Hiroyuki Imaishi (今石 洋之 Imaishi Hiroyuki, 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.
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Imaishi began his career at Gainax in 1995 as a key animator on Neon Genesis Evangelion. Some of his early works include animation direction, storyboarding, and key animation in FLCL episode 5, Diebuster, Oval X Over, and the ending animation of Paradise Kiss. Imaishi was also known for his "manga" scenes in Kare Kano (His and Her Circumstances) and FLCL. He went on to direct Dead Leaves, a 2004 anime film produced by animation studio Production I.G., and the first episode of Re: Cutie Honey.
His series director debut was Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann (2007).[1] The anime received an Excellence Prize at the 2007 Japan Media Arts Festival,[2] and Imaishi himself received an individual award at the twelfth Animation Kobe Festival.[3] In 2008, the anime received both "best television production" and "best character design" from the Tokyo International Anime Fair.[4] His most recent work as director is the 2010 anime series, Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt.
In 2011, Imaishi left Gainax to form a new studio, Trigger, alongside Masahiko Ohtsuka and others.[5][6]