Chainsaw
Man is once
again at the center of controversy, and this time not because of the story or
its animation, but because of a studio decision that has outraged fans. The new
compilation project Chainsaw Man – The Compilation, currently in
Japanese theaters, has attracted attention when it was found that MAPPA
removed director Ryu Nakayama from the official credits, as well as the
team that worked on the original season of the anime.
The
origin of the controversy
It all
started with the screening of the film, divided into two parts, which reviews
the events of the first season of the anime released in 2022. It was
director Kazuomi Koga (Uncle from Another World)
himself who denounced on social networks that the credits of this compilation
only recognize the animators and current managers of the project, completely
erasing the work of Nakayama and dozens of artists who gave life to the series.
According
to Koga, in addition to adding previously unreleased cuts and re-recording
parts of the audio, Nakayama's name was removed from any mention in the
credits. "This shows that anime directors do not have moral or integrity
rights. A studio that does not protect its directors does not deserve
trust," he wrote in a forceful message that quickly went viral among the
community.
MAPPA
and a history of criticism
The
reaction of fans was not long in coming, calling the move a lack of
respect for the team that consolidated Chainsaw Man's popularity. In
the new version, only Tatsuya Yoshihara appears as director,
along with the staff in charge of the editing and adjustments for the film.
This case
adds to a history of controversies around MAPPA, which had already been pointed
out during the production of Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 for the
harsh working conditions of its animators. The decision to remove the original
credits has only reinforced the image of a problematic work environment at the
studio.
The
debate on recognition
By removing
Ryu Nakayama and the rest of the original staff, MAPPA raises a broader
discussion: to what extent do directors and creative teams have the right to
keep their credit on alternate builds or versions? For some, the work should
speak for itself, while others consider it unacceptable to erase the work of
those who marked the visual and narrative identity of the series.
