We stick hardcore proponents of specific anime studios in one room and let the battle begin!

Gainax vs. GONZO vs. KyoAni vs. Madhouse Round 1 FIGHT!

That sort of crosses the line between fanboying over one thing, and looking down your nose at everything else.

Besides, Gainax would clearly win, Wings of the Honneamise anyone? Only Ghibli can rival that!

Gainax has lost its way Mike. While I love their early work their current creations are lacking something. Gurren-Laggan is decent but I don't see it gaining Eva or FLCL level popularity. On the other hand KyoAni continues to hone their craft and make solid shows and Madhouse is also on the rise Claymore has really impressed me and I love Black Lagoon. Oh Edo Rocket! isn't bad either and as far as I can tell its an original work from Madhouse not an adaptation of a manga or novel so it impresses me even more.

Yeah you do make a point Mike I mean I'd probably crap on Toei if we have this despite my love of DBZ. Still look at you! If you praticipated in this you would be in there arguing for Gainax with visions of Gunbuster dancing in your mind fueling your zeal. By visions of Gunbuster I really mean Noriko's breast and some classic Gainax bounce action.

All those who say Gainax has lost its way never understood Gainax.

Besides, Diebuster and Gurren Lagann are amazing.

Madhouse is pretty stellar, I'll give you that. Kyouto animation really isn't even in the running yet, and won't be until we see their treatment of some serious material. Haruhi is great and all, and I know you like their version of Kanon a lot, but so far they have only handled fanboy fare, and don't look to be expanding past that any time soon.

Gonzo has its fair share of greatness, but the studio as a whole averages out to be fairly lame. Every time they come out with something good, it's always sandwiched between crap (IE: Saikano coming out at the same time as Gatekeepers 21 and Gravion, Hellsing coming out at the same time as FFU and Vandread 2, etc.). Plus since they don't seem to have a core staff of directors, they are almost like a professional "inbetween" studio. Which lowers their cred more, because even in their good works like Last Exile, the animation is usually the least well done part. In short they are guns for hire who don't always hit the mark.

Meh I feel I have understood Gainax at times. I just think they are turning out more and more crap lately. He is my Master for example. Not a original work for Gainax and certainly not a bad show but not anything deserving of great acclaim. Their early work just had more spirit to it if you will. They were young had something to prove. Now they bring us more and more average stuff and less things epic.

Diebuster is awesome. Also a Gurren-Lagaan defense coming from a man who if I recall originally called it cheap and similar to something GONZO would do. Why the change of heart Mike? I really can't wait to see more of adult Simon like at the start of episode 1 when it seemed all space opera. Who do they think they are fucking with? Gurren-Lagaan Spin On!

Good point about KyoAni. They really just do sweet anime versions of Key visual novels and adaptations of light novels like Full Metal Panic! and Haruhi. Lucky Star was bulit for fanboys from the ground up. I agree I do really want to see them do an original work or two and see how good they are.

True about GONZO. For every good show they have 2 or 3 crap ones. They are pretty mercenary lots of adaptations.

Still Mike I think all this proves the value of a roundtable bullshitting session about studios at the con. Look at how much we have been talking about it. Its not even limited in scope to the studios I mentioned, that was just an example using some more prominent studios.

Edited for a massive spoiler to an unlicensed series

I edited a line out of your post. Not cool dude, not cool. You don't spoil something before it's common knowledge, and ESPECIALLY not when the episode JUST came out.

When I was talking about Gurren Lagann before, I had it and Heroic age confused in my mind, which also explains my comment about the massive kill count. Gurren Lagann is easily the coolest and most awesome thing I've watched all year (and I'm watching GaoGaiGar!!!)

Again, you don't know Gainax if you think they have lost their way. And if you think they lost their spirit, then what do you call Diebuster? If they've lost their sense of art, or their ability to donkey punch, then what can you say about Gurren Lagann?
Gainax is at their best when they do what they have always done: Whatever the fuck they feel like. The only time that Gainax wasn't Gainax was in the post-Nadia depression. Depending on your point of view, that may or may not include eva.

Oh, and btw, Yamaga wrote the short story that became He is My Master over 20 years ago, and has been wanting to make it into an anime that entire time.

For starters Mike I haven't watched GaoGaiGar(yet) but I think your obsession with it is unhealthy.

Good point about Gainax. Thats them. Sadly I still think their whatever the fuck they want these days is more and more comercial crap. Stuff that lacks imagination or mindfuck. Diebuster and Gurren-Lagaan have these. Well Diebuster doesn't have much mindfuck and the amount seen in Gurren-Lagaan so far is limited but they got imagination in any case. My only real complaint with Gurren-Lagaan is that its mainly about the penis or ejaculations. While usually funny its a tad overused in the series.

I was unaware of that about He is my Master. I thought it was just a recent ecchi manga that Gainax made into an anime to make a quick buck.

I haven't even watched GaoGaiGar yet and I like it!

Diebuster (or Gunbuster series in general), I don't think was meant to have mindfuck. Gunbuster and Diebuster, to me, are the pentultimate cheerleading animes. (that is, "You can do it!! ^_^ ^_^ ^_^") which doesn't mean it has to be a "mindfuck". Gainax does not necessarily mindfuck make.

As for He is My Master, it was just a collab with SHAFT, and I think it's really well done (and has TONS of references if you wanna look for them) for something that's "fanservicey". It's not like Gainax doesn't know anything about naked chicks!

I know that. From Gainax I expect something either innovative and imaginative that nobody else would do in a million years that is beautiful FLCL or Diebuster for example. Or I expect them to fuck with my mind like in Eva. I also expect rehashes of Eva that are commercial ventures because Gainax needs the money.

He is my Master isn't bad. But if this was school and you had to give it a grade it would get like an B minus while FLCL gets an A. I have seen the series yes there are Gainax references galore. Most are in episode 8 with a bunch of figures on a shelf. At least I think it was episode 8 don't hold me to that. Also bunny ears were seen a few times and every time Gainax whips those out its a tribute to Daicon 4 or Misty May. They already brought em out in Gurren-Lagaan.

Yes Gainax knows alot about animating naked women and there is not a damn thing wrong with fanservice. From Gunbuster to This Ugly and Yet Beautiful World I support Gainax's long history of bringing us naked women.