2024 Exposed the Dark Side of the Anime Industry

2024 shaped up to be a tremendous year for the anime community as we were presented with plenty of amazing anime across different genres. These anime found their way into our hearts and gave us tons of memories this year. However, there was a handful of anime that exposed the major issues and the crisis that plagues various studios in the anime industry. So, let us find out how our favorite anime became a big letdown and was ruined at the hands of money-mongers.

Biggest Anime Disappointments in 2024

An anime ending up as lamentable because of its poor aspects such as weak story, characters, and more is totally different from a great source material getting butchered in the name of adaptation, right? In 2024 we came across several anime we had been waiting for with bated breath:

Countless studios have been trying to get Junji Ito’s Uzumaki right in various mediums for several years. And after watching the first episode of Uzumaki anime that premiered in 2024, everyone was applauding the studio for recreating the vision of Junji Ito. However, with the next episode, the anime derailed all of a sudden and ended up as the biggest disappointment of 2024.

So, what went wrong? Why did the Uzumaki anime spiral into self-destruction, you ask? One of the producers revealed the truth in a deleted post, and it’s just disheartening to hear. Jason DeMarco uncovered how the production was screwed over by Adult Swim:

It’s fine, we knew this would happen. I can’t talk about what went down, but we were screwed over, and the options were: A) not finish and air nothing and call it a loss,
B) Just finish and air episode 1 and leave it incomplete, or
C) run all four, warts and all.
Out of respect for the hard work, we chose C.

The anime was reportedly delayed and was in the works for nearly five years yet this is what they came up with? This was the question on every fan’s mind when they witnessed the unexpected decline in quality.

The first episode of Uzumaki was undeniable proof that it could be translated into an animation medium. However, since the production was ruined, they couldn’t deliver what the fans had been wanting for years. Eventually, Uzumaki, one of the greatest horror source materials settled as a laughing stock in the form of memes for the fans.

Another great example of a fantastic original work getting torn to shreds in 2024 is Blue Lock. The first season cemented its name as the best modern sports anime. Thus, it was a natural reaction for anyone to have high hopes for the second season.

In fact, season 2 adapted the finest arc of Blue Lock that has come out so far which is the U-20 arc. That made the fans even more hyped, but the second season arrived as a subject of derision. Well, similar to Uzumaki producer uncovering the truth, EVAKOI, one of the animators who worked in Blue Lock season 2 brought the truth to light in a tweet:

I personally know many animators from new episodes and most of them are good animators, some are excellent. To all people who go and blame animators, harass and make fun of them, please stop, it is extremely not fair.

He was standing up for his fellow animators as enraged fans were harassing the animators for the substandard quality of the second season. In the same tweet, he noted that the fault lies with the production committee. Another Chilean animator, MartinKiing, also revealed the truth about the disastrous quality of the show.

Ultimately, animators being overworked and underpaid followed by tight deadlines are the reasons for the downfall in animation as seen in any other case.

The Anime Industry Screams For a Positive Change

Throughout the years, the sole reason behind the anime production crunch has been the abysmal working conditions and the culture of animators. Since Japan doesn’t have a union for animators, they are often left to voice out their side on social media platforms. If their concerns are only about the money generated out of popular anime at the end of the day, then they are doing a disservice to both their workers and the fans. With time, their tyrannical rule will crumble down, that’s for sure.

They have to keep in mind that we are no cash cows. This is one of the biggest problems not just with modern anime as it has been carried out for decades. Last year, the renowned MAPPA studio also faced the same controversy with Jujutsu Kaisen season 2.

These problems, just like in Jujutsu Kaisen in the past or in the vast majority of animes, are a result of the production committee of certain animes that take projects just thinking about the money and not the condition of its workers – MartinKiing (Animator)

To bring a positive change, the senior people at production studios need to stop treating animators like money-making machines. The higher-ups need to sit down and listen to the queries that these animators and audiences have been trying to voice out. Establishing a proper system that includes fair wages, sustainable workloads, increasing staff numbers, etc will benefit both of the parties.

They can look up to studios such as Kyoto Animation, Ufotable, and others, who have already been recognized as healthy studios that value the animators and audience. A more recent example would be Toei Animation where they announced a break for the One Piece anime. This was done to let the animators have their deserved break and come back to amaze fans with even better-quality episodes in the future.

Everyone is aware that the biggest goal of these multinational companies is the profits they reap from anime. But that could be achieved easily by treating their workers with respect which will lead to a better end product that will be celebrated by the fans.

As a sincere fan of anime who has been following the industry for the longest time, I deeply wish this deplorable situation gets resolved in the future. If not, it will begin to haunt every one of the anime we hold dearly in our hearts. That said, what do you think about the current crisis in the anime industry? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.