There are growing concerns among Japan’s top animators that the anime industry is slowly dying. A few days back, Nishii Terumi, the chief animation director of Jujutsu Kaisen 0 movie, shared her thoughts on the social media platform X(formerly Twitter), predicting the anime industry’s impending collapse, stating that it will happen once Hisashi Kagawa’s generation of animators retires. Now Vincent Chansard, known for his work in One Piece, Jujutsu Kaisen, and Boruto, has also expressed his prediction of the anime industry’s slow death.
In a recent hour-long stream with Konoha TV, Vincent Chansard discussed his experiences and sources of inspiration. He also shared his thoughts that Japan’s anime industry has not been doing great lately, with the country entering the late stage of capitalism. However, he believes he has the solution to end this emerging problem.
The Anime Industry Will Collapse Soon: Animators Fears The Worst Case Scenario
Animator Nishii Terumi recently pointed out that Japan’s anime industry is beginning to decline and offered proposals for how to avert it. Vincent Chansard shared the same ideas on how to cope with the looming threat that Japan’s anime industry is facing, but production companies aren’t putting these suggestions into practice!
まじで終わってますからね。香川さんたちの世代が抜けたら一気にぜんぶ終わる。
それまでに育成スキームをなんとかしないと。RT— 西位 輝実 NlSHII Terumi (@NishiiTerumi) November 28, 2023
Chansard feels that the anime industry is focused too much on money by expanding output, simultaneously lowering animator skill levels. He has expressed his ideas for addressing the problem in the anime business. The first step is to revamp the compensation structure to attract more animators to the sector. The second stage is creating an environment where these animators may improve their abilities and become competent enough.
“We know the solution! We completely know the solution! The two major solutions to the lack of workers are firstly, salary reevaluation to attract more workers, and second, more ways for new members to become more qualified. And what are the solutions adopted by the Japanese productions right now? None of them! The solutions exist but you have to apply them.”
Nishii Temura has also argued for the same solution. She has been advocating for a training program to provide a common skill set for animators and boost industry quality. The biggest issue confronting the Japanese animation business is an acute lack of workers and skill sets. Previously, the sector relied too heavily on freelancers and failed to cultivate newcomers, resulting in a labor deficit. Nishii has stated that these production houses only comprehend statistics, which is why they cannot handle these responsibilities.
Is The toxic Work Culture One Of The Possible Reasons For The Anime Industry’s Collapse?
Vincent Chansard has openly condemned Mappa Studios’ working conditions, declaring he will not work with them again. The studio received harsh criticism last year during the production of Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 when many animators vented their wrath against the firm. Mappa required these animators to sign a non-disclosure agreement and not disclose anything about the workplace environment. The animators worked tirelessly day and night to finish their tasks while working on Chainsaw Man and Jujutsu Kaisen simultaneously.
Vincent has received considerable recognition for his work on One Piece, Boruto, and Jujutsu Kaisen. He has earned excellent reviews for his contributions to an extended version of Jujutsu Kaisen’s “Thunderclap, Part 2” (Episode 41), released as part of the series’ Blu-ray edition. He gained even more fame when he said he would never work with MAPPA again, citing their disregard for working conditions.
“I don’t want to support a company that ideologically doesn’t care about working conditions.”
Nishii Temura has supported Vincent in this matter. She considers his criticism of MAPPA refreshing, but her perspective differs somewhat from Vincent’s. While Vincent feels that the anime business may still develop, Nishii believes the era is ending.
Source: CBR
