Hideaki Anno

Hideaki Anno: Evangelion is like a puzzle, you know. Any person can see it and give his or her own answer. In other words, we are offering viewers to think by themselves, so that each person can imagine his or her own world. We will never offer the answers, even in the theatrical version. As for many Evangelion viewers, they may expect us to provide the 'all-about Eva' manuals, but there is no such thing. Don't expect to get answers by someone. Don't expect to be catered to all the time. We all have to find our own answers.

Hideaki Anno: [The anime series Neon Genesis] Evangelion is my life and I have put everything I know into this work. This is my entire life. My life itself.

Hideaki Anno: Rei [from his most popular work Neon Genesis Evangelion] is someone who is aware of the fact that even if she dies, there'll be another to replace her, so she doesn't value her life very highly. Her presence, her existence—ostensible existence—is ephemeral. She's a very sad girl. She only has the barest minimum of what she needs to have. She's damaged in some way; she hurts herself. She doesn't need friends.

Hideaki Anno (on getting into the anime industry): If you want to get into anime, my best advice to you as a creator is to please have diverse interests in things besides animation. Look outward, first of all. Most anime makers are basically autistic. They have to try and reach out, and truly communicate with others. I would guess that the greatest thing anime has ever achieved is the fact that we're holding a dialogue right here and now.