The Japanese government announced on Thursday that director Hideaki Anno is receiving the spring 2022 Medal with Purple Ribbon. The medal is awarded to “individuals who have contributed to academic and artistic developments, improvements and accomplishments.”
Yasushi Akimoto, the founder of the AKB48 idol group franchise and the creator of the One Missed Call (Chakushin Ari) novel and film franchise, is also receiving the Medal with Purple Ribbon.
Anno is one of the seven co-founders of legendary anime studio Gainax. The company was first noted for producing the anime shorts that opened the Daicon III and Daicon IV science-fiction conventions in 1981 and 1983. The 1987 film Royal Space Force – The Wings of Honnêamise was the studio’s first major anime project, and like many of the Gainax founding members, Anno wore many hats in the film’s production, including animation…
