I have this little theory on Gainax. See, I think they, and by they I mean the animators and writers, really like sandwiches. And by “like sandwiches” I mean love, like the way the Pope loves God, or by the way I love Ham. When they get a sandwich, they just don’t throw meat on bread and add a touch of butter to it. No, to a member of the Gainax team, a sandwich is a work of art.

Oh, when a sandwich is created at Studio Gainax, it is cause for celebration. Everyone stops work and gather around the sandwich-making table as the finest sweet meats are carefully added to the bread, which has been carefully made and selected by the finest bakers in Japan. Like monks might carefully tend a Zen Garden, this sandwich is stoked like a beautiful woman (I swear, I’m not mixing metaphors at all.) Remember, Gainax is made up of Otaku, so they need to substitute something for the women that they aren’t getting. Each layer or meat, lettuce, or cheese, or other product is carefully considered, perhaps there is someone there to consult the I Ching or read tea leaves to tell the best combination of condiments to turn a regular sandwich in to a work of art which rivals the Last Supper.

And when the final piece of bread has finally capped the growth of this marvel of culinary engineering, is it finally eaten. But by “eat” I do not mean such a base thing as merely chewing and swallowing. Oh now, each and every bite is savored and appreciated, its subtle nuances of flavor and texture noted, so that improvements can be made unto to it. Only then is it swallowed so that the entire body, not just the olfactory portions of it, can revel in the perfection that is a Gainax Sandwich.

Needless to say, this takes a lot of time. You cannot rush genius. This is why many of Gainax’s shows end so weirdly. Take a look at Eva or Kare Kano. Some parts of Ebichu are completely drawn in crayon. Think about it, if you spend most of your time making and enjoying sandwiches, how much of the day can you spare to make anime?

Maybe the explanation for the notorious episodes 25 and 26 of Eva is just that one day Anno, the director, was making such a sandwich that it consumed him for weeks at a time. Then, noticing that Tokyo TV needed the master copy for tomorrow, said, “Damm, no time to write an amazing ending that will blow everyone away. Hmmnmmm, lets psychoanalyze the characters. Now, get me some Bacon Bits! And Swiss cheese, I crave cheese with holes in it!”
Same thing for the sudden cut off of Kare Kano. Anno, one day, was making a sandwich of epic proportions. I mean, this is a sandwich that will be talked about around the water coolers of Gainax for years to come, and wouldn't you know it, he missed the meeting to buy the rights to Kare Kano past the 25th episode.

Now, some people might claim to have actual “facts”. They might say that episodes 25 and 26 were in part because at the time Gainax was under investigation for massive tax fraud, which would eventually end with the CEO spending a year in Jail. And they might say that Kare Kano ended so suddenly because of a disagreement with the Manga artist over if it should be a comedy or a romance. But, don’t listen to them. My explanation tastes much better.