MADHOUSE Ltd.

Madhouse is a Japanese animation
studio, founded in the early
1970s by Ex Mushi Pro animators
including Masao Maruyama, Osamu
Dezaki, Rintaro, and Yoshiaki
Kawajiri. It has created and helped to produce many
well known shows, starting with TV anime series Ace o
Nerae! in 1973, and including western favourites Ninja
Scroll, Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust, Trigun and Di Gi
Charat. Madhouse produced animation in OVA format in
the late 1980s and early 1990s, but unlike studios
founded at this time such as AIC and J.C.Staff, their
strength was in TV shows and theatrical features. They
were also responsible for the first Beyblade anime
series as well as the Dragon Drive anime.

Another close tie to the studio is mangaka Naoki
Urasawa. Madhouse has made adaptations of three of his
manga: Yawara!, Master Keaton and Monster. They have
also animated some of CLAMP's catalogue: Tokyo Babylon,
two versions of X, Cardcaptor Sakura and Chobits.

Gainax Company, Limited

Gainax is a Japanese anime studio
famous for productions such as The
Wings of Honneamise, Nadia: The
Secret of Blue Water, Neon Genesis Evangelion and
Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann which have gone on to
critical acclaim and commercial success, as well as for
their association with award-winning anime director and
studio co-founder Hideaki Anno.

Until Neon Genesis Evangelion, Gainax typically worked
on stories created in-house, but the studio has
increasingly developed anime adaptations of existing
manga like Kareshi Kanojo no Jijou and Mahoromatic.

The Animage Anime Grand Prix has been awarded to Gainax
for Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water in 1991, Neon
Genesis Evangelion in 1995 and 1996, and The End of
Evangelion in 1997.

Production I.G, Inc.

Production IG is a Japanese anime
studio and production enterprise,
which was founded on December 15,
1987 by Mitsuhisa Ishikawa.

Production I.G has been involved in the production of
several anime television series, OVA and theatrical
films, video game animated cut-scenes, video game
design and development, as well as music publishing and
management. Among its prominent works are Patlabor and
the Ghost in the Shell series. Production I.G is known
for high-quality animation.

The letters I and G actually derive from the names of
the company founders Mitsuhisa Ishikawa and popular
character designer Takayuki Goto.

I.G's primary goal, according to president Mitsuhisa
Ishikawa, is to make anime that stands on its own
ground without being an extension of manga.