Fake Evangelion Animator Resigns from Teaching Post

A man who had been using top Evangelion animator Takeshi Honda’s name to gain work at two universities has resigned after being exposed as a fake. He even had the gall to claim the real Honda was merely an apprentice of his being allowed to use the name.

He was unmasked after Khara, an anime studio founded by legendary director Hideaki Anno, launched an investigation after hearing that a man had been misusing the name of a Khara animator to gain work.

He had been working at his ill-gotten post for eight years without suspicion.

The fake Honda was reported to have surfaced around 2001, where he started to teach part time at Joshibi University of Art and Design’s College of Media Arts, and later at the University of Shobi. He was only forced to resign in 2009.

The real Honda however does not teach in any university, college, or otherwise, the reason the fake was eventually exposed.

The impostor concocted a variety of stories to explain his circumstances, even going so far as to claim the real Honda as a disciple being allowed to use the name. He claimed that the name was actually a pseudonym (far from unknown), explaining his having a different one.

He elaborated to people at Joshibi that he, “Takeshi Honda”, abandoned his name after problems with director Kon Satoshi during the production of the theatrical anime, “Millennium Actress”. Thus, he generously allowed his disciple (the real Honda) to take the “Takeshi Honda” name.

The fake resigned after having his lies laid bare, admitting his crimes and apologising, and then withdrawing.

Takeshi Honda is widely regarded as a legend in the animation world, and had headed the original and theatrical remake of the Evangelion series. He was so revered that he was even nicknamed “Master”, which might explain why someone went to such great lengths to hijack his name.

The lack of any further action by Khara is perplexing though…