Hello. Justin here and welcome to the Otaku Mind where I’m starting a new series I like to call the Rewatch. This is where I take a look at the history of a studio to see what they’ve done and their impact on the industry. Deciding who to do first for this series was a challenge as there’s so many studios that have had a major impact on the anime industry, but through careful thinking I’ve decided the first Rewatch goes to the anime studio, MAPPA. Very few studios in the industry have gone on to become powerhouses, but none have done it quite as fast as MAPPA. Since opening its doors, the studio has gone on to become one of the best studios in the industry with top class animes that appeal not only to younger viewers but older viewers as well. Today we’ll go through the history of this studio from its humble beginnings, through the years, to the present, and what lies next for the studio in the future. So sit back and enjoy the Rewatch.
Goodbye MAD hello MAPPA
MAPPA is actually an acronym for Maruyama Animation Produce Project Association the full name of the studio. It was founded by one of the biggest names in the industry, Masao Maruyama, who you might know founded another powerhouse studio, Madhouse. So why did Masao leave Madhouse, a studio that he helped found and built from the ground up? Well he left for a number of reasons. For starters, he lost two of his good friends in the industry Satoshi Kon and Osamu Dezaki. Satoshi Kon is the man responsible for some of the best psychological thrillers in the history of anime and Osamu Dezaki was one of the men who helped Masao find Madhouse and became one of the key figures in the studio. Both men worked closely with Masao and were good friends in and out of the industry, so to say goodbye to both of his friends whose deaths were only months apart from each other was emotionally stressful. As if that wasn’t bad, the studio was suffering financially which hindered Masao from producing the anime he wanted to make, and the studio was unfortunately becoming a corporate environment something that he never wanted his studio to become. With all this stress both mentally and emotionally, Masao left the studio and would go on to find MAPPA in the summer of 2011 in order to pursue the creative freedom he so desperately desired.
Humble Beginnings
Throughout the rest of 2011, Masao would go on to set up his studio by getting a lot of young talented animators and artists to join his new studio. A year later, the studio would finally debut its first anime, Kids on the Slope. Based off a manga written by Yuki Kodama, the story focuses on a bunch of unlikely people coming together through jazz music. It was a slice of life anime that received high praise from everyone who watched it. Even being named one of the best animes from the 2010s for its excellent narrative and amazing music. The main highlight from this anime, however, was that it served as the reunion of Shinichirō Watanabe and Yoko Kanno. The two worked on Cowboy Bebop so to see them reunite was exciting. Despite this anime not being an original idea from Watanabe, you can tell this was a series he admired and respected. Later that year, MAPPA would go on to create the short anime Teekyu, a sports comedy that follows the comedic lives of a tennis club. The anime did okay as critics liked the comedy and would go on to have 3 seasons, but the short length for each episode and quick pace ruined the experience for a lot of people. 2013 was a quiet year for the studio as they would only create one anime that year, Hajime no Ippo: Rising. Another sports anime that’s popular in and out of Japan that focuses on boxing and really rose in popularity thanks to the anime with its stellar animation and faithful adaptation to the manga. MAPPA would co-produce this anime along with Madhouse who were the main studio behind the anime. Madhouse managed to recover from their financial straits and seemed more than happy to work with MAPPA as there apparently was no bad blood between Masao and the studio from what I could find. While 2013 was a quiet year for MAPPA, little did we know that the studio was preparing for their breakout year in 2014.
Say My Name and A Changing of the Guard
In 2014 MAPPA put their names on the map. The studio would go on to produce 3 animes that year, two of which were original works. The first was Terror in Resonance an original idea created by Watanabe himself. Kanno would return as well to provide the music which was heavily inspired by the Icelandic band, Sigur Rós. The anime would focus on two geniuses who declared war on the world and it’s up to an old detective to solve their cryptic riddles and stop them. I talked about this anime in the past, so click here to read my full analyze of the series, but I’ll give my quick thoughts about it. This was my favorite anime from 2014. The storytelling was amazing, the music fantastic, and the animation was top notch. The twists and turns as well as social commentary really kept you on the edge of your seat throughout the anime and the characters work off each other well for the most part. In my opinion this may be Watanabe’s weakest anime but at the same time it’s his smartest anime to date. Later that year, MAPPA would go on to debut Garo and Rage of Bahamut: Genesis. Garo was another original work which was based off a drama that re-imagines history with magic. I didn’t get into this series, I found it hard to follow at times and it was just uninteresting to me. But apparently it has an audience as it would go on to have two sequels and a movie. Rage of Bahamut: Genesis was another anime I reviewed so click here to get my full analyze on the anime. The anime was based off the mobile game under the same name where I actually did enjoy the anime. The animation was great, I loved the characters, and MAPPA did a good job with the story. The mobile game really didn’t have much of a story, so MAPPA gave them one that was interesting, epic and fun to follow with our main characters. This series would also get a sequel down the line but more on that later.
2015 was kind of a hit and miss year for MAPPA and I didn’t watch any of their animes from this year. The studio would release 3 animes that year: Punch Line, Ushio and Tora, and Garo: Crimson Moon. Punch Line was an original work and a bizarre one at that. It centers around a boy named Yuta who gets ejected from his body and becomes a spirit. He now must use his powers to protect his 4 housemates who are all girls and if Yuta sees a girl’s panties twice within a short period of time, a meteor will destroy the Earth. Like I said, it was a bizarre anime. From what I’ve heard it had a bad start, a good middle, and a meh ending. Check it out yourself and see if it’s for you. Ushio and Tora would go on to be the highlight of the year for the studio. Based off the 90s hit manga and anime, the series follows the story of Ushio a demon hunter aided by Tora a tiger demon. While the anime had some pacing issues in the earlier episodes, the series managed to turn it around later on and delivered a solid series from what I’ve heard. Garo made a return as well focusing on new characters and delivering a new story which many said was better than the first season.
In 2016 the studio would have a shocking year. In the early months of 2016 Masao announced that he was leaving the studio to start up another studio. Just like Madhouse the studio had become another corporate environment and Masao didn’t like it. He would go on to find M2 in another attempt to get that creative freedom free from corporate he desired. As much as I respect Masao and his desire to create that kind of environment it just doesn’t seem all that possible. Wherever there’s money to be made there will be corporations there to take a piece of the pie. The best thing you can do is try to keep them in line and set the ground rules. With Masao gone, the studio came under the leadership of Manabu Ootsuka a producer of the studio so at least they were getting someone who knew the industry and knew what he was doing. With Masao’s departure everyone wondered what the future would hold for MAPPA. Would they fall? Would this be a stage of growing pains? What do you go on to do after this powerful departure? The answer, you make Yuri on Ice. Oh and you go on to make Days a really good anime about soccer which doesn’t have that over the top talented player with a hidden talent and instead focuses on characters who like the game and work hard at it. An anime which even managed to win a guy like me over who has never been interested in soccer for as long as he has lived and is worth checking out if you like soccer, but still, Yuri on Ice! An original work directed by Sayo Yamamoto who directed Michiko and Hatchin as well as Lupin the Third: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine. Yuri on Ice wound up to be MAPPA’s golden goose which put the studio on an international level. Up until this point the studio had made a name for itself in Japan but the rest of the world had yet to notice them until now. Yuri on Ice follows the story of Yuri a figure skater who decides to quit after coming in last place at a competition before he meets Victor a legendary figure skater who is Yuri’s idol who takes an interest in him and becomes his coach. The series became revolutionary for how realistically the show handled mental health issues in a respectful and relatable way while also showcasing amazing figure skating scenes that were beautiful to watch and received praise from actual figure skaters in real life. The anime would also dive a little into the BL genre between Yuri and Victor as it was hinted that the two might have romantic feelings for each other, but it never went anywhere major. The series would go on to receive praise from viewers, critics, and non-fans of anime everywhere with some naming it the AOTY. While Yuri on Ice was never my thing, even I have to admit I felt a love and passion for the series from watching the first few episodes. Sayo clearly has a love for figure skating and you can see it in her work as she went on to direct the opening for Persona 5 (the game, not the anime). MAPPA managed to close out 2016 strong with Yuri and Days showing everyone that the studio was in good hands, and with an international stage MAPPA was ready to show everyone what they could do.
Side Note: MAPPA would also go on to release two hit movies in 2016 as well. The first was Garo: Divine Flame which did well but was quickly blown away by In This Corner of the World a very emotional movie that takes place around WWII leading up to the bombing of Hiroshima. The movie shows the struggles of a mom trying to take care of her family in a time of war as well as focus on the impact the war had on those who never had a say in it: the civilians. While not a huge hit, critics have praised the movie. If you like Grave of the Fireflies check this movie out.
The Year of MAPPA Followed By Highs and Lows
With the success of Yuri, all international eyes were on MAPPA and they made the best of it. 2017 would be the year of MAPPA as it would go down to be the biggest and busiest year in the studio’s history. The studio would go on to air 6 animes throughout the year. All of them being aired one season after another with some even airing simultaneously with each other. There are a lot of animes so I’ll go through them quickly. The first one was Idol Incident, an idol anime focusing on idols who represent Japan’s 47 prefectures. Not really for me but it was okay. Rage of Bahamut: Virgin Soul, a sequel to Genesis which focuses on new characters and old ones. While not as good as the prequel I thought it was meh. Click here and here to see my full analysis of the anime. Garo: Vanishing Line, the next story in the Garo series. Once again it focuses on a whole new cast of characters and story. I heard it was good overall. Inuyashiki, from the strange man who gave us Gantz. An old man becomes a hero after an incident. Saving my thoughts for a review later. Altair: A Record of Battles, an anime series that focuses on war and the various aspects of it. This is another anime I plan to review in the future. Finally, Kakegurui, my favorite anime from the studio during 2017. This psychological anime takes us on a ride of gambling, insane characters, and mental warfare. I liked the various games they played, the cast of characters, and just how entertaining each episode was to watch. This was another anime I talked about in the past so check out my full analysis here.
2018 continued to be a year of highs for MAPPA. While the studio only had 2 animes that year they were big hits. The first was Banana Fish a hard-hitting crime drama which focuses on mature themes like drugs, gangs, pedophilia, and sexual abuse. Despite the series not being a BL series it received high praise for showing a rather interesting relationship between the two main characters. This is another series I plan on reviewing so I’ll hold off on giving my thoughts about the series. The second anime was Zombie Land Saga, an idol anime that shocked everyone. Not only because the anime focused on idols who were really zombies but because it was a really good series. It had big laughs, a great story, and an excellent use of characters. The most remembered character being Lily who has the biggest reveal I’ve ever seen in anime so far. I won’t spoil it here because it’s something you need to see, but the way the series handles her character was legit class. 2019 would be a rollercoaster year for the studio. The year started off good with the return of Kakegurui and Dororo an anime from the 60s that was rebooted for the modern era of anime and managed to surpass the original work. This is another anime I want to review so I’ll hold off on giving my thoughts about the anime but just know this was one of my favorite animes from 2019. Sarazanmai, the series about boys turning into kappas wasn’t something I was interested in but was received positively by critics and viewers. Later that year they would give us Katsute Kami Datta Kemono-tachi e, a series about soldiers becoming monsters and going on a rampage with their captain trying to lay them to rest. The premise and characters were good, but it makes a lot of mistakes that could have easily been fixed. They would end the year with Granblue Fantasy S2 a series based off a mobile game. The first season was a huge failure on the part of A1 Pictures and while the second season is slightly better it’s still a bad anime.
What They’re Doing Today and The Future
The winter season of 2020 saw a steady recovering of MAPPA as they released Tama and Friends, a kids’ show about the adventures of a cat and his friends. For adults we got Dorohedoro a combination of horror, violence and comedy which follows the story of Caiman a guy with a lizard head tracking down the sorcerer who did this to him. While I never got into the series I’ve seen clips of it and I did like the look and feel of the anime. It’s dark, gritty, has an absurd amount of blood, and humor in places you thought you would never see. After Dorohedoro, the studio would debut Listeners an original story that focuses on androids and music. This was one of the few animes that still aired when animes were delayed due to the pandemic. The series didn’t go over so well as the characters felt flat and uninteresting and the story was boring to watch.
Currently, MAPPA is finishing up God of High School, an anime based off the popular webtoon which has been one of the highlights from the summer lineup and I hope they make a second season of this great anime. They also gave us Mr. Love: Queen’s Choice an anime based off a Chinese visual novel for girls, so nice job giving the female demographic some fanservice. For the future, MAPPA has already announced big plans for the fall with Jujutsu Kaisen the highly anticipated dark fantasy and Taiso Samurai a series that will focus on men’s gymnastics. There’s also the final season of Attack on Titan hands down the studio’s biggest project to date. When everyone first found out MAPPA would be taking over for the final season everyone was scared as they thought there would be a drop in quality. However, with the release of the trailer being a big hit and the announcement of Yuichiro Hayashi (the director of Dorohedoro) and Jun Shishido (the Director of Hajime no Ippo) two guys who know action anime and how to animate them working as director and chief director I think the anime is in good hands. The anime was slated for this fall, but I didn’t see it on the fall anime list. I’m not sure if the anime got delayed until next year or what. Personally, I think it was delayed as the studio is working on two animes already and just didn’t have the manpower to focus on Attack on Titan yet. If it does come out in the fall, cool. If not, I’m fine with waiting and seeing it next year.
Conclusion
So that was the Rewatch of MAPPA. It’s been a great studio since day one and to this day remains to be one of my top 11 anime studios. I’ve been a fan of this studio since they made Terror in Resonance and I’m glad to see the studio get recognized on an international level and become a powerhouse over the years. One of the major ways I think this studio stands out from other studios is that it focuses on making original works or animes based off of manga instead of light novels. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good anime based off a light novel, but a lot of studios have been relying on novels way too much. Focus on making animes based off of mangas more and don’t be afraid to take risks with original works. Even if they’re not big hits you can at least say you’re trying something new. While a major figure has left, the studio has gone through growing pains, and it’s had highs and lows, the studio continues to make high quality anime that’s mostly geared to the older fanbase while still making the younger audience happy as well. The future looks bright for this studio and I’m looking forward to seeing what they’ll do next. Thanks for reading, let me know what you thought about the Rewatch, and I’ll see you next time on Project Nitsuj.
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