Jujutsu Kaisen animator’s statement never to work with studio MAPPA again reignites debate in anime circles
In November 2023, Chansard Vincent, a French animator known for his contributions to notable anime like Jujutsu Kaisen and One Piece, had openly declared his intention to cease working with the animation studio MAPPA. More recently, he followed up on the statement, citing MAPPA’s disregard for working conditions, reigniting community discourse (Source: My Jitsu).
Vincent publicly expressed his dissatisfaction with MAPPA’s working conditions. In a statement on social media, Vincent remarked, “2 years ago, I said I would never work for MAPPA again. Hakuyu Go-san was the only one who made me reconsider, but this was the last time”.
This announcement followed his participation in the “Jujutsu Kaisen” series, which concluded its second season not long ago. Recently, Vincent expanded on this sentiment, commenting that he does not wish to support a company that “ideologically doesn’t care about working conditions.”
Over the past few years, numerous animators have voiced their concerns about the labor practices at MAPPA. Reports of strict schedules and low compensation have been a recurrent theme.
I’ll make a comeback in my future work. Until then, I’ll live as a failed animator who ruined a masterpiece.
It is alleged that MAPPA has assigned massive amounts of work to external freelancers with unclear compensation, enforced unrealistic schedules, and required animators to sign agreements to avoid complaining about the production.
According to the “Animation Creators Survey Report 2019” compiled by the Japan Animator & Director Association, 41.1% of animators earn below 3 million yen annually, with 22.8% earning under 2 million yen (around $13,500), 27.5% between 3 to 5 million yen ($20,300~$33,800), and only 30.5% earning over 5 million yen (around $33,800+) (via Janica).
In 2021, another animator involved in “Attack on Titan: The Final Season” raised similar issues about MAPPA’s demanding work environment and insufficient internal training, also mentioning Vincent’s past statement about MAPPA:
Domestic animators are somewhat accustomed to harsh environments, so it hasn’t caused a major uproar, but recently in the anime industry, there has been an increase in opportunities for foreign talent to participate. Due to a shortage of manpower, to balance schedules and quality, it’s become necessary to rely on skilled foreign animators.
However, the problematic practices in the anime industry are considered normal only in Japan and unacceptable internationally. Not only did Vincent speak up this time, but it seems there will continue to be ongoing revelations from foreign animators in the future.
Moreover, recent anime from Jump are particularly popular overseas. With international anime fans already expressing distrust towards MAPPA, the situation may become even more challenging in the future. (translated from My Jitsu)
Following the leak of unfavorable information, MAPPA issued a statement on its official website. The studio acknowledged the leaked information about their wage policies, emphasizing that they do not pressure their production team members to work at unfair rates. They clarified that the leaked details were not related to a major platform project and distanced themselves from the estimated leaked wages by former employees.
However, an ongoing debate within the anime community has continued, with some supporting the animators’ plight and calling for better working conditions and fair compensation. Others point out that these issues are not exclusive to MAPPA but are prevalent throughout the anime industry.
That protest letter essentially says, ‘We’ll ignore information that improves our image and has promotional effects, but if it’s not that, we’ll treat it as a leak and take action against it. There are no guidelines for this, and we don’t bind with NDA contracts, so we decide on our own.’ That’s what it comes down to, even if that wasn’t MAPPA’s intention.
What ends up happening is that a company with financial power makes such absurd claims against small individual freelancers. Someone… please teach MAPPA the importance of going through legal affairs...
Many people argue that studios like MAPPA should reevaluate their methods to keep their good reputation and hold onto their talented staff, calling for more transparency in studio operations.
One thing to say is that MAPPA has become hypersensitive to the issue of low wages for animators. They have denied that the wages are unfairly low. However, whether this will extinguish the fire or not, considering the reactions to retweets, it seems especially difficult internationally.
For MAPPA, which seems to be considering international expansion, the statements of the animators and the backlash from abroad must be problematic. The best way to clear these suspicions would be to publish a clear list of compensations, but… they probably won’t do that. From the perspective of those outside who don’t know the actual situation, it unfortunately looks like a defiant stance.
