GAINAX producer resigns after slating otaku critics
Paul •
Long time GAINAX producer, animator and character designer Takami Akai has resigned from the company under a storm of controversy following a series of comments he made about Japanese otaku on a public website. According to Animaxis, Akai stated “Taking 2channel seriously is like pressing your face to an anus and inhaling deeply.” while another GAINAX employee revealed that “she wished the disgusting otaku (“kimo-ota”) would drop dead.”
2channel is a popular Japanese forum. Everything started when Japanese viewers voiced their displeasure about the animation quality seen in episode 4 of Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann. GAINAX’s Takami Akai and another employee hit back via the web, dismissing the critics as “uninformed amateurs”, ultimately igniting a flame war on GAINAX’s blog that has now ended with Akai vacating his role at the company.
