Japanese media outlet GameBiz recently featured an interview with Hiroaki Inoue, a renowned anime producer and a key figure in Japan’s science-fiction community. Inoue, a former vice-president of Gainax and now the representative director of production company Oniro, has been instrumental in bringing to life many iconic anime works, including Satoshi Kon’s Perfect Blue and Katsuhiro Otomo’s Memories anthology.
During the interview, Inoue delved into his experiences in the anime industry, recounting his journey from starting at Tezuka Productions to the formative years of Gainax and its eventual rise to prominence. Among other industry anecdotes, Inoue revealed that Gainax once had the opportunity to adapt Akira into an animated series, though the project ultimately never materialized.
Gainax was founded by a group of university students, and its early days were fraught with challenges, particularly as most of its members lacked prior anime production experience. When Inoue joined the team, his role was akin to that of a mentor, he explained. With the most industry experience among them, he served as a liaison between the otaku community and corporate entities, managed financial reports, and even secured a groundbreaking contract with Bandai in the company’s nascent stages.
Throughout his tenure at Gainax, Inoue cultivated numerous connections within the industry. He specifically highlighted his encounter with Akira creator Katsuhiro Otomo, who once visited Gainax with a peculiar proposal.
“There were indeed discussions about Gainax taking on an Akira adaptation. It was a proposition that Okada (Toshio) and Yamaga (Hiroyuki) rather boldly turned down. My speculation is that they rejected it because they feared Yamaga’s leadership might be undermined if Otomo became involved,” Inoue remarked.
The animated adaptation of Akira was eventually produced by Tokyo Movie Shinsha and released in 1988, where it went on to achieve cult classic status. Given Akira’s profound influence on the anime world, it’s hard to fathom the genre without its cultural footprint. Yet, one can only wonder how an Akira anime under the direction of Hideaki Anno, Yamaga, and other Gainax veterans might have turned out.