Katsuichi Nakayama
DirectorKatsuichi Nakayama is a Japanese anime director and storyboard artist who directed and storyboarded multiple episodes of Gurren Lagann, part of a long career built largely around collaborations with Gainax.
Gurren Lagann Role
Nakayama directed multiple episodes of Gurren Lagann's original 2007 broadcast and also contributed storyboard work across the series, including an episode he co-directed with series director Hiroyuki Imaishi. His episodes fell within the show's mid-series and late-series arcs. The work stands as one of several Gainax productions he directed following his earlier collaborations with the studio on Neon Genesis Evangelion.
Career and Notable Roles
Nakayama built his career as a director, storyboard artist, and animator, joining Gainax's orbit after working on the original Neon Genesis Evangelion in the 1990s. He has since directed and storyboarded across titles including The End of Evangelion, the Evangelion rebuild films, Gunbuster 2: Diebuster, Chrono Crusade, and Full Metal Panic!, in addition to later work on JoJo's Bizarre Adventure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Katsuichi Nakayama?
Katsuichi Nakayama is a Japanese anime director and storyboard artist who directed multiple episodes of Gurren Lagann's original 2007 broadcast at Gainax. His career has been built largely around collaborations with the studio.
What did Katsuichi Nakayama do in Gurren Lagann?
Nakayama directed several episodes across the show's mid-series and late-series arcs and also contributed storyboard work, including one episode he co-directed with series director Hiroyuki Imaishi.
How is Katsuichi Nakayama connected to Neon Genesis Evangelion?
Nakayama joined Gainax's orbit after working on the original Neon Genesis Evangelion in the 1990s, before his work on Gurren Lagann. That relationship led to further Gainax collaborations in the years that followed.
What other Gainax-related anime has Katsuichi Nakayama worked on?
Nakayama has directed and storyboarded titles including The End of Evangelion, the Evangelion rebuild films, Gunbuster 2: Diebuster, Chrono Crusade, and Full Metal Panic!
What anime has Katsuichi Nakayama worked on more recently?
In addition to his earlier Gainax-era work, Nakayama has contributed to JoJo's Bizarre Adventure later in his career. It reflects the range of titles he has directed and storyboarded beyond his Evangelion and Gurren Lagann credits.
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Sources & Information
This content is original writing by Daddy Jim Headquarters based on the Dragon Ball anime series, manga, and official materials. Episode and chapter references are cited where applicable.
Character and scene imagery on this site is original artwork by Daddy Jim Headquarters, not screenshots or licensed imagery. Official cover art is used on three types of pages for editorial commentary:
- Movie pages: theatrical posters and key visuals, credited to Toei Animation and Shueisha.
- Game pages: official box art, credited to Bandai Namco, Atari, and other publishers.
- Manga chapter pages: Jump Comics volume covers, credited to Shueisha and Akira Toriyama.
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