Jujutsu Kaisen is loved by many for its incredible animation, intense fight scenes, and memorable characters. The dedication and skill of the animators are a big part of why the show is so captivating. While we get to enjoy this amazing anime, the talented animators who work so hard on it are often unfairly compensated for their efforts.

Snapshot from Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2
Snapshot from Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2

Imagine pouring your heart and soul into animating a scene for your favorite anime, only to be paid a measly $17 for 8 hours of hard work. Unfortunately, this is the sad reality for many super talented artists working in the anime industry. They work incredibly hard to bring these stories to life, but they often don’t get the pay they rightly deserve.

Jujutsu Kaisen Animator’s Low Salary Upsets Anime Fans

Nobara in a still from JJK
Nobara in a still from episode 12 Season 2 of JJK –  Nobara vs. Haruta

The recent revelation about a Jujutsu Kaisen animator being paid just 2,500 yen (around $17) for a scene that took them 10 hours to complete has really upset a lot of fans.

It was the 12th episode of Season 2 of JJK, in which Nobara Kugisaki fights Haruta Shigemo. When you break it down, that’s way below what anyone should be paid, even by minimum wage standards. It highlights the rampant underpayment within the industry. Check out some fan reactions on this:

https://twitter.com/patheticprimate/status/1779616877385269689

https://twitter.com/mooncakex3/status/1779730079888593043

Though the name of the animator was not revealed, Li Cree disclosed that her favorite character to draw in JJK is Nobara. Cree, a 2D animator and storyboard artist from Burbank, California, has also contributed to Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2. Having international talent like her working on popular anime shows how global the anime industry has become.

Also Read: Jujutsu Kaisen: 10 Anime Overlords Who Can Easily Defeat Sukuna, The King Of Curses

But it’s not all rainbows and sunshine. Cree shared her experience working at the MAPPA studio in a video on her YouTube channel. The animator said:

“It was not good. There is no other way to say it than it was not good. But then when you compare it to working on an American production, it starts to borderline on breaking labour laws by American standards. But if I compare it work with other Japanese studios I’ve worked with, it was pretty bad.” 

In her video, Cree talked about her work on episode 39. The Jersey City native had to finish ten different shots in just about ten to eleven days, which is quite a tight schedule. When it comes to pay, Cree pointed out that the pay for anime work is “very, very low.” The character designer mentioned that the least she has been paid for a cut was 2,000 yen ($13), and the most was 8,000 yen ($53).

NAFCA Survey Exposes Anime Animators’ Low Pay and Long Hours

Gojo
Gojo in a still from Jujutsu Kaisen

The Nippon Anime & Film Culture Association, also known as NAFCA, recently shared some troubling findings from a survey they conducted. They talked to over 300 animators working in the anime industry in Japan.

The survey revealed that many animators are struggling financially, with 40% of those surveyed making less than 2.4 million yen (less than US$16,000) per year. What’s even more worrying is that this percentage rises to 50% for animators in their 20s and 30s, who are often at the beginning of their careers.

In terms of working hours, the survey showed that 68.7% of animators work eight hours a day or more. More than a quarter of them work over 10 hours a day. This is a lot of hours, which can lead to serious health issues like burnout and stress. Even older animators, those aged 50 and over, aren’t seeing enough reduction in their working hours.

Also Read: Jujutsu Kaisen: 10 Reasons Why Yuji Itadori Would Still Be Powerful Without Sukuna!

Jujutsu Kaisen is available to watch on Disney+.

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