 The series was directed by Hiroyuki Imaishi who was a fan of the mecha genre, having previously done animation work for "Neon Genesis Evangelion", and ever since he started working he had wanted to work in a mecha series.After working on "" with Kazuki Nakashima, Imaishi appointed him as the writer, believing him to be the best choice.Imaishi was surprised with how much material Nakashima could condense into 27 episodes.