Masahiko Otsuka, President and CEO, TRIGGER Corporation

2026.04.02

A diverse range of original works showcasing the director's unique style, delivered to the world.

Masahiko Otsuka, President and CEO of Trigger Co., Ltd.

■ Profile
In 2011, he left Gainax and, in August of the same year, co-founded the animation studio Trigger Inc. with Hiroyuki Imaishi and Kazuya Masumoto, becoming its representative director. In recent years, he has worked as a scriptwriter and director on projects such as "Cyberpunk: Edgerunners" and "The Elder" (Star Wars: Visions), and has dedicated himself to studio management and talent development, emphasizing the training of future generations.

Studio Trigger, known for producing unique animation works such as "SSSS.DYNAZENON," "Promare," and "Kill la Kill," is the studio in question. We spoke with its president, Masahiko Otsuka, about his experience at renowned studios like Studio Ghibli and Gainax, the circumstances leading to his independence, and also about Trigger's strengths and future vision.

I was originally enrolled in the Department of Film at Osaka University of Arts, but at the time I intended to pursue live-action filmmaking rather than animation. Since I had decided to work in the film industry in the future, I focused more on making independent films than on my schoolwork. I was working part-time to fund my productions, so I think filmmaking and part-time work accounted for about 80% of my time as a student. I never went through the typical job hunting process; instead, I relied on connections with friends and seniors to gradually get work, and that's how I expanded my network.

■My encounter with director Isao Takahata led me to enter the anime industry.

My encounter with director Isao Takahata was what truly got me involved in animation. A junior from my university days got a job at a company that made movie trailers, and that company also worked on Studio Ghibli films. I was envious of him because I loved Ghibli films, and that's when I happened to hear that they were looking for an assistant for Director Takahata. Apparently, at the time, Director Takahata would make detours to bookstores and spend hours there before coming to the office, so they were looking for someone to drive him straight to work. I applied out of a bit of fan-girl enthusiasm, hoping to meet Director Takahata and Director Hayao Miyazaki, and I was given the job. While working on films like "Pom Poko" and "Whisper of the Heart," I learned that even if you can't draw that well, you can still do direction. So I decided I wanted to try directing and producing films myself, and that's how I ended up in the animation industry.

■Transfer to Gainax, and then independence

Just as I was finishing up work on "Whisper of the Heart," Gainax, which had started production on the "Neon Genesis Evangelion" TV series, said they were short-handed, so I went to help them out. Initially, it was just a temporary assignment from Studio Ghibli until the TV series was finished, but since Gainax was handling not only movies but also TV series, and there were many people of a similar generation there, I felt I would have more opportunities to shine, so I officially transferred to Gainax. The people at Gainax were a group that dedicated their lives to creating works. There were many difficult times, but I was able to immerse myself in the creation of the works, and I enjoyed the feeling that my skills were constantly improving. Also, works like "Evangelion" became huge topics of conversation, and it was encouraging to see that our work was receiving such a great response. Gainax had a very free corporate culture, but at some point I began to think that I wanted to be more proactive in taking responsibility for the works and creating connections with fans, so I became independent and founded Trigger.

■A unique and original work that showcases the director's distinctive style

At Trigger, we particularly focus on original works. Creating original works requires know-how, and it's not something every company can do. In that sense, having had predecessors at Gainax who created original works, starting with "Evangelion," was incredibly valuable. Seeing those predecessors, we've always been conscious of wanting to be a studio that can create original works. Another characteristic is that we value the director's style. Therefore, Trigger's style changes when the director changes, and it also changes depending on who that director works with. I think that it's because each individual fully utilizes their abilities that we continue to produce unique and diverse works. In order to pass on this know-how and environment, we've recently been focusing on nurturing young talent. In recent years, there are many people who are a little more serious or obedient compared to our time, which is something we're grateful for, but on the other hand, when we ask them, "What do you want to do?" or "What kind of work do you want to create?", they sometimes can't give a concrete answer. In order to make young people more aware of what they want to do, we are also focusing on initiatives to draw that out. If you have a strong desire to create a work like this yourself, I would definitely like you to come to Trigger.

■Continuing to deliver works to the world while maintaining diversity

We often receive appreciation not only in Japan but also overseas, but rather than adopting a special production style for overseas audiences, we focus on staying true to our core principles. It's difficult to compete with Hollywood blockbusters. Conversely, I feel that our work is appreciated precisely because it's something unique that doesn't exist overseas. So, rather than focusing on what we need to do to be popular overseas, we focus on simply doing what we want to do. We may be making somewhat niche works that don't appeal to everyone, but if they spread throughout the world, it's like the entire Japanese population watching them. We want to leverage our strength—diversity—and deliver our work to the world.

■Message to university students

These are uncertain times, but I hope you'll dedicate yourselves to something you're passionate about. For me, that's anime. The power of each of us—myself and the directors—may be insignificant, but if we all work together, it should be a step towards world peace. I hope that everyone, not just anime, can find something they can dedicate themselves to and pour their abundant energy into it.

Interviewed by Student Newspaper Online on September 24, 2026 by Shimada Takakazu, a third-year student at Hosei University