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Time of India

Anime studio wars: How MAPPA, Ufotable, and Wit Studio are shaping the future of Anime

Credits: Reddit Anime is more global than ever – and fans are tuning in to a fierce 'studio war' for the best shows. In just the past two years, MAPPA , Ufotable and Wit Studio have each rolled out hit series and films, sparking debate among audiences about style, quality and work culture. Fans voted in record numbers (34 million global votes in 2024 alone) to celebrate their favorites, from Jujutsu Kaisen to Demon Slayer . In fact, Jujutsu Kaisen 2 (produced by MAPPA) swept the 2024 Crunchyroll Anime Awards with 11 wins, including Anime of the Year t , and was named the world's top anime of 2023 by a Parrot Analytics/Guinness report. This rivalry among studios has become a narrative itself. MAPPA: Blockbusters and burnout Credits: TheGamer MAPPA has been on a tear with one big franchise after another. In 2023–24 it delivered Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 (Shibuya arc), the Attack on Titan: The Last Attack movie, and Chainsaw Man , among others. Fans praised Chainsaw Man 's cinematic action – it won 'Best New Series' at the 2024 Crunchyroll Awards – and Jujutsu Kaisen 2 was called an 'epitome of viewer fascination' with a global demand rating 71× an average TV show. Even Swordsmith Village (the third Demon Slayer arc, by Ufotable) won Best Animation and Art Direction in 2024, showing how much hype there is around these hits. Attack on Titan: The Last Attack (a MAPPA-run movie of the final chapters) crossed ¥1 billion (~$6.6 M) in Japan in just days, proving the franchise's box-office power. Yet all this success has come amid controversy. MAPPA's packed 2023 schedule drew criticism: some fans felt series like Hell's Paradise were 'sandwiched' between bigger hits. Reporters and insiders note animators regularly face crunch deadlines and long hours. A 2024 industry survey found anime staff work about 225 hours per month on average, highlighting systemic overwork. Even MAPPA's vice-president Hiroya Hasegawa admits the new generation of animators wants better balance. He told reporters in early 2025: 'There are more people… who want to separate their work and private lives and strike a balance', and MAPPA is rethinking schedules and mentorship programs to help artists learn on the job. The studio even plans formal mentor training to pass on skills, after seeing that rushed schedules left little time for corrections. Ufotable: Polished spectacles and event films Credits: FandomWire Ufotable has quietly become synonymous with 'spectacle'. It tends to invest years and big budgets into relatively few projects, aiming for perfection. In 2023–25 Ufotable's crown jewel remains Demon Slayer . Its Swordsmith Village arc (2023) earned rave reviews and several awards. The upcoming Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle movie, set for July 2025, is already anticipated worldwide – a follow-up to 2020's Mugen Train , which was Japan's highest-grossing film. On the Fate side, Ufotable is animating the long-delayed Witch on the Holy Night film (trailer released late 2023). Each Ufotable release is an event: the studio's lush 2D/3D animation, hand-painted lighting and dynamic camera work make each frame pop. Ufotable's business model is built on tentpoles. It often partners with Aniplex/Sony and Toho for big theatrical projects, rather than churning many TV series. Its revenue streams even include Ufotable Cafés, where fans queue to sample themed food (part of the Fortune Arterial franchise). Because it takes its time, Ufotable has avoided the worst of the reported crunch – at least publicly. (The studio's founder even went to jail in 2019 for tax evasion related to cafe revenues, but workplace abuse rumors have been fewer than at MAPPA. ) Audience response is consistently positive: fans praise Ufotable's animation as 'movie-quality,' and Swordsmith Village's award wins underscore that polish. Wit Studio: Collaboration and consistency Credits: Anime-Planet Wit Studio has long been the underdog that set the standard: it animated the first three seasons of Attack on Titan and hits like Ranking of Kings and Vinland Saga . In the new era, Wit is busy too, though it often shares projects. Its recent work includes the Spy × Family Code: White movie (co-produced with CloverWorks) and smaller series like Suicide Squad Isekai (December 2023) and the upcoming My Deer Friend Nokotan (summer 2024). Wit's strategy has been to grow steadily and partner where needed. CEO George Wada (formerly of Production I.G) explained that WIT 'doesn't look for studios [to work with]… we look for projects' and then decide how to staff them. For example, when Attack on Titan needed to finish after Wit's seasons, Wada praised MAPPA: 'the reason that we were able to complete the series was because MAPPA took it on…and it's a wonderful studio'. Wit is also exploring new structures. With Aniplex and CloverWorks, it co-founded JOEN, a studio-conglomerate meant to pool talent and resources for big TV projects. Wada has voiced caution about unsustainable pacing: quality comes from investment. He told reporters, 'I don't think it's possible to keep [current] pace up… the number of anime fans in the world needs to continue to grow. Once…fans increase, businesses will put more money towards creating anime, which will allow…high quality'. He emphasized that money should go 'into the people… growing the personnel and the talent pool' – an eye on both production value and working conditions. Production pressures and fan reactions All three studios share one reality: global audiences now demand cinematic spectacle on tight schedules. This pressure has fans cheering the results and lamenting the process. Online forums buzz over who has the best sakuga (animated action), with some calling MAPPA's action 'jaw-dropping,' while others point to occasional rough CGI cuts when deadlines bite. Ufotable devotees applaud its detail but sometimes wonder if slow output is a missed chance. Wit fans celebrate its storytelling and co-productions ( Moonrise on Netflix in 2024) but worry about outsourcing keeping animators happy. In the background, a 2024 survey confirmed what anime workers have long known: most animators still toil long hours for low pay. In public, studio heads have begun to talk about balance. MAPPA's Hasegawa insists 'animation is hard work' but admits the studio must let staff live fuller lives. And Wada of Wit bluntly told Netflix (a major funding source for anime) that it needs to market shows individually, not just its platform, 'because each and every title is important to the creators'. Industry-wide, joint strategies like JOEN and multinational funding (Crunchyroll, Netflix, etc.) reflect that studios must innovate their business models as much as their art. Anime fans around the world are watching closely. For many, MAPPA is the fearless action powerhouse, Ufotable the perfectionist artist, and Wit the wise collaborator. Each studio's approach – whether all-in on big hits, or steady collaborative growth – highlights changes in the anime industry. As Crunchyroll Awards show and Guinness records prove, the rewards are huge: anime is 'pop culture dominance' now. But with success comes scrutiny. The 'Studio Wars' of 2023–25 show a creative boom – and a reminder that behind every stunning frame, real people deserve support too. Check out our list of the latest Hindi , English , Tamil , Telugu , Malayalam , and Kannada movies . Don't miss our picks for the best Hindi movies , best Tamil movies, and best Telugu films .