It is no secret that Blue Lock season two has been coming under fire for its less than stellar animation compared to that of season one, but there is a disturbing, deeper reason for Blue Lock’s drop in animation quality that goes much further than just the show itself. The lack of fluidity, slideshow-like animation, and awkward shots might have surprised fans at first glance, but the working conditions of animators on the show not only help explain where the problem truly arose, but point to an industry-wide issue that is affecting more than just Blue Lock's team.

With the sobering commentary, "we did the best we could," a Blue Lock animator, who goes by the online handle, MartinKiings, spoke out about his personal experience working on the anime. In a video posted on TikTok, MartinKiings outlined the "low payment" and "short time" himself and other employees received to complete their work, stating that he resigned because of this treatment. Situations such as these are becoming all too common in modern day anime studios, shedding light on a dangerous pattern of overworked animators and poor quality projects.

Blue Lock Season Two’s Poor Animation Highlights Stressful Working Conditions for Animators

MartinKiings, a Previous Animator on the Project, Explained Why He Is “Not Proud” of How Season Two Turned Out

Blue Lock season two reveal the crux of the problem that caused the significant drop in quality between seasons: the way the animators were treated. Not only did the animators have inadequate time to create such an action-filled arc as Blue Lock's U-20 arc, the production team cut a lot of the scenes animators had already completed, including a handful of MartinKiings', for the sake of time. There was immense pressure to work as quickly as possible, and animators were given more work than one person could complete in time to meet deadlines.

The odds were stacked against Blue Lock's animation and production teams, and unfortunately, that is clearly reflected in the final product. Eight Bit is not the only animation studio with this issue though; Studio MAPPA has also been the subject of scrutiny for its treatment of animators. Responsible for series like Attack on Titan, Jujutu Kaisen, and Chainsaw Man, MAPPA has kept very busy the past few years. This push to complete more and more projects led to exhausted staff , with many stating that they worked 12-hour days, 7 days a week, and were often juggling multiple projects at a time.

Eight Bit Studio Is Not the Only Example; Studio MAPPA Has Faced Similar Problems

MAPPA's Animators Have Made Similar Complaints About Their Working Environment, Including Low Wages and Rushed Deadlines

According to MAPPA animators, their work environment has unfortunately been toxic for quite a while, and this situation came to a head with the summer 2023 release of Jujutsu Kaisen season two and the animation complaints that followed. Episode #14 in particular received major backlash because it showed the first signs of animation quality that did not match the standard set by the first season and earlier moments of season two. Furthermore, @NobiliRoccia, an animation director for Jujutsu Kaisen, made a statement on X that claimed that episode #17 was only 30% complete by the time it aired.

MAPPA animators have been very vocal about their unacceptable working environments and insufficient pay, comparing it to "a factory," with one Attack on Titan director and animator, Teruyuki Omine, staying at the office, working for three consecutive days without so much as a break. With Attack on Titan's final season, Jujutsu Kaisen, Chainsaw Man, Zombieland Saga, and the Yuri! On Ice film all in production at once, MAPPA's treatment of its employees became too visible to hide any longer. MAPPA has made some attempts to better working conditions, though, building a "Studio Annex" to improve employees' time spent on the job.

Although MAPPA has stated their intentions to alleviate employees' concerns, with a number of ambitious projects on their plate currently, including Chainsaw Man, and the long-awaited Jujutsu Kaisen season three, only time will tell if their new measures will enact positive change and substantially improve their animators' working conditions. Although MAPPA has been one of the main studios that has received adverse reactions from employees and the public alike in recent months, exploitation of animators is not at all a MAPPA-specific issue. Right now more than ever, Blue Lock season two proves that this problem plagues the entire industry.

Anime’s Recent Spark in Popularity Is Placing Unprecedented Strain on Studios and Animators

The Second Seasons of Jujutsu Kaisen and Blue Lock Point to the Dire Consequences That Will Occur if This Problem Is Not Solved

The pressure placed on animators is a problem that cannot be ignored, because the growing popularity of anime is forcing studios to rapidly push out as many successful projects as possible to compete with other studios. Many new series being released in such a short span of time may seem like a positive development for anime as a genre, but rushed releases are counterproductive to the goal of increasing anime's popularity and reach. Short timelines and lack of respect for animators is only leading to bad quality animation and unfair stress on these employees, causing them to quit entirely.

The manga series fans love so much could not come to life without the efforts of talented animators, producers, editors, and production teams. If these professionals are not given more hospitable working conditions, pay equivalent to their efforts, and ample time to complete projects, the quality of series like Blue Lock will unfortunately continue to noticeably decline. Thankfully, there are a number of animation studios that do appreciate their employees deeply and that is reflected through their wages, deadlines, and the condition of their work. Studios like MAPPA and Eight Bit still have a chance to rectify the problem, and will hopefully follow in these studios' respectable footsteps.

Source: Anime News Network (1),(2), X, TikTok