by Two contrasting animation production companies
On December 24, 2021, the long-awaited “Theatrical Version Jujutsu Kaisen 0” was released. Before its release, it was announced on December 4 that the attendee privilege booklet “Jujutsu Kaisen 0.5 Tokyo Metropolitan College of Magic” will be distributed to a total of 5 million people. Considering that the bonus booklet “Kimetsu no Yaiba Purgatory Zero Maki” prepared at the release of “Theatrical Version Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinite Train Edition” last year was 4.5 million people, it is expected to be equal or better hit. It seems that there is.
In fact, as of December 21, all tickets for the four buildings that will be screened fastest in Tokyo from midnight on the 23rd have been sold out, and they will inevitably perform exceptionally well from the first day of their release.
Mr. Manabu Otsuka, who is the president of MAPPA Co., Ltd. (after this referred to as MAPPA), the production company of “Jujutsu Kaisen 0” and the TV series “Jujutsu Kaisen,” said in an interview after the TV series of the same work, “This is all. I feel that half a year of working on a work that puts pressure on me was when I was able to grow considerably as a company. “
The source of the pressure would be the big hit of the anime work “Kimetsu no Yaiba” from the same Weekly Shonen Jump magazine. At the same time, I would like to pay attention to the part of the statement that “the company has grown considerably.”
Since the 2000s, the degree of perfection as a video work of Japanese animation has improved rapidly. Various factors can be considered, such as the digitization of the production process and the growing voice of fans seeking high-quality works, but as a result, not only the individual staff and cast but also the production body that controls the whole. The number of people paying attention to animation studios = production companies are gradually increasing.
In fact, at the end of 2020, when the animation of “Chainsaw Man” was announced in the Weekly Shonen Jump magazine in the production of MAPPA, many voices were expecting “MAPPA of peace of mind and trust” on SNS.
Of course, there have been viewers who have been paying attention to production companies for some time. Typical examples are Studio Ghibli Co., Ltd., which produces many works by Hayao Miyazaki, and Sunrise Co., Ltd., which is a series of “Gundam.”
However, while the former has won the trust mainly due to the director’s writer, and the latter has won the trust due to the track record of making the series for a long time, it is the production company of MAPPA and the above-mentioned “Kimetsu no Yaiba.” The popularity of ufotable and other products these days seems to have strong expectations for the production studio itself, which is in charge of production. It is the branding of an animation production company.
Naturally, these expectations and trust are based on the achievements of both companies as production companies that have sent out highly evaluated works. However, while ufotable is advancing the in-house production route and aiming to improve the quality by narrowing down the production works, MAPPA actively appoints external talents to produce many works. The attitude is contrasting, such as continuing.
How were the characteristics of these two companies shaped? I want to think through the background of each company and the works that became the turning point.
The trigger for the break was “The Garden of Sinners.”
First of all, ufotable, the production company of “Kimetsu no Yaiba,” was established in 2000 on behalf of Mr. Hikaru Kondo. From the 2003 TV series “Dokkoida! It is the movie version of the “The Garden of Sinners” series that was screened over the years.
The series based on the novel of the same name by Kinoko Nasu is the first of the “TYPE-MOON x ufotable project” with the game brand TYPE-MOON. At that time, the names of TYPE-MOON and Kinoko Nasu were widely known due to hits such as “Tsukihime” and “Fate/stay night.” I had great expectations.
To meet the expectations of these fans, ufotable persuaded Kinoko Nasu, who initially refused to participate in the scenario meeting, and actively adopted the idea of the original author. Furthermore, the composition of the theatrical version, which was planned to be a trilogy, was changed to a total of 8 chapters and eight works according to the original novel. We worked on visualization in a form close to the original (for that reason, about 60 minutes for each work and as a theatrical animation). It is short).
As a result, this series, which started with a single-building late show in Tokyo, eventually became a hit that mobilized more than 250,000 spectators.
“In-house production” to enhance quality.
The work also became a turning point for ufotable in terms of production. One of the company’s characteristics is that it has a department in-house that is in charge of the main processes of video production, excluding acoustics, such as planning, production, drawing, finishing, art, 3D, and shooting, and the ratio of in-house production is very high. It can be mentioned. These processes are outsourced to an external drawing studio or filming company in many cases.
It should be noted that at the company, not only the drawing but also the director (directing), the series composition, and the script of each story are mainly in charge of the staff. These are essential positions that solidify the foundation of animation production and set the direction, and their talents are extensively cultivated through experience.
Therefore, other companies often appoint a person with a proven track record from the outside. Still, in the case of ufotable, in the third work, “Futakoi Alternative,” produced by the prime contractor, the representative Hikaru Kondo is in the name of Aise Matsuri. I am the director. From this, it can be seen that such in-house production was consciously promoted from a very early stage after the company was founded.
It is said that the movie version of “The Garden of Sinners” series is the result of increasing the experience value of animation production as a company, including drawing, and the ufotable system centered on in-house production has been established.
The advantage of such in-house production is that it enables highly accurate communication. In animation production created by collaborative work in various fields, staff members must share the direction and values of the work.
When ordering work from an external studio, it takes time to respond even with a bit of consultation or confirmation, but it will be significantly shortened by in-house production. In addition, by having the same members work together repeatedly, each staff member’s characteristics, strengths, and weaknesses can be grasped, and work efficiency and quality can be improved by allocating scenes that suit each staff member.
For example, the expression reminiscent of the ukiyo-e of “Water Breathing” by the main character, Tanjiro Kamado, famous for “Kimetsu no Yaiba,” was repeatedly examined by the person in charge of 3D and photography from the pre-production stage. That is. It is probably because of the high ratio of in-house production that it is easy to match these images and perform trial and error for that purpose.
On the other hand, the number of works produced naturally decreases because one work is often involved with the whole company over a long period. Looking at the works from 2005 to 2020 in the WORKS section of the official website, on average, the pace is to produce one theater animation and one TV series in almost a year.
The reason why production at such a unique pace can be continued is mainly due to the existence of hit works such as “The Garden of Sinners,” “Fate” series, and “Kimetsu no Yaiba,” and participation in the production committee.
Reasons why production companies invest in anime
ufotable not only produces animation but also actively invests and participates in the production committee.
Conventional animation production companies are often in the subcontractors ordered by the production committee, especially when animating works with original works such as manga and games. In this case, the production committee mainly has the right to decide the content of the work and the direction of production. Still, ufotable raises the degree of freedom of production by investing by itself.
In terms of management, if a work is a hit, it is also significant that you can receive a profit dividend depending on the investment ratio. From the above-mentioned subcontracting position, the production company can only receive the production cost given by the production committee, so if the commitment to quality is too much, the budget will be exceeded, and the production company will take it out. In some cases.
Of course, high-quality works do not always hit and become profitable. Still, fortunately, in the case of ufotable, it can be said that the commitment to quality in production is linked to the profits of the company (by the way, ufotable produced it). Many of the works are not in the name of the production committee, but each company that participated in the production is listed individually).
In fact, on December 10, 2021, Mr. Kondo was convicted by the Tokyo District Court for violating the Corporate Tax Law and others, such as excluding sales from the ufotable restaurant business. At the previous trial, he said that the quality currently required for animation is very high, and when trying to respond to it, “Whenever I make a work, it will always be in the red. We happen to have a hit work, but otherwise, it will go bankrupt.” It even says.
The period covered by the incident was from 2015 to 2018, and the motive was that he wanted to secure working capital for ufotable. Also, since the accusation in June 2020, we have not received any new animation production requests because the current production cost market does not allow the company’s staff to produce an animation of satisfactory quality. He also said that ufotable is looking for a form proposed as a business.
Of course, Mr. Kondo’s tax evasion was never admitted, but it was a remark that made me think about the difficulty of managing the current animation production company.
Dare to fulfill “troublesome hope.”
On the other hand, MAPPA, the production company of “Jujutsu Kaisen,” was founded in 2011 by Masao Maruyama, one of the founders of Madhouse, who produced “Cardcaptor Sakura” and “One Punch Man” (Phase 1). It’s a company.
“Terror in Resonance” where boys attack Tokyo with bomb terrorism, and the story of a figure skater on a cliff “Yuri !!” From original works such as “on ICE” and “Zombie Land Saga” where girls who became zombies aim to become local idols in Saga, “Ushio and Tora” “BANANA FISH” “Dororo” “Dorohedoro” “Jujutsu Kaisen” ” There is a wide variety of production lineups, including original manga, works with enthusiastic fans such as “Attack on Titan The Final Season.”
Approximately ten years after its establishment, presenting works in such a wide range of genres is a testament to the physical strength of a company that can maintain high productivity and excellent quality.
Since the 2012 TV series “Kids on the Slope,” the company has produced about 3 to 5 TV series every year, including theater works every few years. In 2020, he produced eight TV series. In 2021, he produced five TV series, including “Yasuke,” simultaneously distributed worldwide on Netflix, and the theater, as mentioned earlier animation “Jujutsu Kaisen 0”. The breakthrough is endless.
However, Mr. Manabu Otsuka, the CEO of MAPPA at a particular event, said that such prolific production was not due to the expansion route. It is said to increase the production line to realize it because there is a plan to receive it as a company to the last.
The previous example of ufotable is remarkable, but in recent years other animation production companies have tended to reduce the number of productions due to working environment and wages.
On the other hand, MAPPA has many productions because there is demand, so we place orders with various highly specialized production companies and individuals for each work and process and increase productivity to produce the animation industry mentioned above. We are trying to deal with the problems that plague the field. It seems that he wants to keep an eye on the problems related to the entire animation industry.
This attitude of MAPPA is greatly influenced by Maruyama producer, one of the founders.
There is an impressive sentence in the self-authored “The Endless Story” directed by Sunao Katabuchi in the movie “In This Corner of the World” that triggered the founding of MAPPA. This is where Director Katabuchi wrote about the first time he met the producer Maruyama when he visited Madhouse.
“Ehehe. I have a lot of fans in this industry.”
Maruyama said on the day he met for the first time.
I want to work with such a person as much as possible. (Omitted)
In other words, the Madhouse is a “place,” … but the only substance is the producer Masao Maruyama, the people he gathered for his taste, and the projects he found interesting. They were gathering there.
At this time, Director Katabuchi was called by Maruyama producer who saw the animated movie “Kayoko’s Diary” and found the name “Sunao Katabuchi” in the staff credits. Combining interesting projects and human resources, the chemical reaction creates better works. An animation production company as a meeting place. I think that kind of air has been passed down from Madhouse to MAPPA.
In addition, Mr. Manabu Otsuka cites the spirit of “Dare to fulfill the troublesome hopes of those who say troublesome things” as the policy of MAPPA inherited from the producer Maruyama. It is a convincing word unique to Maruyama Producer, who was originally from Mushi Production and was close to Osamu Tezuka, a great manga artist and pioneer of anime. It also makes me feel the intention to respect the individuality and assertions of creators.
Toho’s “Jujutsu Kaisen” producer Hiroaki Matsutani said in a specific interview that MAPPA “in a good way, the” color “of the studio changes for each work.” That’s why he asked for “Jujutsu Kaisen.”
The flexibility to handle these various types of works is probably because we have connections with a variety of human resources and a place where individual talents can consistently be demonstrated.
A masterpiece that has been carefully selected until the production is postponed.
The work that became the company’s turning point was the 2016 theater animation “In This Corner of the World,” directed by Sunao Katabuchi. Originally, MAPPA was a company established to produce this work, and many of the people who initially gathered wanted to work with director Katabuchi and producer Maruyama.
It took five years to release it because it was challenging to raise funds due to the serious content and the strength of Director Katabuchi’s commitment. It is a famous story that the townscape of Kure during the war, which is the stage, and the weather at that time were thoroughly focused on and sublimated into the work.
As an episode that symbolizes how MAPPA interacts with a director who has such a commitment, there is a story when actress Non is appointed as the leading role, Suzu Urano. Director Katabuchi hadn’t considered appointing anything other than Non from the beginning. Still, it’s difficult to even negotiate appearances with a side spear from her former office because she tried to become independent from her agency in the middle of her contract period. The condition continued.
Under such circumstances, the production was in good condition, and the extension of the production period was approaching when it was directly linked to the deficit. Even so, MAPPA agreed to extend the production until the contract period between her and her former office expired. She was able to request her appearance, with director Katabuchi to appoint Non. This can be said to be an excellent example of the above-mentioned “dare to fulfill the troublesome hopes of those who say troublesome things,” even if it is an extreme example in terms of business.
Because of this production attitude, many creators trust MAPPA. At the time of the announcement of the manga animation as mentioned above, “Chainsaw Man,” the original author Tatsuki Fujimoto said, “Does the animation production company of Dorohedoro and Jujutsu Kaisen do a chain saw man like Dorohedoro and Jujutsu Kaisen !? I don’t have to say anything anymore !! Thank you very much !! “
Although it is a rough idea, I have listed the characteristics of ufotable and MAPPA as a production company so far.
If you dare to compare it with comics such as “Kimetsu no Yaiba” and “Jujutsu Kaisen,” ufotable is a book type drawn by the company and takes time to create each work. Is MAPPA a manga magazine type that actively introduces the talents and powers of MAPPA to create a wide variety of works?
Of course, the earnest efforts of both companies to produce and the continuous delivery of high-quality works are the factors that won the expectations and trust of the fans above all.
And I hope that the number of people who enjoy anime more will continue to increase, knowing the background and culture of these production sites.
