A new study describes a serious problem that affects not only animators but also anime production studios, distribution companies, and anime franchise IP owners.
Japanese animation has become more popular in recent years, mainly due to a resurgence of interest in the art form abroad. Established franchises like Dragon Ball and One Piece are gaining more traction with growing fan bases, and the same can be said of relative newcomers like My Hero Academia and Spy x Family . However, while growing demand gives production studios new growth opportunities, insiders also reveal that animators are being disadvantaged in a growing industry strong. A new study shows that the problem is more complex than we thought.
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The Institute of Japanese Studies recently released a comprehensive report on Japan’s anime industry, highlighting its overall role in the country’s economy. It describes an untapped foreign market that has grown from 0.2 to 1.5 trillion yen in just 10 years. The report predicts that this growth could exceed 5 trillion yen in a sustainable industry, which means animation studios must nurture talent as they expand production capacity. However, research shows that this is not currently the case; Insiders also point out that stressful working conditions in animation studios have caused many to leave the industry altogether.
The Brain Drain of Untapped Talent in the Anime Industry
The study also revealed that 25% of new animators leave the industry after 4 years and up to 68% leave the industry after 8 years. Worryingly long working hours, low wages and lack of career development opportunities are believed to be the main causes of the problem. The report recommends the creation of labor unions to improve the living conditions of animators and animation studios to provide training to improve the technical capacity of staff and animators. free form. The study also suggests that governments ensure these measures are implemented without affecting the interests of manufacturers, distributors or owners of adapted IP.
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Anime Studio MAPPA is at the forefront of allegations of disruption in the industry
This issue has recently become serious as animators have spoken out about the harsh working conditions they constantly fight against. According to reports, Japanese animation studio MAPPA has received heavy criticism as animators criticized the company for its stressful production schedule, which even forces many to complete animated episodes. hours before release. However, MAPPA – the anime studio responsible for films like Attack on Titan, Chainsaw Man and Jujutsu Kaisen – has so far ignored all criticism.
According to Academic Accelerator, there are more than 500 animation studios currently operating across Japan.
Source: Japan Research Institute