Highlights
- Animators from studio MAPPA, including key animator Itsuki Tsuchigami, have spoken out about poor working conditions and the alleged contract forbidding complaints.
- The allegations suggest that MAPPA began production of Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 knowing the schedule was not ideal and that staff were moved to another project at a critical time in production.
- The animators' willingness to risk legal backlash and the industry-wide issues highlight the severity of the problem, and change in the anime industry seems inevitable.
It seems that every time a major series by studio MAPPA comes out, the same concerns over working conditions, scheduling, and quality are raised again. Die-hard fans might dismiss the criticisms as an overreaction while skeptics feel exhausted at the lack of change, but the discussion was reignited after animators came forward recently to discuss these issues.
On September 30, users on Twitter/X began buzzing about how MAPPA was forcing its employees to sign contracts that would prevent them from speaking out about the working conditions. News of this alleged NDA was spread far and wide, but it was the accounts of animators themselves that stood out the most.
Animators Speaking Out
While some posts have been deleted as of the time of writing, one of the more prominent animators who have spoken up is one Itsuki Tsuchigami, also referred to by the name "miso." He's no average animator either - he's an excellent key animator and storyboard artist who's worked on Mob Psycho 100, Chainsaw Man, Fate/Grand Order Camelot, and more. He was even involved in the historic and notorious Episode 22 of Fate/Apocrypha.
So his word certainly holds some weight, and what he had to say was disheartening, to say the least. On the morning of Saturday, September 30, he seemingly confirmed that MAPPA was making its employees sign a contract forbidding them from complaining. This was 20 minutes after he spoke ill of the current working conditions, and discouraged aspiring animators from getting "involved," presumably meaning with MAPPA.
愚痴言われないために誓約書書かせるんじゃなくて愚痴言われないような環境を整えにいってくれないだろうか
"Instead of making people write a pledge to avoid complaints, could you please create an environment where they won't complain?"
- Itsuki Tsuchigami, September 30, 2023 (Translation by Google)
今いる所、基本ぐちゃぐちゃでろくでもないのでがんばりたい人は関わらんほうが良い。適当にやって適当に金もらいたいなら良いとこかもしれん。ぐちゃぐちゃな反面チャンスも転がってるし注目作もやってるので新人が名前を売るのにも良いかもしれん。けどやっぱ頑張りたい人は関わらん方が良さそう
"Where I am now, it's basically a mess and I'm no good, so people who want to do their best shouldn't get involved. If you want to do something random and get some money, this might be a good place. Although it's a bit of a mess, there are plenty of opportunities and notable works, so it might be good for newcomers to sell their names. But I think it's better for people who want to do their best not to get involved."
- Itsuki Tsuchigami, September 30, 2023 (Translation by Google)
Soon, these posts caught the attention of animation accounts known for reliable leaks of staff and release info for seasonal anime, which increased the traction of this news tenfold. One such account, whose post can be seen below, offered more details. It's important to note first and foremost that there was no source provided, so take the following with a grain of salt.
They allege that MAPPA began production of Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 knowing the schedule was not ideal and that staff were moved to a different project at a pivotal juncture. This narrative suggests that the production of the Shibuya Incident arc of Jujutsu Kaisen is not without its share of problems and that the studio wishes to avoid negative publicity.
Once again, not all the details circulating on social media are confirmed. Although, it is worth taking the words of these animators into consideration, not just because of their reputations, but what they're risking. The Twitter/X page for the otaku culture website Full Frontal posted an insightful thread regarding defamation law in Japan. Even without this alleged non-disclosure agreement, it would have been risky for anyone to come forward and air their grievances.
An individual accused of defamation could be subject to punishment even if what they've expressed is true. With this in mind, it's telling that Jujutsu Kaisen's animators are coming out publicly to express their frustrations, even with the risk of legal backlash. As stated previously, some of these tweets from the animators speaking out have already been taken down.
What This Means
The anime industry, much like everything in life nowadays, is in a peculiar place. All of this talk about poor working conditions for animators is coming at a time when Japan's entertainment industries are potentially in for a volatile shake-up. Particularly in the anime industry, changes to the Japanese Consumption Tax could have disastrous effects on animators doing contract work, something that anime relies on heavily. See the below thread for more details.
As fans - especially ones overseas - it can be difficult to determine how to respond to stories such as these, much less predict what will become of them. The common talking points about the struggles of anime production are much the same as Japanese work culture as a whole, and MAPPA has been the subject of similar criticism for a while now.
It's all the more fascinating that this has come to light now, barely a month after another animator spoke rather positively about their experience working on Jujutsu Kaisen. Animator Amphibi shared their experiences with MAPPA, prefacing by stating that they shared the same negative perception of the studio as many of its critics.
After working on Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2, "all the thoughts [they] had for MAPPA suddenly went away," and every episode they worked on had a "healthy schedule." However, judging by replies to their thread and the accounts of other animators, this was more of an exception to the rule, which is evidence enough of a disparity between the staff working on this series.
There's a sentiment that the issues present are industry-wide and not solely at the feet of one studio. This is fair, but that doesn't mean that a single studio shouldn't be held to task, especially given its prominence, and that's where many have seen fit to raise their voices. The fact that any animators spoke up in spite of the risks involved speaks to the severity of the problem. Change feels inevitable, but whether that change will be good or bad remains to be seen.
Sources: X (@vflmsppe [Link 1] [Link 2], @cjAus101723, @fufuro_moe [Link 1] [Link 2]