===
Hiroyuki Imaishi at Studio Trigger in 2012.jpg|Hiroyuki Imaishi at Studio Trigger in 2012
Hiroyuki Imaishi's Studio Trigger.com Profile pic.jpg|Hiroyuki Imaishi's Studio Trigger.com Profile pic
Hiroyuki Imaishi in 2008.jpg|Hiroyuki Imaishi in 2008
Hiroyuki Imaishi celebrating his 53th birthday.jpg|Hiroyuki Imaishi celebrating his 53th birthday
== Trivia ==
*During his time as a former member of Studio Gainax at 2011, Hiroyuki Imaishi participated in the 84-page Gurren Lagann Quake charity book entitled Jibun o Shinjite (Believe in Yourself) and illustrated the back cover of the book.https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2011-09-08/gurren-lagann-quake-charity-book-sold-on-kindle-storehttp://talkliveanimated.web.fc2.com/index_english.html
*Hiroyuki Imaishi got along with Kazuki Nakashima very well since their collaboration in Neon Genesis Evangelion since they were brought together by Hideaki Anno. Not surprisingly, Imaishi contacted Nakashima to work together once again as soon as he was confirmed to be the director for Gurren Lagann.https://www.crunchyroll.com/news/features/2019/6/17/trigger-staff-shares-secret-stories-about-kill-la-kill-and-more
**Another reason Imaishi trusted Nakashima was the latter's ability in ensuring his screenplays remain consistent to what established in the the series they worked on — assigning more than one screenwriters for such endeavor would produce scripts which likely deviate in the flavor of the story Imaishi had pictured, especially if it attempted in long run.
** Imaishi seems to always know how not just to implement Nakashima's inputs into their works, but also improve them at the same time. Nakashima on the other hand, felt scripts which rather normal won't likely piqued Imaishi's interest. 
***Nakashima would later learn how to add more interesting and fun elements into ideas Imaishi implemented, something which not many screenwriters able to.
**Imaishi and Nakashima didn't always agreeable on things such as how they should work on the idea revolving Promare until they realized they were overthinking about the matter while having burgers for lunch alongside Shigeto Koyama and Wakabayashi, and that works with standard quality are just as enjoyable as remarkable ones.
**Lastly, both shared a good chemistry as they are excellent in their respective field of work despite rather unassuming on the first glance (Imaishi described Nakashima as a normal guy who surprisingly talented in writing refined and precise scripts just as Nakashima described Imaishi as a mild-mannered person with astonishing talent in writing).
* In Imaishi's admission from an interview, he found computer animation benefits for camera works which impossible to achive via. hand-drawn animation.
*Yoshinari enlisted Hiroyuki Imaishi in working on Little Witch Academia so he could bring him to wider audience as the latter's works prior were aimed to specific type of fanshttps://x.com/VamptVo/status/1553807565464690689.
*Thanks to his directing style, Masahiko Ōtsuka humorously described Hiroyuki Imaisi as "adult children" in an interviewMasahiko Otsuka, Studio Trigger Q&A/English Transcription text.
==References==
==External links==
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:"The World of Hiroyuki Imaishi" exhibition site
===News===
* Anime News Network
**Gainax, Last Airbender Artists Sell Quake Charity Book by Gia Manry April 28, 2011
**Gurren Lagann Quake Charity Book Sold on Kindle Store by Daryl Bunao September 8, 2011
**Animator: Gurren Lagann Helmer Imaishi Establishes Studio by Egan Loo October 7, 2011
*Dead Stock Paradise
**Hiroyuki Imaishi Panty & Stocking manga preview by pretentiousbot5000 June 10, 2011
*Sobre animadores y sakuga
**Hiroyuki Imaishi by ashita01 September 21, 2015
*Siliconera
**World of Hiroyuki Imaishi Exhibition Will Feature Loads of Merch by Stephanie Liu May 9, 2021
*Washi's Blog
**Black Rock Shooter, Trigger, Imaishi Hiroyuki by Washi March 11, 2012
===Interviews===
* Anime News Network
**Interview: Studio Trigger by Jacob Chapman August 6, 2015
*Crunchyroll News
**TRIGGER Staff Shares Secret Stories About Kill la Kill and More by Guest Author June 17, 2019
***Japanese version (Famitsu) - 今石洋之監督×中島かずき氏対談。『グレンラガン』や『キルラキル』、そして最新作『プロメア』の制作秘話や想いを語る May 24, 2019
**Talking TRIGGER with the Masterminds Behind PROMARE by Joseph Luster September 12, 2019
*Febri (Japanese)
**祝・放送十襲年！ 今石洋之と中島かずきが振り返る TVアニメ『キルラキル』① May 15, 2024
**祝・放送十襲年！ 今石洋之と中島かずきが振り返る TVアニメ『キルラキル』② May 16, 2024
**祝・放送十襲年！ 今石洋之と中島かずきが振り返る TVアニメ『キルラキル』③ May 17, 2024 
***English versions:
****CBR - Kill la Kill Creator: Anime Fanservice Is Necessary or "Everyone Will Die" by Chike Nwaenie May 15, 2024
****AnimeHunch - Anime Like Kill La Kill Can’t Be Made Anymore, Says Director Hiroyuki Imaishi by Ami Nazru May 16, 2024
*Full Frontal
**Episodic Gurren Lagann Interviews with Director Hiroyuki Imaishi & co. – Episode 5 (Anime Style, January 2008) by NohAcro and Josh Dunham March 24, 2020
***Japanese source (Anime Style) - 第５話　俺にはさっぱりわからねえ！February 1, 2013
**Episodic Gurren Lagann Interviews with Director Hiroyuki Imaishi & co. – Episode 6 (Anime Style, January 2008) by NohAcro and Josh Dunham April 29, 2020
***Japanese source (Anime Style) - 第５話　俺にはさっぱりわからねえ！February 1, 2013
*Gainax.fr
**H. Imaishi revient sur Gurren Lagann (Archived on February 15, 2009)
*WAVE MOTION CANNON
**EPISODIC GURREN LAGANN INTERVIEWS WITH DIRECTOR HIROYUKI IMIASHI & CO. – EPISODE 1 (ANIME STYLE, JANUARY 2008) by NohAcro and Josh Dunham April 10, 2018
***Japanese source (Anime Style) - 第１話　お前のドリルで天を突け！ January 22, 2013
**EPISODIC GURREN LAGANN INTERVIEWS WITH DIRECTOR HIROYUKI IMIASHI & CO. – EPISODE 2 (ANIME STYLE, JANUARY 2008) by NohAcro and Josh Dunham October 2, 2019
***Japanese source (Anime Style) - 第２話　俺が乗るって言ってんだ!! January 23, 2013
**EPISODIC GURREN LAGANN INTERVIEWS WITH DIRECTOR HIROYUKI IMIASHI & CO. – EPISODE 3 (ANIME STYLE, JANUARY 2008) by NohAcro and Josh Dunham October 15, 2019
***Japanese source (Anime Style) - 第３話　顔が２つたぁナマイキな!! January 24, 2013
**EPISODIC GURREN LAGANN INTERVIEWS WITH DIRECTOR HIROYUKI IMIASHI & CO. – EPISODE 4 (ANIME STYLE, JANUARY 2008) by NohAcro and Josh Dunham November 15, 2019
***Japanese source (Anime Style) - 第４話　顔が多けりゃ偉いのか？ January 25, 2013
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