Trigger Studio Complete Works List

TRIGGER Studio Introduction

TRIGGER (Trigger Inc.) is one of the most distinctive independent animation studios in the Japanese anime industry, founded in August 2011 by former GAINAX core members Hiroyuki Imaishi and Kazuya Masumoto. This studio inherited the passionate style of the GAINAX era while forging its own path in creative freedom and business models. Since its establishment, TRIGGER has built a unique brand image among anime fans through exaggerated action sequences, vibrant color usage, and unconventional storytelling approaches.

The studio’s core philosophy is to “entertain the world with animation,” a spirit that permeates every one of their works. Whether through wild action scenes or experimental visual presentations, TRIGGER consistently upholds the charm of hand-drawn animation, standing out distinctively in an era dominated by 3D CG technology.

TRIGGER TV Animation Works List

Early Period Works (2013-2015)

KILL la KILL (2013) is TRIGGER’s first original TV anime, directed by Hiroyuki Imaishi. This work continues the hot-blooded style of Gurren Lagann, shocking the anime world with exaggerated clothing battles and intense action scenes. The 24-episode story unfolds within a wild premise—protagonist Ryuko Matoi comes to Honnouji Academy seeking the truth behind her father’s death and confronts Student Council President Satsuki Kiryuin. While certain aspects of the work (particularly the extremely revealing combat outfits) sparked considerable controversy, its fluid action animation and tension-filled narrative pacing received widespread acclaim.

When Supernatural Battles Became Commonplace (2014) was TRIGGER’s first attempt at adapting a light novel. This work appeared more conservative compared to the studio’s other original projects, with its 12-episode length also limiting the depth of story development. Although the work maintained TRIGGER’s high standards in visual presentation, its overall reception was less impressive than other original works.

Ninja Slayer From Animation (2015) is arguably one of TRIGGER’s most controversial works. This adaptation of a cyberpunk ninja story created by American authors employed extensive static images and Flash animation-style presentation throughout its 26 episodes, implementing an extremely stylized visual approach. Some viewers considered it an innovative experimental attempt, while many others criticized its “animation that doesn’t animate” production method.

Mid-Period Representative Works (2016-2018)

Space Patrol Luluco (2016) is TRIGGER’s fifth anniversary commemorative short anime series, consisting of 13 episodes of approximately 7 minutes each. Directed by Hiroyuki Imaishi, this work connects the worldviews of all previous TRIGGER productions through ultra-high-density references and homages. Protagonist Luluco is a “super ordinary” middle school girl who, after meeting a mysterious transfer student one day, gets caught up in an adventure spanning cosmic dimensions. The compact format makes each episode full of surprises, becoming a must-watch for TRIGGER fans. On May 31, 2017, the studio released THE ART OF TRIGGER ANIMATION STUDIO 9 SPACE PATROL LULUCO, a production book collecting valuable materials including project proposals, storyboards, and character designs.

Little Witch Academia (2017) evolved from a crowdfunded short film into a complete 25-episode TV anime, making it TRIGGER’s most heartwarming and family-friendly work. The story follows Atsuko “Akko” Kagari, a girl without magical talent who enters magic school to become a witch like her idol Shiny Chariot. This work abandons TRIGGER’s typical exaggerated action style, instead focusing on character emotions and conveying positive values, with animation fluidity and refinement reaching the studio’s peak level.

DARLING in the FRANXX (2018) is a 24-episode sci-fi mecha anime co-produced by TRIGGER and A-1 Pictures. This work attracted significant attention in its first half through unique world-building and character relationships, but the sharp downturn in the latter half’s plot and controversial ending resulted in polarized reception. Nevertheless, the work still demonstrated TRIGGER’s superior technical skills in visual design and mecha action sequences.

Recent Works (2019-2024)

PROMARE (2019) is TRIGGER’s 10th anniversary commemorative theatrical film, directed by Hiroyuki Imaishi. This 111-minute original movie tells the story of conflict and reconciliation between firefighters and “Burnish” through extremely vibrant colors and geometric visual style. The action sequences in the film break through the expressive limits of traditional animation, with nearly every frame being a visual feast.

BNA: Brand New Animal (2020), a 12-episode original anime produced in collaboration with Netflix, is set in a world where beastmen and humans coexist, exploring social issues like racial discrimination and identity. While the work falls somewhat short in thematic depth, its fluid action scenes and unique beastman designs remain worth watching.

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners (2022) is arguably TRIGGER’s most successful work in recent years. This 10-episode anime adapted from the game Cyberpunk 2077, supervised by Hiroyuki Imaishi, not only perfectly captures the game’s cyberpunk atmosphere but also conquers both gamers and anime viewers with solid writing and moving character development. Protagonist David’s tragic story sparked global discussion and even boosted sales of the original game. This work proved that TRIGGER possesses strong creative capabilities in adaptations as well.

GRIDMAN UNIVERSE (2023) is a theatrical compilation and continuation of SSSS.GRIDMAN and SSSS.DYNAZENON, merging the worldviews of both works to provide a complete conclusion to the series. The 118-minute runtime is filled with tokusatsu homages and emotional moments.

TRIGGER’s Other Work Types

Beyond TV anime, TRIGGER actively participates in other forms of animation creation. The studio has provided production support for multiple theatrical films and OVAs, demonstrating its diverse creative capabilities.

In cross-media collaboration, TRIGGER maintains good industry relationships with other studios like Studio Ghibli. While the two studios have vastly different styles—Ghibli is known for Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata’s delicate realistic style (as documented in books like Studio Ghibli: The Films of Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata), while TRIGGER pursues exaggerated and passionate presentation—both adhere to hand-drawn animation traditions, maintaining craftsmanship spirit amid the digital wave.

TRIGGER’s Artistic Style and Production Characteristics

Visual Presentation

TRIGGER’s visual style can be summarized as “exaggerated,” “fluid,” and “vividly colored.” The studio excels at using deformation, speed lines, and exaggerated perspective to enhance the impact of action sequences. In color usage, TRIGGER favors high-saturation primary color contrasts, creating highly recognizable visual effects.

From the Space Patrol Luluco production book, one can see that TRIGGER’s creative process maintains high creative freedom from project proposals to final products. Key animators are encouraged to exercise their imagination, and this open creative environment has fostered the studio’s unique animation language.

Narrative Characteristics

TRIGGER’s stories often start from simple shonen manga-style premises but incorporate deeper thematic exploration in the mid-to-late stages. The studio isn’t afraid to let plots “go off the rails”—whether it’s the cosmic-scale battles in the latter half of KILL la KILL or PROMARE’s dimensional breakthroughs, all demonstrate a creative philosophy of “anything goes as long as it’s hot-blooded enough.”

However, this style is a double-edged sword. The latter half of DARLING in the FRANXX drew criticism for overly abrupt plot twists, showing that TRIGGER still has room for improvement in pacing control for longer narratives.

Critical Perspectives

Honestly speaking, TRIGGER’s works are not without flaws. The studio relies too heavily on core creators like Hiroyuki Imaishi and Akira Amemiya; when they’re not involved, work quality often shows noticeable decline. When Supernatural Battles Became Commonplace is one example—while animation quality remained solid, it lacked memorable breakthrough direction.

Another issue is script depth. TRIGGER excels at creating visual spectacle and passionate atmosphere but sometimes remains superficial in character psychology and thematic exploration. BNA attempted to explore racial issues but ultimately handled them superficially, failing to achieve the depth it should have.

Additionally, the “fan service” elements in some of the studio’s works (