Anime Industry is in Shambles as 60% of Creators Are Suffering From Fatigue

Summary:

• Japan Animators and Directors Association held a health survey amongst 429 people in the industry and found out that 17% suffer from depression while nearly 70% are fatigued, either mentally or physically.
• Japan Animators and Directors Association was formed in order to force changes in the industry.
• The troublesome working conditions became a focus of attention after the animators' outrage during the production of Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2.
• Maybe the statistics will help the industry change.

Japan Animators and Directors Association has held a health survey amongst anime creators, and the results seem dire. Out of 429 people surveyed, the majority have stated that they have concerns about their health that are connected with their work.

For example, 17% (or 73 people) reported that they either have experienced or may have experienced depression, 68% (or 291 people) said that they suffer from mental fatigue, while 66% (or 285 people) believe they feel physically fatigued. The source of these problems is the working conditions of the industry, according to the organization. The work schedules are extremely demanding, and the poor management decisions force the animators and producers to work overtime.

Fueled by passion

It's not uncommon for people in the industry to spend days at work without coming home and keep their necessities, like shampoo or towels, at the studio. One of the animators, according to NHK, said that her workplace doesn't have a nap room, so during these heated times she either sleeps in her work chair or in a sleeping bag that she brought to work.

The news about the harsh working conditions in the Japanese animation industry is not new. The pay is quite low while the work itself is very demanding. A lot of people are staying in the industry out of pure enthusiasm — because they find the work they do "rewarding". The working conditions, however, break people and can curb even the most enthusiastic creators.

Numbers may help

In 2007, the Japan Animators and Directors Association was formed with the goal to improve the working environment in the industry. Irie Yasuhiro, the president of the organization, is aware that people suffer under these conditions and this is the reason why they included health-related questions in their last survey. He believes that the results may nudge the people in the right direction and take action to improve the state of the industry.

This issue has come to light once again due to the ongoing MAPPA scandal surrounding the production of Season 2 of Jujutsu Kaisen. The animators were quite vocal voicing their dissatisfaction with their working conditions on social media. We tried to find ways to directly support the animators, but not all of them have crowdfunding pages. The trouble lies in the industry itself: animators are paid by the hour and they don't get any royalties or bonuses from successful shows. And the only way to change that is to be vocal about it, shout on every corner that people who create your favorite shows deserve healthy work-life balance and livable wages that won't force them to overwork themselves. While before there were no statistics from the animators themselves to serve as proof of this daunting reality, now the Japan Animators and Directors Association has provided it, and maybe it will make higher-ups think about some changes.

Source: nhk.or.jp