Photo: Dick Thomas Johnson / CC BY 2.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Okay, here's the thing about Hideaki Anno: the man basically grew up obsessed with anime, tokusatsu, Godzilla, and Ultraman, and then spent his whole adult life lovingly remaking all of it for real. Neon Genesis Evangelion melted everyone's brains in 1995 and we're STILL arguing about what it means decades later, which honestly tells you he won. He's a notorious perfectionist who'll never settle for "good enough," and you feel that in every frame, that gut-punch precision. I love the weird little details too, like the strict plant-based diet and naming his cats Mighty Jack and Mighty Sally after old tokusatsu. Then he turns around and gives us Shin Godzilla, a masterclass in bureaucratic dread. The guy clearly never stopped being a fanboy, and that's exactly why his stuff hits so hard.
Story
Hideaki Anno: The Man Who Grew Up to Remake Everything He Loved as a Child
Overview
Hideaki Anno is a Japanese anime director, screenwriter, and producer born on May 22, 1960, in Ube, Yamaguchi Prefecture. He rose to international prominence with the 1995 television anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion, which became a major cultural phenomenon in Japan and worldwide. He co-founded Khara (Studio Khara) in 2006 and has served as its president and representative director, going on to direct Shin Godzilla (2016) and the final Rebuild of Evangelion theatrical film (2021). His work has earned him multiple Japan Academy Film Prize awards and the Spring 2022 Medal with Purple Ribbon from the Japanese government.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Hideaki Anno
- Name (Japanese)
- 庵野秀明
- Reading
- あんのひであき
- Born
- May 22, 1960 (age 66)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Gemini / Rat
- Origin
- Ube, Yamaguchi, Japan
- Blood type
- A
- Agency
- Khara, Inc. (President and Representative Director)
- Agency history
- Gainax Co., Ltd. (until 2007)
- Active years
- 1981–present
- Occupation
- Anime director / Film director / Screenwriter / Producer / Animator
2. Background
- High school
- Yamaguchi Prefectural Ube High School
- University
- Osaka University of Arts, Faculty of Arts, Department of Image Planning (withdrew)
- Debut
- In 1981, produced an opening animation for the 20th Japan Science Fiction Convention as DAICON FILM. Made his directing debut in anime with the 1988 OVA Aim for the Top! (Gunbuster).
Awards & achievements
- 1997 18th Japan SF Award (Neon Genesis Evangelion)
- 2017 40th Japan Academy Film Prize – Outstanding Film (Shin Godzilla)
- 2017 40th Japan Academy Film Prize – Outstanding Director (Shin Godzilla)
- 2017 37th Japan SF Award Special Prize (Shin Godzilla)
- 2022 Medal with Purple Ribbon (Spring 2022)
Timeline
- 1981Produced opening animation for the 20th Japan Science Fiction Convention as DAICON FILM
- 1984Joined in founding Gainax; participated in Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind as a key animator
- 1988Made his directing debut with the OVA Aim for the Top! (Gunbuster)
- 1995Neon Genesis Evangelion TV anime began broadcast, triggering a social phenomenon
- 2006Founded Khara (Studio Khara) and became its president and representative director
- 2016Shin Godzilla released theatrically, winning multiple awards
- 2021Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time released, concluding the Rebuild of Evangelion series
- 2022Received the Medal with Purple Ribbon in the Spring 2022 imperial decorations
- 2023Shin Kamen Rider released theatrically
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Moyoco Anno (manga artist; married March 26, 2002)
4. Personality
Hobbies
- Watching tokusatsu (special effects) productions
- Collecting scale models
- Independent film production
Specialties
- Animation
- Storyboarding
- Tokusatsu direction
Motto
Private
5. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anime | Aim for the Top! (Gunbuster) | Director | 1988 |
| Anime | Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water | Director | 1990 |
| Anime | Neon Genesis Evangelion | Original creator, Chief director, Screenwriter | 1995 |
| Film | Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion | Director, Screenwriter | 1997 |
| Film | Love & Pop | Director | 1998 |
| Film | Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone | Chief director | 2007 |
| Film | Shin Godzilla | Chief director, Screenwriter | 2016 |
| Film | Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time | Chief director, Screenwriter | 2021 |
| Film | Shin Kamen Rider | Director, Screenwriter | 2023 |
6. Links
- Official sitehttps://www.khara.co.jp/hideakianno/
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%BA%B5%E9%87%8E%E7%A7%80%E6%98%8E
Frequently asked questions
When was Hideaki Anno born?
Born May 22, 1960 (age 66).
Where is Hideaki Anno from?
Hideaki Anno is from Ube, Yamaguchi, Japan.
What does Hideaki Anno do?
Hideaki Anno works as Anime director, Film director, Screenwriter, Producer, Animator.
What is Hideaki Anno's blood type?
A.
What agency is Hideaki Anno with?
Hideaki Anno is with Khara, Inc. (President and Representative Director).
How long has Hideaki Anno been active?
1981–present.
What is Hideaki Anno known for?
Notable works include Aim for the Top! (Gunbuster), Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water, Neon Genesis Evangelion.
Film director — see all → · More people from Japan →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.