Former Mappa Exec Reveals the Reason They Left the Studio

When it comes to anime, there are few studios with the kind of clout MAPPA Studios wields. The company has been in operation for 12 years now, and recently, its reputation has skyrocketed globally. From Attack on Titan to The God of High School and Jujutsu Kaisen, the studio oversees some major series. Not long ago, one of its top execs left the company, and now Makoto Kimura is detailing their reason for leaving MAPPA Studios.

The update comes from GameBiz in Japan as the publication chatted with Kimura about his new company Blue Rights. During the conversation, MAPPA Studios was brought up, and Kimura stressed his leave was nothing but amicable.

“Since I joined MAPPA, I feel that all the things I wanted to do had been met in a satisfying manner,” he shared. “MAPPA will continue to grow, and I hope it will continue to do so for some time. But for me, it is better to leave MAPPA and work on a bigger scale as a challenge for myself and the industry.”

Continuing, Kimura went on to detail some of the big things he achieved at MAPPA, and one of the top wins came with Chainsaw Man. The executive helped the MAPPA Studio team take on the hit anime without relying on a production committee. After all, the rights negotiations for such a massive projects are difficult, and that is multiplied when MAPPA is the only company overseeing the show’s outlets. When Kimura began working at MAPPA, there was no formal department for licensing, but he is leaving behind a dedicated team that will push MAPPA forward.

Plus, Kimura said he felt proud about his addition to the Chainsaw Man anime. It turns out he was the one who pitched season one’s different ending themes. “I feel that Chainsaw Man was a series with highs and lows, and a single ending couldn’t embody the intensity of those shifts. I came up with the idea of different endings for the episodes as such. When I told the animation producer… he readily agreed to it, and the record company agreed with the vision as well. So the endings were all done.”

While Kimura moves on to consult on other anime series, MAPPA is staying busy. Chainsaw Man has a movie in the works, and in the wake of Jujutsu Kaisen season two, a third season has been announced.

What do you think about this latest update from Kimura? 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!