Recently, Shinsaku Kozuma, an animator who worked on the second season of the popular anime series Jujutsu Kaisen, spoke openly about the demanding production schedule and tight deadlines that the animation staff faced.
Specifically, Kozuma revealed that for episode 41 of season 2, he only had 4 days to complete his animation scenes after being requested last minute by another lead animator nicknamed “Go-kun.”
Given the complex and high-quality nature of Jujutsu Kaisen’s animation, 4 days is an incredibly short timeframe.
Kozuma described the lack of time as “pretty terrible” and could only give a wry, stressful smile in response at the time.
時間の無さは酷いね。
うん、次はきっと改善すると約束してるから・・・他の作品でもあなたの素晴らしい映像観たいです。41話、伍くんから頼まれて僕は4日しか無かったよ。苦笑いだった。( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) https://t.co/woauP15geb
— 上妻晋作 KOZUMA Shinsaku (@kozuma_) January 8, 2024
His comments add to growing criticism about the intense workload and occasional poor working conditions for animators at MAPPA, the animation studio producing Jujutsu Kaisen.
Another animator who worked on Jujutsu Kaisen at MAPPA even declared they would never work for the studio again due to the demanding production pace.
In response, Kozuma wished his colleague well and vowed to keep improving his skills for the next project.
But his remarks shed light on the human toll required to produce visually stunning yet logistically challenging anime series like Jujutsu Kaisen on a tight schedule.
An Animator’s Struggle and the Unfinished Legacy
Shinsaku Kozuma was one of the animators who worked on episode 17 (the 41st episode overall) of Jujutsu Kaisen’s second season. Per animation credits, he also contributed animation work for episodes 25, 30, 31, 43, 46, and 47 across the two seasons.
The quality and completeness of episode 41 itself were noticeably uneven and unpolished in places, with some stunning animated sequences contrasted against portions that seemed visibly unfinished.
This episode in particular aired around the height of widespread criticism and scrutiny of the intense production workload and tight deadlines imposed on MAPPA animators to deliver new episodes week-to-week.
Here's my genga for JJK 41.
Managed to find a bit of time in between french work and my return to Toei to help a bit my King Hakuyu Go-san.
Sakkan Hakuyu-go
Thanks also to Lise legier, they did all the end frames of Mahoraga in the cut where he is falling down while being cut pic.twitter.com/lvuvmA3KGe— Chansard Vincent (@Sparkleredpanda) November 19, 2023
In the aftermath, an animator’s tweet speculating that episode 41 was “only 30% finished” took on an almost legendary status among fans.
Further adding fuel to the fire, Jujutsu Kaisen’s broadcasting company announced an 18-hour streaming delay for the following episode, likely to allow more time for the animation staff to finalize each episode without as much down-to-the-wire pressure.
This was then followed by a permanent 1-week streaming delay change starting the following week, again reducing the frantic pace to finish episodes mere hours before their scheduled premiere.
So while the specific “30% finished” comment may have been an exaggeration or rumor, Kozuma’s remarks as well as the scheduling changes by the studio lend credence to just how demanding and often uncompromising the animation production cycle had become, pushing many artists like Kozuma to their very limits to deliver the spectacular finale fans had come to expect on a weekly basis from the hit series.
The Toll of Harsh Working Conditions on MAPPA’s Talent
The animator that Shinsaku Kozuma was wishing well after their declaration to never work with MAPPA again was identified as Chansard Vincent, a popular animator known for his work on major anime like One Piece and Jujutsu Kaisen.
Ironically, the highlight of the notoriously unfinished and criticized Episode 41 of Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 was Vincent’s sequences depicting the intense fight between Sukuna and Mahoraga.
His creative illustrations for that battle went viral, winning wide praise from fans on social media even if the episode itself was rough around the edges.
So while many animation staff members have expressed a willingness to return for the next major storyline in the Jujutsu Kaisen anime covering the “Culling Game” arc, MAPPA’s perceived harsh working conditions and tight production deadlines have already led top talents like Vincent to refuse to participate in future seasons.
Another high-profile example is Ryu Nakayama, director for MAPPA’s hit series Chainsaw Man Season 1, who recently established his own separate animation studio.
He had previously cited a desire to get away from excessive “power harassment” and “moral harassment” in the industry, likely referring to the extreme overtime crunch and high-pressure atmosphere often created by studios like MAPPA rushing to finish episodes on shortened schedules.
So even as fans eagerly await upcoming content in flagship MAPPA franchises like Jujutsu Kaisen and Chainsaw Man, there are clearly growing calls for better treatment of the creative animation staff bringing these shows to life each week.
Without reforms, more animators may follow Vincent’s choice to reject returning despite their artistic passion for projects they helped build.
