Why is MAPPA criticized again?
Hell's Paradise (Jigokuraku) is a pretty recent anime that aired from April to July 2023. The series follows a young ninja, Gabimaru, who was sentenced to death, but given a chance of obtaining a full pardon in exchange for bringing the elixir of life from a mysterious island. Accompanied by other dangerous convicts, the boy travels to the island in search of the magical remedy that is said to grant immortality.
Although not followed by any extraordinary hype, Hell's Paradise received a high number of positive reviews and is considered to be a success. But it wouldn't be a good project if it hadn't also sparked at least one heated debate. This time the animation is the cause of controversy among the fans.
The Hell's Paradise adaptation was created by MAPPA, one of the most popular anime studios in the world. Criticizing this studio for mid animation is not something new: Jujutsu Kaisen has been recently mentioned a lot in this context. The ghosting and shadowing of the said series got fans really upset. But it looks like it was not the first time people are unsatisfied with MAPPA this year.
Fans admit that the first episodes of Hell's Paradise look pretty awesome. MAPPA is not this famous and loved without a reason. However, the viewers noticed a significant decrease in the animation quality along the way. They say that it deteriorates episode by episode and it becomes more noticeable for everyone. People can't help comparing the animation to some other major MAPPA projects such as Jujutsu Kaisen, that was mentioned before, Attack on Titan (Shingeki no Kyojin) or Chainsaw Man. And they seem to agree that Hell's Paradise stands no comparison to these series.
The viewers don't see it as an only MAPPA issue, though.
Fans feel like due to being so acclaimed in the world of animation, the studio is under a lot of pressure. They've been picking up multiple shows per season, and this resulted in some quality issues.
Some people also add that this entire situation as well as other conversations about MAPPA speak volumes about the exploitation in the animation industry, and they're worried that the situation might even get worse with time.
Moreover, fans genuinely care about the MAPPA animators and they hope the studio will be able to avoid crunch (intense working extra hours to meet a deadline).
Anyway, fans agree that Hell's Paradise is still an awesome show to watch. They just have some concerns about the working conditions at MAPPA, and hope that the situation is not going to become worse.