ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that there is a dissonance between how fandom and cult in anime is discussed by scholars in English, and how Japanese scholars use terms like otaku and ippanjin. It examines specific moments in Gainax’s history in order to think through the relationship between industry and the production of ‘cult’ anime. Gainax’s anime have become entangled in a complex set of debates about fandom and consumption, almost all of which nod towards a relationship with cult cinema. Gainax therefore provides a useful starting point for conceptualizing notions of anime’s early subcultural status in Japan and in the United States. As those markets matured, and the company professionalized, one of the most significant changes at Gainax was the departure of founder Toshio Okada. Okada is a long-standing player in all of the worlds of anime, from the domestic to the transnational, from the otaku to the international fan, and from fandom and cult media studies to otakuology.
