The Unfortunate Reality of Job Instability in the Anime Industry

Jun Arai, the animation director for Kingdom, has shed light on the harsh reality of the anime industry, where animators are caught in a relentless cycle of temporary jobs.

In response to a post on X (formerly Twitter) voicing concerns about the plight of animators, Arai explained, “Anime studios lack copyright ownership, leaving them with no other revenue streams apart from the funds allocated for anime production. This results in a vicious cycle where studios can’t build up financial reserves unless they continue to produce animation funded by production costs. Consequently, they are unable to offer regular monthly wages to their employees.”

The Freelance Life: A Common Path for Animators

According to a 2023 survey by The Japanese Animation Creators Association (JAniCA), out of 425 animators, only 40.5% held permanent positions. A significant 47.3% identified themselves as freelance or self-employed animators, devoid of the protections offered to regular employees. Additionally, 8.5% were on fixed-term contracts, with no guarantee of renewal upon completion. Animation studios, lacking copyright ownership of a series, typically miss out on additional income from Blu-ray sales, theater screenings, and licensing of merchandise and events.

In the industry, animators are often paid based on the number of frames they complete. More experienced animators may receive a fixed income, regardless of their output. As a result, many animators, particularly the younger ones, are underpaid. A recent survey by NAFCA revealed that 40% of animators earn less than $16k annually, a figure that rises to 50% for animators aged between 20 and 30. A payslip from last year showed an animator earning a meager $1.47 per frame.

The Upside: Animation Studios Gaining Copyright Ownership

However, there’s a growing trend of animation studios acquiring copyrights. MAPPA, for instance, owns the rights to Chainsaw Man and Campfire Cooking in Another World with My Absurd Skill. Keirou Itsumi, director of Studio Pierrot, shared his bold strategy of securing copyrights by taking substantial loans from banks, with the understanding that the bank could sell the copyright if Pierrot defaulted. With the box office success of recent anime films and pre-screenings like the Solo Leveling World Tour, this is a significant revenue stream that studios could tap into.

While some argue that animation studios don’t deserve more as they aren’t investing much in production, Arai’s comment suggests that perpetually poor studios will never accumulate enough funds to take risks. Hence, organizations like NAFCA and The Japanese Research Institute, Limited (JRI) are advocating for studios to own a minimum percentage of the copyright, suggesting 30% as an example. This would be time-bound for about 10 years, allowing studios to amass reserves to eventually finance their own series. This could lead to better pay for animators and foster a more passionate creative environment in anime production.

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