Animators Dorian Coulon and Vincent Chansard, who both freelanced on Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2, dove deeper into the anime's hellish conditions. Nevertheless, Coulon said that while it got bad at points for him, MAPPA employees had it much worse, claiming it "had to be a nightmare."
On KonohaTV's recent stream, Coulon said, "The first experience I had on Jujutsu Kaisen was pretty tense, as for the second one -- I have some funny experiences. Some are positive, others are negative." The good experiences included going and living in Japan, feeling free to have fun on Episode 44 (Season 2, Episode 20) due to a better schedule and working on Episode 35 (Season 2, Episode 11). However, while Episode 35 was great for him -- describing it as "two good days. They were two 'chill' days, though" -- he highlighted that MAPPA employees had it much worse: "But it's different for us than it is for the staff directly working in the studio itself. For them, it had to be a nightmare. Once again, I can't talk for them. We didn't have the same experience. For them, it's 15 times harder than me."
Parts of Jujutsu Kaisen's Anime Production Were Described as 'Catastrophic' By Staff
Coulon added that Episode 41 was "catastrophic." The episode, titled "Thunderclap, Part 2," was one of the most widely discussed episodes of the season. It came at the height of online outrage from Jujutsu Kaisen freelancers toward MAPPA, and the episode proved polarizing for its ambition yet clearly unfinished quality. "Thunderclap, Part 2" recently received revised cuts and extended footage, to the praise of many fans.
JAniCA's recent report revealed the proportion of freelance animators versus permanent ones, while NAFCA's recent reports explored the differences between freelancers and employees. In line with Coulon's experience, they found that permanent employees worked significantly more hours than freelancers. Coulon also highlighted how newer animators would often pull out at the last minute, putting pressure on everyone to ensure the production didn't collapse. NAFCA's latest report likewise revealed that anime staff more generally worked longer than the general population, averaging 39% more working hours per month.
Chansard directly criticized MAPPA, saying he'd never work there again. He also explored a possible future of the anime industry, voicing frustration that Japan was ignoring obvious solutions. Following Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2, the series was immediately revealed to be returning for a continuation, adapting the "Culling Game" arc. Shoto Goshozono directed Season 2. Both current seasons are streaming are available to stream on Crunchyroll.
Source: KonohaTV
