Anime Industry Poll Reveals Troubling Mental Health Picture
Anime is bigger than ever these days, but its industry issues are leaving workers with severe mental health issues.
These days, it seems anime is everywhere you look. Streaming has made the medium more popular than ever, and services across the globe are investing heavily in the industry. From Disney to Amazon and Hulu, anime is massive, so more shows are being produced than ever. However, this high turnover has put a strain on the anime industry's people, and a new report suggests animators are facing serious mental health issues because of the gig.
The information comes from overseas as the Japan Animation Creators Association released its annual survey regarding work conditions. As part of the survey, more than 400 animators were asked about their mental and physical health. Sadly, the results were less than optimistic.
The survey found that 66% of anime employees said they suffered from physical fatigue. What's worse is that 68% admitted to feeling mentally fatigued. The survey went on to ask the respondents if they've suffered from recent depression of emotional sickness, and 17% said they had endured as much.
As you can imagine, this kind of response is upsetting for any anime fan whether they want to work in the industry or not. It isn't easy making an anime, but the industry has suffered some systemic complaints for years now. From poor production schedules to understaffing and low wages, the anime industry has earned plenty of criticism in the past few years. Most recently, companies like MAPPA Studios have come under fire as employees have spoken against its absurd production demands. And now, this report from the JACA puts a quantitative number to the mental health crisis facing the anime industry.
What do you think about this latest anime report? Let us know what you think in the comments below as well as on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!
