The anime industry has never been bigger but there are still many problems that persist within it. Studio MAPPA has had quite a few controversies surrounding its work in recent years despite making a name for itself with anime adaptations of Jujutsu Kaisen, Attack on Titan, Chainsaw Man, and many more. In a recent interview with MAPPA Vice President Hiroya Hasegawa, the executive discussed the problems that remain a part of the anime world and how the studio is hoping to address both future challenges inside and outside of its workforce.
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When it comes to bolstering the industry itself, MAPPA’s Vice President listed some of the ways that the production house is looking to aid its own “human resources” department, “The animation production department is planning to actively hire new graduates, expand the scope of work while checking aptitude, and give them opportunities as soon as possible starting next year. Also, we want to think about a way of education where one person can equally transfer their skills to multiple people, so we are currently considering various things.”
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Anime Challenges
Hasegawa also detailed the challenges facing both Studio MAPPA and the anime industry as a whole at the moment, even with the medium being bigger than ever before, “There are a lot of challenges, but not just at MAPPA, in recent years, unlike when we joined, more people are now casually involved with animation, so when they actually get involved in anime production, there are many cases where a gap is created, such as the world being different from what they imagined. That being said, there’s no point in actively promoting that animation is difficult, so I’m thinking about how to fill that gap. In terms of work style, I get the impression that there are more people in the production field who want to separate work and private life and balance it than before. In line with the times, it’s important that companies don’t leave it up to individuals to work in a way that doesn’t balance, and that they don’t allow it.”
Finally, the Vice President had a message for those looking to enter the anime industry and how to bounce back from failure, “You may have the opportunity to learn about the commercial anime we make at vocational schools and universities, but you won’t be able to learn about production on this scale through practical training, so it will be your first try after joining a company. It’s rare to get it right the first time, so don’t think you’re not suited to it after one failure. There are far fewer people who get it right from the start, so I think it’s best to be patient and try your best in the hope that you’ll grow.”
MAPPA’s Issues
When it comes to Studio MAPPA, the production house has been legendary thanks to the high quality of its animation and the sheer number of projects it has released in a relatively short amount of time. Unfortunately, this reputation comes with a price as many animators for the company have reported the harsh working conditions of bringing some of your favorite anime to life. Perhaps most notably, Jujutsu Kaisen’s second season was rife with reports from MAPPA employees of the harsh deadlines and conditions that were needed to create the Shibuya Incident Arc. Fingers crossed that the production house will take lessons learned from its controversies and work toward creating a better work environment for its animators.
Want to see what the future holds for the anime industry’s work conditions? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for all the latest updates and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.
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