In 2015, Mitsubushi Pencil announced that it would no longer produce the “7700” colored pencils, which are preferred by Japanese animators. The company quickly backed down after industry members, including the Japan Animation Creators Association (JAniCA), highlighted the importance of this brand of pencils for animation work. Orange, blue, and yellow-green pencils continued as long as demand continued, but five years later, even those colors were discontinued forever.
JAniCA issued a statement expressing its position on the matter. The statement emphasized the importance of these pencils within the animation industry in Japan. The association also stated that it will act as an intermediary to help secure supplies of the last production order of these colored pencils for any animation company that needs them.
Although these pencils are still required in many work environments that still perform animation on paper, JAniCA anticipates that the anime industry will continue to adapt and survive. “In the future, animation production is becoming more and more digitized. On the other hand, analog production also continues, and each approach will give birth to its own strengths. It's a terrible shame that the 7700 is going away, but there's no question that new tools will support animation production in the future. The anime industry will strive to further evolve its production environment and create good work with the help of Mitsubishi Pencil and other related industry members.
Source: JAniCA Press Release
