The animation industry is known to be hard work. From the hours to the effort put into every project, it takes a lot to survive and make it in the industry. The Vice President of MAPPA, the Japanese animation studio, shares his insights on the issues that plague the industry even in 2025.
MAPPA has produced many popular series like Jujutsu Kaisen, Chainsaw Man, Season 4 of Attack on Titan, Yuri on Ice, and many more. However, the studio is also notorious for its poor work conditions, and many of its staff went on strike demanding better.
Despite this, the Vice President, Hiroya Hasegawa, acknowledges MAPPA’s shortcomings and addresses the root cause of the industry’s issues. He attributes this to the lack of education and mentorship programs to equip budding animators, along with the heavy workload burdened on them.
Hasegawa talks about how studios take on more than necessary, especially WIT Studio
WIT Studio is a rather small studio compared to MAPPA. They are highly respected within the anime community but there is a pattern to how they operate. Despite having many successful adaptations, they tend to take on more than they can handle.
WIT Studio created the first three seasons of Attack on Titan before they handed it over to MAPPA. Other than that, they also handed over Vinland Saga to MAPPA and The Ancient Magus’ Bride to Studio Kafka after one season. It was clear the studio didn’t have the capacity for so many series.
Hasegawa doesn’t discount MAPPA’s issues when addressing the animation industry’s flaws. He mainly blames the company’s inability to equip its animators with the tools to survive and balance their work. He states in an interview with Real Sound:
There are many issues to be addressed, not just at MAPPA, but one is that, unlike when we first joined, the number of people who casually come into contact with animation has increased over the past few years, and when they get involved in animation production, they often find that the world is different from what they had imagined.
Like in any industry, balance is key. However, the work hours of animation are more demanding than most. Hasegawa recognizes that the industry ends up being overwhelming for new animators and they aren’t prepared for the short deadlines or demands. This was WIT Studio’s shortcoming.
How can the animation industry do better?
According to Hasegawa, it’s also the company’s fault for educating new animators. Since most people go from project to project without honing their skills and then later rectify their mistakes, he finds it essential to give feedback and improve their skills without compromising the projects.
Anime budgets are also very tight and limited. The revisions and retakes on mistakes cost a lot, going a year or more’s worth of budget. MAPPA is, therefore, considering ways to educate new animators with better abilities to avoid these mistakes and create better balance.
WIT Studio has failed to compensate for its lack of staff and it has affected other studios who have to continue their projects. Taking on too many series does have consequences, even in MAPPA. Burdening the staff without proper education is a huge problem.
So while MAPPA does have its flaws with its poor work environment, it seems Hasegawa and other executives are actively seeking ways to improve.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
