The Horror of Working in the Anime Industry

[Zalor]

I've known for a while that jobs in the anime industry were intensely demanding. Hell, I remember this one joke in the anime School Rumble where the main character who is a manga artist interns for a day at an animation studio. By the end of the day he leaves screaming "You anime people are crazy!", and returns to doing manga (which is already a pretty demanding job). Up until now I thought that was mostly a joke, but no, it's true. The demands and work conditions in the anime industry are crazy. Here is a link to the article I have been responding to:

 

Japan’s Animation Industry Isn’t Just Tough, It’s “Illegally Harsh”.

[rainsismyfav]

Same with VN/Eroge industry too.

 

You can expand it and say most artists aren't making well, including musicians.

[Nosebleed]

It's been like this for a while now (I didn't know it was a running joke, I never saw anyone thinking that), animators are the ones who typically get the worst pay cuts in the anime industry.

 

Sad reality.

 

Shirobako, the anime (the irony), is a pretty good representation of how the industry works and makes one realize that in theory anime is not really that much of a sustainable business.

[Eclipsed]

So next time one complains about animation quality, just know: the artists' work conditions sucked balls.

[Nosebleed]

So next time one complains about animation quality, just know: the artists' work conditions sucked balls.

[sanahtlig]

I suggested once that the folks at Mangagamer move to China to make their paycheck go a little further.  My advice wasn't received very warmly.

[firecat]

i won't say it's demanding but it is old school, has you see from the example (this one)

 

 

if there was better tools for artist this could have been done in a week or so. the way japan does anime is though a long process that hasn't change for 105 years (new tools like computer dont help). this video explains how the process works:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ikHAMDbXlc

 

this photo shows the list he explained:

 

 

now if you looked into how americans do it you'll see a different process. (its the only one i can find in the internet)

 

http://www.cgmeetup.net/home/the-story-of-frozen-making-a-disney-animated-classic/

 

 

so when i say that japan anime has old school stuff, they really do have it in the old ways. while americans makes animation with better technology which helps the artist.

[Down]

It's sadly been such a long running issue that back during their Toei Douga days in the 60s, Miyazaki and Takahata were actively engaged in syndicate protests against the work conditions of animators - and they ended up quitting Toei Douga along with a bunch of their pals like Otsuka or Mori.

 

Of course, harsh work conditions is something you see in a lot of traditional japanese companies and it's not specific to animation, but animation has the double issue of having crazy work conditions as well as terrible pay. Inbetweeners and young KA earn indecently low wages that are barely enough to survive.

 

That's why people working in this industry are almost all passionate fans, and that's also pretty much the reason why the anime market can keep afloat: the fact that 2D animation is dirty cheap.

 

if there was better tools for artist this could have been done in a week or so. the way japan does anime is though a long process that hasn't change for 105 years (new tools like computer dont help).

That's not true. Although anime is still 2D, hand-drawn animation, the industry did the transition from cel animation to digital animation (as in: although drawings are still done on paper, they're then scanned and computers are used in various steps of the process) at the beginning of the 2000s, which did ease a lot the workload of animators. That ease of workload didn't really better the situation all that much though, since the production volume went crazy and the schedules shortened.

 

The difference with american animation is that outside of indy circles, hand-drawn animation doesn't exist anymore in america (and almost anywhere outside japan, tbh). It's either 3DCG animation or Flash animation. Those are different techniques of animation altogether that have a much different flavor from hand-drawn animation.

[Fiddle]

By the end of the day he leaves screaming "You anime people are crazy!", and returns to doing manga (which is already a pretty demanding job).

Actually, he says, "You anime people are freaks!"

 

[Zalor]

Actually, he says, "You anime people are freaks!"

 

 

It's been a while since I watched School Rumble, but thanks for the correction. It's definitely my favorite comedy anime.

 

Either way, the hard working guys in animator positions are only following orders from other people so they shouldn't generally be blamed for bad quality as they're doing what they can in the schedule given to them as well as their job conditions which are typically really bad.

 

It always sucks how the people doing the actual work usually get the short end of the stick (factory workers, animators, etc.). Whereas management and investors who do comparatively little work get paid the most. This is why my political views are pretty far to the left. -.-  

[Funyarinpa]

I'd never known about this before, it is horrifying.

[Keaton]

I feel like if the studios slowed down and stopped rushing everything the situation would be better for everyone. We would get better animation and the animators wouldn't be dropping dead at the studios.

[Suzu Fanatic]

I feel like if the studios slowed down and stopped rushing everything the situation would be better for everyone. We would get better animation and the animators wouldn't be dropping dead at the studios.

[Nosebleed]

I feel like if the studios slowed down and stopped rushing everything the situation would be better for everyone. We would get better animation and the animators wouldn't be dropping dead at the studios.

Sadly this is not feasible economically speaking. Anime has gone really big and costs have gone up and they need to keep pushing product out if they want to even maintain any sustainable business.

Unless they hit major sales which is somewhat rare, most studios just have no choice but to keep going.

If they scale down, unless they can assure they'll hit big sales, it's not worth the risk half the time.

It's the same with any industry really. (And why the Sakura series still exists)

[Kosakyun]

Well, that was an eye-opener. I have heard that work ethics in Japan was hardcore, to the point that people didn't have enough time to live a life outside their work, but here's a concrete example of it. I guess it's an example of living your dream, although that dream may as well be torture. I think the fact that they're doing this job because they're passionate about it is really nice, but nobody should seriously work themselves to death.

 

Anyway, based Studio DEEN cheers to the animators out there.