MAPPA and other studios always been the center of heated debate in the anime-loving community. In 2025, will MAPPA continue to hold the throne with blockbusters like Jujutsu Kaisen or Chainsaw Man , or will studios like Ufotable and Kyoto Animation surpass it? Let's explore the journey of MAPPA and other studios with Hobiverse to find out who really leads!
Anime: A fierce but passionate battle
The world of anime is always bustling with new movies and series constantly being released, captivating millions of fans around the world. Behind those beautiful films and captivating stories is the tireless, tireless work of anime studios. They are not only producers but also artists, who breathe life into every stroke and every movement. In this fierce battle, each studio has its own strengths and styles, creating diversity and richness for the anime industry.
MAPPA: Emerging phenomenon or solid monument?
There's no denying that MAPPA has made incredible strides in the past few years. Founded in 2011 by Masao Maruyama, a veteran of Madhouse, MAPPA quickly established itself thanks to its excellent manga adaptations. What makes MAPPA stand out from other studios? It's the perfect combination of traditional hand-drawn art and modern CGI technology, creating eye-catching action scenes. With a series of hit projects such as "Jujutsu Kaisen", "Attack on Titan The Final Season", "Chainsaw Man", MAPPA has quickly established itself, becoming one of the most talked about names.
What are MAPPA's strengths? First of all, it is the heavy investment in image and animation quality. Eye-catching battle scenes and spectacular special effects are always the "specialties" of this studio. Second is the ability to adapt and transform. MAPPA does not specialize in just one genre, but has tried many different styles, from action shounen to psychological drama, and has reaped success. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, it is the "willingness to spend" in choosing difficult, technically demanding original works. This has helped MAPPA create works of high artistic value, highly appreciated by experts.
However, rapid development comes with a lot of pressure. The tight production schedule and huge workload sometimes make MAPPA face criticism about the quality of graphics in some scenes or pressure on the artist team. These are the challenges that MAPPA needs to overcome to maintain its leading position.
Ufotable
When it comes to ufotable, we immediately think of "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba", a work that takes animation standards to a new level. The fighting scenes in Demon Slayer are not only beautiful but also cinematic, with lighting and color effects that make viewers unable to take their eyes off.
This studio is famous for its skillful use of 3D CGI graphics techniques, creating extremely impressive lighting and motion effects. Ufotable's strength lies in its careful investment in each frame. They do not mass produce like MAPPA but focus on a few high-quality projects. In 2025, with projects like the sequel to Demon Slayer or new movies, Ufotable is still a strong competitor. However, producing fewer projects may make them less flexible than MAPPA and other studios.
Kyoto Animation (KyoAni)
Kyoto Animation (KyoAni) brings a completely different color to the race between MAPPA and other studios. Instead of focusing on dramatic action movies, KyoAni is famous for emotional works, focusing on the psychological depth of characters and everyday stories. The soft, bright animation style, along with the ability to convey subtle emotions through each frame is the characteristic of KyoAni. Works such as "Violet Evergarden" and "A Silent Voice" are the clearest proof of this.
In 2025, KyoAni plans to release new projects, continuing to exploit the strengths of sophisticated images and humanistic storylines. Although not producing as much as MAPPA, KyoAni always maintains its own style, attracting a loyal fan base. However, the slower production pace may be a weakness when compared to MAPPA and other studios in the anime boom era.
WIT Studio
Although the first "Attack on Titan" has been transferred to MAPPA, WIT Studio is still a formidable name with works such as "Spy x Family" and "Vinland Saga". This studio has the ability to create anime with a bright, dynamic style, Wit Studio brings a youthful feeling, suitable for the shonen genre.
Compared to MAPPA and other studios, Wit Studio has the advantage in creativity in storytelling and world building. In 2025, with Spy x Family season 3 and new projects, Wit Studio is still a formidable name, although the production scale is not as large as MAPPA.
Toei Animation
As one of the oldest studios, Toei Animation has created legends such as "Dragon Ball" and "One Piece". Although it sometimes receives criticism for its inconsistent image quality, Toei is still a "giant" with extensive experience and the ability to maintain long-running series.
In the battle between MAPPA and other studios, Toei holds its position thanks to its stability and huge volume of works. In 2025, Toei continues to push One Piece with new episodes and movie projects, while applying AI to optimize the production process.
Who will lead in 2025?
It is difficult to name a single name to answer the question "Who will lead in 2025?". Each studio has its own strengths and direction. MAPPA has proven its strength with large projects and the ability to create strong media effects. They will continue to be a formidable opponent, especially with the next expected projects.
Compared to MAPPA and other studios, MAPPA has also faced criticism for its harsh working conditions. Reports suggest that MAPPA employees often work at high intensity, leading to great pressure. Meanwhile, studios like KyoAni or Ufotable seem to pay more attention to employee welfare, which helps maintain quality over the long term.
The race between MAPPA and other studios in 2025 is a testament to the constant development of the anime industry. MAPPA is known for its diversity and image quality, but Ufotable, KyoAni, Wit Studio, and Toei Animation also bring unique values. Which studio is your favorite? Share it with Hobiverse and look forward to this year's anime masterpieces!
