It’s something of a miracle thatNeon Genesis Evangelioneven exists. From a production standpoint, the series is a triumph in weekly storytelling, as operating so close to deadlines with no detailed outline of a narrative would have sunk any other project. Yet creator Hideaki Anno,insistent on writing and rewriting episodes as production moved along, alongside the staff at Gainax, were able to pull off an absolute masterpiece of an anime series.
Countless shows fail during production, whether from lack of preparation or proper resources, yet against all odds,Evangelionnot only prospered within a chaotic creative environment, but became one of the mostsuccessful franchises in anime history. However, Anno and the staff at Gainax couldn’t have done it without some help, and several episodes only reached completion thanks to other studios lending a hand. One of those that helped, surprisingly,happens to be the most iconic studio in anime.
Evangelion’s Production Was Anything But Ordinary
The Classic Anime Flourished Despite All Odds
In a now famous1996 interview, just afterNeon Genesis Evangelioncame to its first conclusion, and beforeThe End of Evangelionbrought it to its second, Hideaki Anno sat down withNewTypeto discuss the creation of his series. He said, “The development ofEvangeliongives me the feeling of a live concert. Whether the story or the development of the characters, I made them without a plan,” later adding,“We only started working on the next script once the previous one was done.”
There’s no exaggeration in his words, asEvangelionpremiered with only about two and a half episodes fully completed, and a rough outline of where the story would take its characters. By episode #13, titled “Lilliputian Hitcher”, in which Ritsuko fights off an Angel attempting to hack into the Magi, that rough outline was thrown away,and the series began its week-to-week creation. Impressively,Evangeliondidn’t suffer from its unique production until the time came for the finale, and an indecisive Hideaki Anno was forced to abandon his original plan forepisodes #25 and #26.
Neon Genesis Evangelion’s Creator Really Doesn’t Care About One of Its Greatest Characters: Here’s Why
Despite being a breakout character for the series, Evangelion creator Hideaki Anno didn’t seem to think too highly of Rei–or much at all.
None of the series' rushed development and production would have been possible had Gainax worked on their own, however. A good portion ofEvangelion’s visuals were outsourced to other animation studios, many of which left their marks on the series to varying degrees. One of them, Production I.G, became so involved that they were given a major credit and title card in the opening ofThe End of Evangelion. In some cases, for episodes that didn’t contain much major plot development,outside studios did the bulk of the work, and exactly that’s what happened for episode #11.
Studio Ghibli Is Responsible for an Episode of Evangelion
Anime’s Most Iconic Studio Animated an Entire Episode of Evangelion
Even to those unaware of howEvangelionwas created week-to-week, there’s something noticeably different about episode #11, “The Day Tokyo-3 Stood Still”. The fluidity of the movement and animation is striking, and though the series is visually impressive throughout, the episode is a clear step-up from its usual quality.The most obvious difference, though, comes in how characters are drawn. They’re all themselves, yet they consistently shift further off-model until the eventual Angel attack occurs, and the episode suddenly becomes an obvious Studio Ghibli production.
Toshio Kawaguchi served as the episode’s chief animator, which explains the strangely Ghibli appearance of the cast. Already having an impressive resume, with credits on titles likeAkiraandGhost in the Shell 2, Kawaguchi worked as a key animatoron every Hayao Miyazaki Ghibli film until 2001’sSpirited Away. While it wasn’t rare forEvangelion, or any other anime series, to outsource animation work when help is needed, it is rare that a studio as illustrious as Ghibli would contribute, let alone without receiving credit.
YetEvangelion’s episode #11 features a cast with the studio’s distinct rounded eye shape and environments with extraordinary detail and warm colors. Why or how exactly this collaborative effort came about isn’t known, though it wasn’t the first or last time series creator Hideaki Anno and Ghibli crossed paths.
Hideaki Anno Has Worked With Studio Ghibli on Several Occasions
Anno and Hayao Miyazaki Are Long-Time Friends and Collaborators
Long before he was the famous creator ofNeon Genesis Evangelion, or the director ofShin GodzillaandShin Ultraman, a young Hideaki Anno lent his animation talentsto Hayao Miyazaki’sNausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. A few years later, he once again worked on a Ghibli production as an animator for the hauntingGrave of the Fireflies. It’s unconfirmed, but there is a chance the studio’s contribution toEvangelionwas simply one friend doing another a favor.
In 2013, Miyazaki cast Anno to play the leading role of Jiro Horikoshi inThe Wind Rises, the creator’s first major voice acting job.The two legendary figures have long been friends, even taking some friendly jabs at one another from time to time. Miyazaki once referred to Anno as “an alien” in an interview, to which Anno later responded in a separate interview thatMiyazaki was “a really mean old guy!”.
It’s uncertain whether the two masters of their crafts will ever cross paths again professionally,as Miyazaki firmly stated his final work would be 2023’sThe Boy and the Heron. However, he said the same ofThe Wind Rises, before returning with his most recent Academy Award-winning production. Hideaki Anno, on the other hand,has several projects in the works, one of which is the upcomingMobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX, scheduled to premiere on August 22, 2025.
Neon Genesis Evangelionremains the creator’s most iconic work, and one that became a massive success despite its unusual production. Like many other anime series, Anno and studio Gainax weren’t working alone, though few other titles can boast an episode animated entirely by the illustrious Studio Ghibli. There may be more to thank the studio for than just an episode, however, asEvangelionmight not exist had Hayao Miyazaki not hired its creator to work on his first original anime film.
Source:NewType Magazine 1996 Interview with Hideaki Anno (translation via gwern.net), Neon Genesis Evangelion Episode Commentaries (via Evamonkey)
Neon Genesis Evangelion
Cast
Neon Genesis Evangelion is a Japanese animated television series created by Hideaki Anno. The show follows teenagers piloting giant mechs called Evangelions, tasked with defending Earth from mysterious beings known as Angels. As they confront these threats, they also grapple with personal and psychological issues.
