Fans fear Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3 may suffer due to the ongoing controversy surrounding Mappa. The animators of Jujutsu Kaisen are coming up with severe allegations against Mappa one after the other, and their mental health is deteriorating, which is seen by recent episodes of Jujutsu Kaien Season 2. There have been a series of meltdowns of the animators recently, and all of them have taken to Twitter to apologize to the fans for an “incomplete episode.” This article will review all the allegations against Mappa and how this may affect the production of Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3.
JJK Season 2 Animators Speak Out About Their Dissatisfaction With The Animation Quality
Many animators have expressed dissatisfaction with having to work on both Chainsaw Man and Jujutsu Kaisen, resulting in a big meltdown among the team. JJK S2 Episode 13 director and storyboard artist Arai Kazuto expressed dissatisfaction and annoyance with the episode’s conclusion on Twitter. Ookubo Shunsuke, director of JJKS2 episode 12, posted an image of a girl from Shirobako trying to hang herself, hinting that the director is blaming himself for failing to match the fans’ expectations.
— B (@wuokb) November 14, 2023
Many are blaming the CEO of Mappa, Manabu Otsuka, for taking up too many projects at once, and this has created pressure on the animators, who had to work on two projects simultaneously, getting roughly six months to complete Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2. Rumor has it that the animators had to finish the episodes the day before they were released, which makes sense given that one of the Season 2 animators, Nobili Roccia, posted an apology to the fans for airing an unfinished episode.
“I worked on those cuts until yesterday…I wished I was faster and could have done a better job…thank you for the kind messages…”
-@NobiliRoccia (One of the animators of Episode 17)
How Will Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3 Be Effected?
Fans are now concerned about how things will end following Mappa’s terrible execution with JJK S2. Mappa could have delayed some episodes to give employees a break, but withholding one is costly, as rescheduling, marketing, and distribution expenses would rise significantly. Other parties, such as TOHO and Sheuisha, must agree to the delay.
For now, Mappa is one of the best in the industry, having the rights to animate some big-shot manga series. However, things may not look good in the future if the allegations against Mappa are not addressed. Since Season 1 of Jujutsu Kaisen, several animators have resigned from the studio due to the inhumane working conditions and severe underpay. The director of Jujutsu Kaisen Season 1, Sunghoo Park, quit to begin his production house, E&H, and rumors indicate it is due to Mappa’s work schedule.
Season 2 of Jujutsu Kaisen has unfinished episodes and animations that are not meeting the fans’ expectations. If this issue persists, it will be hard to say how Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3 will progress. Several animators have already called quits from the studio, and these are the same animators who have gifted the audience with Chainsaw Man, Attack On Titan, Hell’s Paradise, and Banana Fish. Despite the tight schedule, they have tried to keep up their best efforts.
But for how long? Now that animators have started coming forward with their allegations against Mappa, it will be hard to say when Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3 will ultimately released. Even if it is released at the scheduled time, the quality of the anime series will again be compromised like it is currently in Season 2. This will destroy the legacy of not just the Jujutsu Kaisen series, but also several other animes that are on board with Mappa, ultimately ruining the reputation of Mappa Studios. The release date of Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3 will likely be put off, which appears inevitable unless the staff and Studio officials reach an agreement. However, the anime industry is infamous for having a toxic work environment that persists even today, and this behavior is not exclusive to Mappa.
