The world of anime is
constantly evolving, and one of the recent changes comes from Makoto
Kimura , who recently served as producer and music producer on MAPPA 's original action
anime , “ Bucchigiri?! “. Kimura has taken a step forward by
announcing the creation of his own company called BLUE RIGHTS, shortly after
his departure from MAPPA at the end of March. In a post on his Twitter
account, Kimura expressed his commitment to creating an environment where
creators can be happy.
This announcement
comes just days after MAPPA revealed changes to its management structure. Among
these changes, notable is the promotion of animation producers Hiroya
Hasegawa and Keisuke Seshimo to the positions of executive vice president and
executive officer , respectively. Additionally, “ Vinland Saga ” director Shuuhei
Yabuta now sits on the studio's board of directors.
Kimura has left a
notable mark on MAPPA , with credits on several notable
projects such as “ Maboroshi ”, “ Jujutsu Kaisen
Season 2 ”, “ Hell's Paradise ”, “ Campfire
Cooking in Another World with My Absurd Skill ”, “ Vinland
Saga Season 2 ” and “ Chainsaw Man ,” among others.
His role as CEO and Director of Rights Management at Crunchyroll Expo 2022 was
also highlighted.
However, Kimura's
departure from MAPPA and the creation of BLUE RIGHTS are not isolated events in
the anime industry. MAPPA studios have come under fire for
“over-exploiting” their animators, imposing near-impossible deadlines and
taking on multiple simultaneous anime projects, resulting in an overwhelming
workload. Despite attempting to mitigate this by outsourcing foreign
animators, this practice only increases the workload for Japanese animators,
who must proofread and coordinate all of this work remotely.
These criticisms
reached their peak with the release of the second season of “ Jujutsu
Kaisen ”, one of the most notable hits of 2023. Despite its
success on screen, the anime was marked by behind-the-scenes drama, with
animators who They publicly criticized MAPPA for its harsh working conditions. From
poor planning to mandatory overtime, the team behind the second season of
“Jujutsu Kaisen” didn't hesitate to call out MAPPA when necessary.
The
recent changes in MAPPA's management could be a response to these criticisms and a sign that the anime
industry is at an inflection point, where the well-being of creators and
animators is receiving greater attention. Having lost Sunghoo Park (“Jujutsu
Kaisen 0”, “Jujutsu Kaisen 1st Season”, “Tower of God”) in 2021 and
Ryuu Nakayama (“Chainsaw Man”) in 2023 , and with
both founding their own animation studios, it seems that things are not going
very well for this relatively young studio.
Source: Official TwitterAccount
