New comments from Naruto Studio Pierrot executive director Keirou Itsumi have many anime fans criticizing MAPPA for its treatment of animators.
Itsumi spoke with Borderless about Studio Pierrot’s development and the company’s plans. The core of Studio Pierrot’s future is to increase anime production while taking better care of the creators involved. “We must create works of higher quality than ever before and be able to compete on a global scale,” Itsumi said. “This comes with various costs. In the past, in the anime industry, creators may have been under the impression that the working environment was all about making small profits and quick profits and that they had to work in a way that ignored the Labor Standards Act. However, in modern times, labor management must also be done properly, the ideology of “doing your best with all your heart” that existed in the Showa period is no longer true.
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Itsumi continued: “Anime is created by humans, not computers. Therefore, if the person is exhausted, there is nothing that can be done. This way of production will not last long. So since I joined Pierrot, we have made a huge breakthrough.” review our salaries, including increasing overtime pay by 20%. I believe we have made great strides in improving the work environment.”
Itsumi’s opening comments closely resemble MAPPA CEO Manabu Otsuka’s on his controversial production ramp-up plan. To meet the growing demand and compete with the quality of Ufotable and KyoAni, Otsuka said, “I thought about how I could join the race with top studios in the shortest time possible. by producing more and accumulating experience while maintaining top quality.” This comes while MAPPA freelancers are calling out poor working conditions, delayed pay negotiations and mental health concerns in JJK Part 2. While While Itsumi and Otsuka both appreciate that there needs to be higher production quality, their comments paint completely different pictures for fans about how animators should be treated.
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It is perhaps becoming more and more necessary for Otsuka to directly address the concerns of MAPPA freelancers and anime fans. The Animation Dormitory Channel recently interviewed the animators of Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 and found that many of their complaints matched online postings. However, they determined that the conditions were also the result of stakeholders deciding on a tough timeframe that MAPPA could not refuse. While Pierrot is increasing wages and company benefits, MAPPA pays some of the highest salaries in the industry and is among the top insurance policy providers. During the interview, Itsumi also added that Pierrot wants to make sure creators feel appreciated through events and presentations. This is something that Otsuka has invested heavily in at MAPPA Stage.
Source: Borderless, X (formerly Twitter)