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A recent teaser trailer release for the upcoming anime series ZENSHU, produced by MAPPA studios, has sparked both anticipation and controversy within the anime community. The teaser for ZENSHU, which is currently under production, offers a glimpse into the life of protagonist Natsuko Hirose, who embarks on a career as an animator.
While the premise of ZENSHU has piqued the interest of many anime enthusiasts, MAPPA studio being in charge of this original anime was pointed out as a huge irony.
The anime’s teaser reignited discussions about the working conditions within the anime industry, especially at MAPPA, which faced scrutiny in recent months due to allegations of poor working conditions during the production of Jujutsu Kaisen season 2.
Many fans and industry observers have expressed skepticism and ridiculed MAPPA’s decision to produce an anime centered around the animation industry, given the studio’s reputation for overworking its staff.
Some social media reactions have been particularly critical about the anime’s premise, saying it was too “on the nose”, and that it was a shameless and insidious anime to come from the studio.
Other comments such as “MAPPA making an anime about working on anime so that when you look up ‘MAPPA working conditions,’ this show comes up instead,” highlighted the irony of the situation.
Comments of similar nature were found in the replies of ZENSHU’s teaser announcement both on Twitter and YouTube.
Mappa said to animators : you can't speak about your struggle in social media
— ᴍ ᴀ ʀ ᴄ ᴜ s (@MARCUS47860155) March 22, 2024
You can speak through our new anime
Now go animate the damn thing 🗿
However, the criticism was not just from the fans. Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 episode 12 director Shunsuke Ohkubo, who had been quite vocal about the poor working conditions at MAPPA, was among those not very impressed by the anime’s teaser.
Ohkubo claimed that he blocked the anime’s promotion account, when he saw the teaser in his feed. However, he later put out a post saying Zenshu was the best, which according to some fans was a sarcastic reply.
However, not all responses have been negative, with some fans finding humor in the juxtaposition of the studio’s controversial reputation and the subject matter of ZENSHU. One fan jokingly remarked, “I’m not very familiar with the whole scandal, but it’s quite funny to see this as a MAPPA Original xD.”
ZENSHU anime is being directed by Mitsue Yamasaki, with Kimiko Ueno handling the scripts. Anna Nagase stars as the protagonist Natsuko Hirose in the anime.
The plot is described by MAPPA as follows:
After graduating from high school, Natsuko Hirose starts her career as an animator. Her talent quickly flourishes, and she makes her debut as a director in no time. Her first anime becomes a massive hit, sparking a social phenomenon and earning her recognition as an up-and-coming genius director. Her next project is set to be a romantic comedy movie themed around first love! However, having never been in love herself, Natsuko struggles to understand the concept of first love, and as a result, she’s unable to create the storyboard, causing the movie production to come to a standstill.
Source: Twitter, ANN
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