When it comes to anime, it seems like MAPPA Studios cannot be stopped. The company has tackled a number of top-profile franchises in the last ten years, after all. From Vinland Saga to Chainsaw Man and Attack on Titan, MAPPA hardly needs guidance. However, the company’s work conditions have come into greater focus this year, and now the crew of Jujutsu Kaisen season two has put scrutiny on MAPPA after sharing grievances about its “hellish” production schedule.
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The whole thing popped off this week following the latest episode of Jujutsu Kaisen season two. The episode put Nanami Kendo center stage alongside Toji, and it was gorgeous to watch. However, some animation blips caught the eye of fans, and their critiques caused two crew members on Jujutsu Kaisen to defend themselves.
As for the first animator, Sunomomo shared the following damning anecdote: “I lost contact with the production team, so I wasn’t given my check, and I couldn’t even get my name on the credits. I’d delete this right away, but that might cause some misunderstanding, so I’ll write it all here just in case. A little while after episode 29 ended, I jumped in and supervised a storyboard and layout.”
Continuing, the artist said they were unable to complete the 250 cuts of animations assigned to them in two weeks. “The production of Jujutsu Kaisen season two was hellish. It was a very short production, so we have five directors at the start, and we had a large number of people working on animation. We managed to get through it with help… and there was on person basically in charge of directing each episode. We worked hard in pre-production to kill time with by making storyboards. I wonder which one was more hellish.”
And to make things worse, the director of episode 38 went on to share their shame. To Tatsuta took to X (Twitter) and shared the following with fans”
“Not everyone is trash like me, so I know that their sympathy and encouragement just be from the bottom of their hearts. But right after releasing something that I’m not satisfied with, those kinds of words have an opposite effect. So for now, I want you to leave me alone. I’ll make up for it in my future work. Until then, I will live my life as the worst kind of animators who has ruined a masterpiece.”
These two anecdotes are hard to read, and sadly, they are not the first to come from MAPPA artists. Previously, team members who worked on Attack on Titan as well as Chainsaw Man have critiqued the company’s standards. Now, Jujutsu Kaisen seems to be causing some mental breakdowns, and fans cannot help but wonder if the hit show is worth that kind of suffering.
What do you think about Jujutsu Kaisen season two so far? Do you believe MAPPA Studios is at fault for the situation? Let us know what you think in the comments below as well as onย Twitterย andย Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCBย to share your take!
