There are decisions in animation history that leave anyone speechless. During Gainax’s early years, when it was just a group of young university students with ambition but little business experience, the studio had the chance to adapt one of the most important works in manga and anime history. However, the company’s leaders decided to reject the proposal outright.

The revelation came from producer Hiroaki Inoue, former vice president of Gainax and current representative director of Oniro. Inoue, known for producing cinematic gems like Satoshi Kon’s Perfect Blue or the anthology Memories, recalled his early days at the studio after starting his career at Tezuka Productions. Back then, his role was to bridge the founders’ otaku passion and the industry’s finances, handling contracts and financial oversight.

It was during this period that Katsuhiro Otomo, creator of the Akira manga, personally visited Gainax’s facilities to discuss the possibility of them adapting his story for the big screen. Surprisingly, founders Toshio Okada and Hiroyuki Yamaga rejected the offer quite boldly. According to Inoue’s theory, the reason for this rejection wasn’t lack of interest in the work, but rather ego and creative control—both feared that Otomo’s presence and influence would eventually displace Yamaga from his leadership position within the studio.

After Gainax’s refusal, the project ended up with Tokyo Movie Shinsha, resulting in the legendary animated film released in 1988 that forever changed the perception of Japanese animation worldwide.

Founded in the mid-1980s by a group of enthusiastic university students, Gainax became one of the industry’s most influential studios thanks to its innovative style and revolutionary productions that marked an entire generation. Meanwhile, Akira is a cyberpunk science fiction masterpiece by Katsuhiro Otomo, whose 1988 film adaptation became a landmark of world animation for its stunning detail, complex dystopian narrative, and massive cultural impact in the West.

Can you imagine what the Akira movie would have been like if Gainax had accepted to direct the adaptation?