7 anime studios with the worst working conditions

Currently, there are several anime studios, with each pumping out several titles under various categories. Since anime has only recently become mainstream, the problems the industry professionals faced weren't particularly highlighted. However, that changed when Kentaro Miura, the author of the Berserk series, passed away due to health issues caused by the demanding nature of his work.

Some of the anime studios with the worst working conditions often make some of the best anime. This is quite unfortunate because popular anime studios often exploit their animators, both in-house and freelancers. This list will take a look at some of the worst anime studios that are notorious for the poor treatment of employees in this industry.

Disclaimer: The entries in this article are listed in no particular order.

MAPPA and 6 other anime studios that are known for the poor treatment of employees

1) MAPPA

A still from Jujutsu Kaisen (Image via MAPPA)

MAPPA is one of the most popular anime studios at the time of this writing. Their popularity skyrocketed after the release of anime titles like Jujutsu Kaisen and Chainsaw Man. The anime studio is known for its fluid animation style and incredibly realistic fight choreography.

As great as their work might be, the animators are overworked and underpaid. Animators were also forced to sign NDAs that exploited them, and this was revealed during the production of Jujutsu Kaisen season 2. Bad scheduling along with unreasonable amounts of work make MAPPA an anime studio with one of the worst working conditions.

2) Science Saru

A still from Tatami Time Machine Blus (Image via Science Saru)

Science Saru is definitely one of the boldest anime studios on this list. This is a studio that doesn't shy away from experimenting with various art styles when adapting manga chapters.

However, the studio is also guilty of accepting projects even when they don't have the bandwidth for them. This resulted in stressful work conditions and extended work hours with little to no extra pay.

This is the studio that created Tatami Time Machine Blues and Ride Your Wave.

3) WIT Studio

A still from Attack on Titan (Image via Wit Studio)

Norihiro Naganuma, who worked at WIT Studio, admitted that the working conditions were terrible. Animators suffered considerably while working on Attack on Titan.

One of the reasons there was a shift in the studio was due to a lack of resources. Very few animators worked on a project as massive as this, which resulted in the employees being overworked. Animators would work day and night with barely any rest, making WIT Studio one of the worst places to work.

4) Studio Shaft

A still from RWBY: Ice Queendom (Image via Studio Shaft)

Hiroto Nagata, one of the best animators in Studio Shaft, expressed his opinions on the working conditions there. He was given ultimatums from the upper management and was threatened to be fired if the outcome of the overall anime was not up to par.

The animators were extremely discouraged, and the atmosphere was quite grim. Hiroto Nagata's health worsened as time progressed. The anime studio that created Bakemonogatari and RWBY: Ice Queendom has some of the most talented animators, despite the extremely poor working conditions.

5) J.C. Staff

A still from One Punch Man season 3 trailer (Image via J.C. Staff)

This is one of many popular anime studios, known for overworking their employees. This seems to be a recurring issue here, and that is poor scheduling. The studio undertakes far too many projects and overworks its employees.

In a year, the studio undertook 3 anime titles and it is currently working on the third season of One Punch Man. Fans hope that the animators in this anime studio receive enough rest to complete their work without compromising their health.

6) CloverWorks

A still from Spy x Family (Image via CloverWorks)

CloverWorks is a popular studio that works on titles like Spy X Family. While the content they create is entertaining, it's often at the cost of overworking employees. One of the things that animators have an issue with is accepting far too many projects while being massively understaffed.

Tokyo 24th Ward episode was also delayed because of production issues, and such is the plight at CloverWorks. The lack of optimal planning has resulted in animators being overworked and a reduction in the overall quality of the animation in various anime titles.

7) A1 Animation

A still from Sword Art Online (Image via A-1 Pictures)

Social media platforms like X have proven that fans are informed about the plight of the animators at A-1 Pictures. This anime studio has created some of the most beautiful titles, like Sword Art Online and Black Butler.

There were numerous occasions wherein episodes were not released on time due to production issues. Such instances are clear indications of anime studios taking on more projects than they can handle. The working conditions aren't particularly worse than those of MAPPA. A-1 Pictures is one of the worst anime studios when it comes to working conditions.

Unfortunately, this is the dark side of the anime industry. There are people working day and night to put a smile on the faces of fans. That being said, now that every crevice of the community is becoming aware of these things, fans hope to see animators being treated fairly.

Stay tuned for more anime and manga news as 2024 progresses.

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Edited by Madhur Dave