by Six years since the sequel was announced, and still no news
Since anime production requires a lot of time and effort, it is not uncommon for new works and sequels to be announced and disappear afterward. For example, Mobile Suit Gundam SEED FREEDOM, which broke the series’ highest box office revenue, was announced in 2006 but was released in January 2024.
have been announced in the same way, but there has been no follow-up news since, making fans anxious. The original anime Aim for the Top 3 (working title), announced by animation production company Gaina Co., Ltd. (Studio Gaina) in 2018, is also a title that many fans look forward to. Still, perhaps due to complex problems, there must be follow-up news.
The original Aim for the Top! “Aim for the Top!” was released as an OVA by Gainax in 1988 and was the first work directed by Hideaki Anno, known for the “Evangelion” series. Its sequel, “Aim for the Top 2!” was made in 2004 to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the founding of Gainax.
However, there has been no news of a sequel, “Aim for the Top 3”, for six years since its announcement. Some fans point out copyright issues as the reason for this. In the first place, Studio Gaina is an entirely different company from Gainax, which created “Aim for the Top!”. “Fukushima Gainax,” which was first established as a subsidiary of Gainax, was the predecessor of Studio Gainax, dissolved its capital relationship with Gainax when it became independent, and is now under the umbrella of the Kinoshita Group.
The delicate relationship between the two is why fans discuss copyright issues. In addition to the relationship between Gainax and Studio Gaina, another reason could be that Gainax sold the work materials held by Studio Gaina without the permission of those involved at the time.
The materials were later collected by Khara, where Director Anno serves as president, and are now stored at ATAC (Animation Special Effects Archive Organization, a non-profit organization) with the consent of the related companies. Unfortunately, the rights holder, Gainax, went bankrupt in June 2024.
However, Khara, which cooperated in the restructuring, added that the rights held by Gainax have been transferred to “companies and individuals deemed most suitable.” Although the future of Aim for the Top 3 is unclear, many fans are still eagerly awaiting further news. Therefore, it would be exciting if a sequel was made with a new rights holder.
