Atsushi Nishigori

[Twitter](https://twitter.com/i/user/1515331173983330306) Nishigori graduated from the Toei Animation Institute and joined [Gainax](https://anilist.co/studio/6/) as an in-betweener but he rapidly distinguished himself as a key animator. He was inspired to enter the field because he liked [Hidenori Matsubara](https://anilist.co/staff/107672/) and [Takeshi Honda](https://anilist.co/staff/103303/)'s drawings. His first major role was serving as character animation director for [Top wo Nerae 2! Diebuster](https://anilist.co/anime/1002/Gunbuster-2-Diebuster/), with the task of adapting [Yoshiyuki Sadamoto](https://anilist.co/staff/98158/Yoshiyuki-Sadamoto)'s character designs for animation. This experience led him to become one of the main character designers at the studio, designing the iconic characters for [Gurren Lagann](https://anilist.co/anime/2001/). He left Gainax to have his debut as director on [The Idolm@ster](https://anilist.co/anime/10278/The-Idol-Master/), a personal passion project since he's a great fan of the series. Several Gainax staff followed Nishigori to [A-1 Pictures](https://anilist.co/studio/561/) and worked on the series, alongside staff from newly formed [Trigger](https://anilist.co/studio/803/Trigger). In 2018 he directed his original project [Darling in the Franxx](https://anilist.co/anime/99423/), once again reuniting with his Gainax friends spread among [CloverWorks](https://anilist.co/studio/6222/), Trigger and [Studio Khara](https://anilist.co/studio/47/). More recently he worked as character designer and chief animation director for [Hideaki Anno](https://anilist.co/staff/100111/)'s final Evangelion installment, [Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon A Time](https://anilist.co/anime/3786/Evangelion-3010-Thrice-Upon-A-Time/).