The world of anime has rarely seen an age of such success, with multiple streaming services in North America alone competing with one another when it comes to exclusives within the medium. While there are more than a few bright spots in the industry, many behind-the-scenes creators are still struggling with tough schedules, low pay, and any number of difficulties that are facing them. In a recent Twitter thread, director Taiki Nishimura, who has directed Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, Ergo Proxy, and Seven Deadly Sins: Imperial Wrath of Gods, might be going to war with an animation studio over unpaid wages.
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While Nishimura has yet to confirm which studio exactly hasn’t paid for his services, he did confirm that he was willing to sue the organization if the wages were not paid that he felt were owed to him:
“I will do it. The company that produced the anime that did not pay the production fee two and a half years ago, will be published in a general weekly magazine under their real name. After consulting with attorneys and others, we will also consider criminal proceedings,”
On top of this, Taiki also stated that he might be forced to sue the “parent company’s labor union” due to a home video release that the director claims didn’t take into account the payment owed to him:
“The DVD is being distributed without payment, and we will sue the parent company’s labor union and each of the distribution companies first. You underestimated us, remember.”
In the past, Nishimura hasn’t been shy about his desire to change the anime industry, stating the following:
“I want to do my best to help straighten out this industry which is rife with sexual harassment and power harassment. By doing that, I’d be out of a job (awkward smile). I want to rectify the problems with the help of the Directors Guild of Japan,”
While Nishimura hasn’t confirmed that the studio in question was in fact Pierrot, the animation house responsible for Naruto, Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, and Bleach, it would appear that the timeline matches up with his grievances.
What do you think of Nishimura’s grievances? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly on Twitter @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.
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