Acclaimed animator and director Hideaki Anno, best known as the creator of the Neon Genesis Evangelion franchise, has suffered a leg injury that has left him hospitalized. He will now spend some time recuperating, with all upcoming scheduled appearances being canceled as a result.
Following a compound fracture in his left leg, Anno will be hospitalized “for a while,” according to Khara’s official website. The full statement, released on July 31, reads, “Hideaki Anno had been scheduled to appear at several events in August 2024, but due to a compound fracture in his left leg, he will be hospitalized for a while and will have to cancel appearances.
“We sincerely apologize for causing concern and inconvenience to those involved and fans. Please allow him to focus on his treatment for a while.” The NHS defines a compound fracture as a “complicated break where the bone has broken through the skin, or the initial injury has exposed the broken bone.”
Hideaki Anno Injured, Cancels Appearances at Gundam Exhibition and Epoch of Murder Madness Screening
It’s unclear how Anno was injured. He was scheduled to appear at “Special Talk: Yoshikazu Yasuhiko x Hideaki Anno” on Aug. 11 in Hyogo Prefecture, an exhibition dedicated to Japanese animator and manga creator Yoshikazu Yasuhiko, the character designer and chief animation director for the original Mobile Suit Gundam anime series.
Yasuhiko recently released new Amuro and Char artwork in June commemorating Gundam’s 45th anniversary and the 23rd anniversary of Monthly Gundam Ace magazine.
Anno has also had to cancel his talk show appearance following a screening of Epoch of Murder Madness on Aug. 12. The film, directed by Kihachi Okamoto and distributed by Toho International, was released in 1967 and was among the major influences on Anno.
Epoch of Murder Madness is being screened in Japan from Aug. 1-21, commemorating Okamoto’s 100th anniversary. He was born in 1924 and passed away in 2005. Anno was set to be joined by renowned animation director and mechanical designer Yutaka Izubuchi, widely known for the Patlabor franchise.
