MAPPA is a giant in the anime production industry in Japan. Anime series with eye-catching action scenes and super smooth transitions have created a reputation for this company. To achieve the current success, it is impossible not to mention MAPPA's team, including talented directors and the most enthusiastic staff.
However, behind the bright aura of a leading company in the anime industry are days of suffocating deadlines and inappropriate regimes. Join Hobiverse to find out why MAPPA became what it is and where the articles debunking MAPPA come from.
The way MAPPA operates goes against the principles of the first CEO
The birth of MAPPA
MAPPA is the abbreviation of Maruyama Animation Produce Project Association, this studio was created by Mr. Maruyama Masao in 2011. The studio's mission is to establish a place where talented directors can choose and create anime films. they want, emphasizing the creative freedom of everyone.
During former president Maruyama's time, employees lived their lives to the fullest because of their passion
Maruyama and his colleagues put a lot of effort into each product, so the studio only releases 1-2 anime series/year. However, thanks to that, you can see that in the first phase, MAPPA's anime series are of extremely high quality in both image and content, typically: Kids on the slope, Teekyuu, Hajime no Ippon : Rising season 3, In this corner of the world…
Maruyama's ideology was overthrown
Producer Otsuka Manabu is one of the talents who worked alongside Mr. Maruyama in the early days. Otsuka has sharp eyes that can accurately judge which anime series can bring high commercial value. At that time, the studio undertook many projects but no anime series really stood out. That's why Otsuka firmly wanted to produce Yuri!!! on ice because he believes this anime will be a big hit.
The success of this anime has affirmed Otsuka's vision
According to Sakuga Blog - a site specializing in reporting on the anime industry - Yuri!!! on ice has an average of 48.5 people holding the position of Key animators. Of course, MAPPA's small staff at that time could not handle such a huge amount of work, so they had to rely mainly on human resources outside the studio.
Otsuka is extremely ambitious, he wants to increase the number of products of the studio. However, this goes against Mr. Maruyama's principle: creating a place where people can unleash their creativity and choose to make the anime they want. Mr. Maruyama also realized that the current studio is too big and everything is not just about the words "Passion" anymore. That's why he handed over MAPPA to Otsuka Manabu. From here, countless articles debunking MAPPA appeared.
It cannot be denied that this anime has helped MAPPA become more famous, but it also entails many consequences
MAPPA exploits its employees to the point of exhaustion
MAPPA studio staff have exposed the scandal many times to speak up about their working situation and reclaim their rights. Specifically, many animation producers who worked under MAPPA said that the studio offered a lot of work but the benefits they received were not commensurate. This resulted in many dissatisfied employees who chose to abandon MAPPA.
In response to the information revealing MAPPA, the studio did not give any explanation. After that, the conflicting information online also gradually disappeared. Public opinion thought that the company had listened to employees and improved current issues, but the truth was quite the opposite. A MAPPA studio employee revealed the horrifying situation: employees were forbidden to reveal anything about their work process.
Employees complain about MAPPA that they do not receive adequate benefits
If they dare to speak up to claim their rights, the company will immediately put that employee on the "black list". Of course we cannot know the power of the blacklist, but it must be extremely powerful, to the point of being able to threaten all employees, making no one dare to speak up for a long time.
The above information debunking MAPPA was quickly shared across social networking sites, creating a wave of intense protest against MAPPA studio. Everyone believes that MAPPA must change and need to treat the efforts and dedication of the directors and staff working at the studio more fairly.
MAPPA really disappointed those who stood by it
Because of the excessive exploitation of employees' labor, many famous directors have no longer chosen MAPPA as a place to send their spiritual children. The most typical example is talented director Park Sung Hoo - who produced the anime The God of High School, Garo: Vanishing Line, Jujutsu Kaisen season 1... no longer accompanying the studio and chose a new path.
Mr. Park's choice to leave caused great regret to the Jujutsu Kaisen fan community
Or most recently, you can see that there are some sources of information leaking MAPPA rumors about the author of Jujutsu Kaisen being dissatisfied with the quality of the new season. Gege even had to apologize to the audience because so many people spoke up about this issue. Not only the director but also the production staff also expressed frustration during the production of the new season of Wartime Spells.
The sharing of MAPPA studio staff made many people cry: "I have nothing to lose anymore, so if they want to sue, I'm ready to follow. MAPPA forces employees to work overtime with low wages. Everyone would gasp if they knew the work schedule we had to complete. Each employee must work overtime continuously to keep up with the assigned schedule. I will stop sacrificing my health for a job that can't even pay the rent, let alone other expenses. My own health is more important than the fear of being blacklisted.”
The staff involved in making season 2 had to go through enormous work pressure that exposed all the dark sides of MAPPA.
Although MAPPA's working environment is not good, it cannot be denied that the anime series produced by the company have brought the authors' names closer to the masses, laying the foundation for the authors' future success. . If you love their brainchild, don't hesitate to add anime model products to your cart.
=> See more character models at Hobiverse: Jujutsu Kaisen character model
It is not an exaggeration to call MAPPA today an industrial furnace for anime production. With the increasing number of MAPPA debunking articles, Hobiverse really hopes that the studio's CEO will think more carefully about the company's development path, avoiding having key employees leave and become "anti-heroes". presence" in the hearts of fans.
Maybe you are interested:
