# MAPPA

MAPPA Co., Ltd. (Japanese: 株式会社MAPPA, Hepburn: Kabushiki-gaisha MAPPA) is a Japanese animation studio headquartered in Nakano, Tokyo (formerly in Suginami, Tokyo). Founded in 2011 by Madhouse co-founder and producer Masao Maruyama, it has produced anime works including Terror in Resonance, Yuri!!! on Ice, In This Corner of the World, Kakegurui, Banana Fish, Zombie Land Saga, Dororo (in co-production with Tezuka Productions), Dorohedoro, The God of High School, Jujutsu Kaisen, Attack on Titan (season 4), Vinland Saga (season 2), Chainsaw Man, Hell's Paradise: Jigokuraku, and the 2024 adaptation of Ranma ½. MAPPA is an acronym for Maruyama Animation Produce Project Association.

## Business
### History

The studio was established on June 14, 2011, by Masao Maruyama, a co-founder and former producer of Madhouse, at the age of 70. Maruyama served as the company's first representative director, and the studio's initial goal was to produce Sunao Katabuchi's In This Corner of the World. Due to financial difficulties at Madhouse, Maruyama and Katabuchi established MAPPA in the hopes of producing the film; however, despite moving studios, the film had a lot of production troubles, and wasn't released until 5 years later. Maruyama first started working with Katabuchi for the film in 2010 during Madhouse era, but it took three years to start the production due to difficulties to raising funds. Mappa is overworked and cannot meet demand.
In April 2016, Maruyama resigned as a CEO of the studio and became a chairman. Studio animation producer Manabu Otsuka, a founding member and a former employee of Studio 4°C, became the CEO following Maruyama's official departure.

### Controversies

Many describe the studio as perfectionist, the studio's scheduling, work, and culture have been the subject of intense scrutiny. Veteran animator Hisashi Eguchi criticized the studio's low pay. Mushiyo, another animator at MAPPA, also criticized the company for not properly training its animators and the studio's culture of overwork, which led to them eventually quitting their job at the studio. Besides the animator's individual output within the studio, they also criticized the company's decision to produce four series concurrently. Kevin Cirugeda from Sakugablog suggested the problems were due to the studio's incredibly fast-paced growth and "recklessness".
Cirugeda also noted that in the 20 televised animes MAPPA produced from the beginning of 2015 to the beginning of 2020, the company had only been on the production committee for four of them, all of which listed MAPPA near the bottom or at the very bottom of the list, indicating that they served to a capacity almost as if they were being specifically contracted for work even on "original" series.
MAPPA denied offering "unreasonable compensation" to "creators" in a response to claims that the studio underpaid workers; however, animator Ippei Ichii claimed that an anime produced by MAPPA under Netflix was suggesting a pay of ¥3,800 per cut, to which Ichii claimed that ¥15,000 is the minimum cost that animators should negotiate for.

## Productions
### Anime television series

| Year | Title | Director(s) | Animation producer(s) | Source | Eps. |
| 2012 | Kids on the Slope (co-produced with Tezuka Productions) | Shinichirō Watanabe | Manabu Otsuka Masao Morosawa Sumio Udagawa | Manga | 12 |
| 2012 | Teekyu | Shin Itagaki | Masashi Tanaka | Manga | 12 |
| 2013 | Teekyu 2 | Shin Itagaki | Manabu Otsuka | Manga | 12 |
| 2013 | Teekyu 3 | Shin Itagaki | Manabu Otsuka | Manga | 12 |
| 2013–2014 | Hajime no Ippo: Rising (co-produced with Madhouse) | Jun Shishido | Shintarou Hashimoto Yasuteru Iwase Masakazu Watanabe | Manga | 25 |
| 2014 | Terror in Resonance | Shinichirō Watanabe | Manabu Otsuka | Original work | 11 |
| 2014 | Rage of Bahamut: Genesis | Keiichi Sato | Manabu Otsuka | Video game | 12 |
| 2014–2015 | Garo: The Carved Seal of Flames | Yuichiro Hayashi | Manabu Otsuka | Original work Tokusatsu series | 24 |
| 2015 | Punch Line | Yutaka Uemura | Manabu Otsuka Fuuko Noda | Original work | 12 |
| 2015 | Ushio & Tora (co-produced with Studio VOLN) | Satoshi Nishimura | | Manga | 26 |
| 2015–2016 | Garo: Crimson Moon | Atsushi Wakabayashi | | Original work Tokusatsu series | 23 |
| 2016 | Ushio & Tora Part 2 | Satoshi Nishimura | | Manga | 13 |
| 2016 | Days | Kōnosuke Uda | Manabu Otsuka | Manga | 24 |
| 2016 | Yuri!!! on Ice | Sayo Yamamoto Jun Shishido | Takahiro Ogawa Fuuko Noda | Original work | 12 |
| 2017 | Idol Incidents (co-produced with Studio VOLN) | Daisuke Yoshida | | Media-mix project | 12 |
| 2017 | Rage of Bahamut: Virgin Soul | Keiichi Sato | Katsuhito Masuda | Video game | 24 |
| 2017 | Kakegurui | Yuichiro Hayashi | | Manga | 12 |
| 2017 | Altair: A Record of Battles | Kazuhiro Furuhashi | Wataru Kawagoe | Manga | 24 |
| 2017 | Inuyashiki | Keiichi Sato Shuhei Yabuta | Katsuhito Masuda | Manga | 11 |
| 2017–2018 | Garo: Vanishing Line | Sunghoo Park | Takahiro Ogawa Manabu Otsuka | Original work Tokusatsu series | 24 |
| 2018 | Banana Fish | Hiroko Utsumi | Manabu Otsuka | Manga | 24 |
| 2018 | Zombie Land Saga | Munehisa Sakai | Manabu Otsuka | Original work | 12 |
| 2019 | Dororo (co-produced with Tezuka Productions) | Kazuhiro Furuhashi | Masato Matsunaga | Manga | 24 |
| 2019 | Kakegurui ×× | Yuichiro Hayashi Kiyoshi Matsuda | Takahiro Ogawa | Manga | 12 |
| 2019 | Sarazanmai (co-produced with Lapin Track) | Kunihiko Ikuhara Nobuyuki Takeuchi | Manabu Otsuka Masakazu Watanabe | Original work | 11 |
| 2019 | To the Abandoned Sacred Beasts | Jun Shishido | Takahiro Ogawa | Manga | 12 |
| 2019 | Granblue Fantasy The Animation (season 2) | Yui Umemoto | Masato Matsunaga | Video game | 12 |
| 2020 | Uchitama?! Have you seen my Tama? (co-produced with Lapin Track) | Kiyoshi Matsuda | Tooru Kubo Masakazu Watanabe | Character franchise | 11 |
| 2020 | Dorohedoro | Yuichiro Hayashi | Fuuko Noda | Manga | 12 |
| 2020 | Listeners | Hiroaki Ando | Takahiro Ogawa | Original work | 12 |
| 2020 | The God of High School | Sunghoo Park | Tooru Kubo Wataru Kawagoe | Manhwa | 13 |
| 2020 | Mr Love: Queen's Choice | Munehisa Sakai | Fuuko Noda | Mobile game visual novel | 12 |
| 2020 | The Gymnastics Samurai | Hisatoshi Shimizu | Fuuko Noda | Original work | 11 |
| 2020–2021 | Jujutsu Kaisen | Sunghoo Park | Keisuke Seshimo | Manga | 24 |
| 2020–2023 | Attack on Titan (season 4) | Yuichiro Hayashi Jun Shishido | Masato Matsunaga (part 1) Wataru Kawagoe (parts 2–4) | Manga | 35 |
| 2021 | Zombie Land Saga Revenge | Munehisa Sakai | Takahiro Ogawa | Original work | 12 |
| 2021 | Re-Main | Masafumi Nishida Kiyoshi Matsuda | Manabu Otsuka | Original work | 12 |
| 2021 | The Idaten Deities Know Only Peace | Seimei Kidokoro | Fuuko Noda | Manga | 11 |
| 2021 | Takt Op. Destiny (co-produced with Madhouse) | Yuuki Itoh | Wataru Kawagoe Yuuichirou Fukushi | Media-mix project | 12 |
| 2022 | Dance Dance Danseur | Munehisa Sakai | Takahiro Ogawa | Manga | 11 |
| 2022 | Chainsaw Man | Ryū Nakayama Makoto Nakazono | Keisuke Seshimo | Manga | 12 |
| 2023 | Vinland Saga (season 2) | Shūhei Yabuta | Hiroya Hasegawa | Manga | 24 |
| 2023 | Campfire Cooking in Another World with My Absurd Skill | Kiyoshi Matsuda | Takahiro Ogawa | Light novel | 12 |
| 2023 | Hell's Paradise: Jigokuraku | Kaori Makita | Wataru Kawagoe | Manga | 13 |
| 2023 | Jujutsu Kaisen (season 2) | Shōta Goshozono | Keisuke Seshimo | Manga | 23 |
| 2024 | Bucchigiri?! | Hiroko Utsumi | Takahiro Ogawa | Original work | 12 |
| 2024 | Oblivion Battery | Makoto Nakazono | Hiroya Hasegawa Kouya Okamura | Manga | 12 |
| 2024 | Ranma ½ | Kōnosuke Uda | Kouya Okamura | Manga | 12 |
| 2025 | Zenshu | Mitsue Yamazaki | Takahiro Ogawa | Original work | 12 |
| 2025 | Lazarus (co-produced with Sola Entertainment) | Shinichirō Watanabe | Masato Matsunaga | Original work | 13 |
| 2025 | Campfire Cooking in Another World with My Absurd Skill (season 2) | Kiyoshi Matsuda | TBA | Light novel | TBA |
| 2025 | Dorohedoro (season 2) | Yuichiro Hayashi | TBA | Manga | TBA |
| 2026 | Hell's Paradise: Jigokuraku (season 2) | Kaori Makita | Wataru Kawagoe | Manga | TBA |
| TBA | Jujutsu Kaisen (season 3) | Shōta Goshozono | Keisuke Seshimo | Manga | TBA |
| TBA | Ranma ½ (season 2) | Kōnosuke Uda | Kouya Okamura | Manga | TBA |

### Anime films

| Year | Title | Director(s) | Animation producer(s) | Source |
| 2016 | Garo: Divine Flame | Yuichiro Hayashi | Manabu Otsuka Takahiro Ogawa | Original work Tokusatsu series |
| 2016 | In This Corner of the World | Sunao Katabuchi | Ryoichiro Matsuo | Manga |
| 2019 | In This Corner (and Other Corners) of the World | Sunao Katabuchi | Ryoichiro Matsuo | Manga |
| 2021 | Jujutsu Kaisen 0 | Sunghoo Park | Keisuke Seshimo | Manga |
| 2022 | A Girl Meets a Boy and a Robot | Shinichiro Watanabe | | Original work |
| 2023 | Maboroshi | Mari Okada Seimei Kidokoro | Fuuko Noda Ryouta Kitsunai | Original work |
| 2024 | Attack on Titan The Movie: THE LAST ATTACK | Yuichiro Hayashi | Wataru Kawagoe | Manga |
| 2024 | Gekijōban Inazuma Eleven: Aratanaru Eiyū-tachi no Joshō | Akihiro Hino Shuhei Yabuta | Yuriko Waki | Video game |
| 2025 | The Rose of Versailles | Ai Yoshimura | Wataru Kawagoe | Manga |
| 2025 | Jujutsu Kaisen Kaigyoku/Gyokusetsu Compilation Film | Shōta Goshozono | Keisuke Seshimo | Manga |
| 2025 | Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc | Tatsuya Yoshihara | TBA | Manga |
| 2025 | Gekijōban Zombie Land Saga: Yumeginga Paradise | TBA | Yuriko Waki | Original work |

### Original video animations (OVAs)

| Year | Title | Director(s) | Source | Eps. |
| 2017 | Days: OVA | Kōnosuke Uda | Manga | 2 |
| 2017 | Onihei: Sono Otoko, Hasegawa Heizou | Shigeyuki Miya | Manga | 1 |
| 2018 | Days: Touin Gakuen-sen! | Kōnosuke Uda | Manga | 3 |

### Original net animations (ONAs)

| Year | Title | Director(s) | Animation producer(s) | Source | Eps. |
| 2012–2015 | Komachi and Dangorō | Hisashi Abe | | Original work | 4 |
| 2020 | Oblivion Battery | Parako Shinohara | Ayako Sekine | Manga | 1 |
| 2021 | Yasuke | LeSean Thomas Takeru Sato | Takahiro Ogawa | Original work | 6 |
| 2022 | Kakegurui Twin | Yuichiro Hayashi Kaori Makita | Takahiro Ogawa | Manga | 6 |

### Music videos (MVs)

| Year | Title | Director(s) | Animation producer(s) | Artist(s) | Notes |
| 2013 | Hana wa Saku | Sunao Katabuchi | Manabu Otsuka | Yoko Kanno | The theme for NHK's Great Eastern Japan Earthquake Project |
| 2015 | Korekarasaki, Nando Anata to. | Sunao Katabuchi | Ryoichiro Matsuo | Mishmash Aimee Isobe | |
| 2018 | Nanatsuiro REALiZE | Munehisa Sakai | Katsuhito Masuda | IDOLiSH7 | |
| 2021 | Oretachi Maji-kō Destroy | | | | |
| 2023 | Seventeen | Parako Shinohara | Ayako Sekine | YOASOBI | Produced by Contrail |
| 2024 | Like the Flatwoods Monster | Satomi Maiya | Ryo Oikawa | Eve Deu | |
| 2024 | Lucky | Kyohei Ishiguro | | Nulbarich Sunny UMI | Co-produced with Contrail |

### Video games

| Year | Title | Director(s) | Animation producer(s) | Publisher | Notes |
| 2019 | Persona 5 Royal | Yuichiro Hayashi | | Atlus | Opening animation |
| 2022 | Jujutsu Kaisen: Phantom Parade | Takuji Miyamoto | Keisuke Seshimo | Toho Games | Opening animation |
| 2024 | Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club | Kyohei Ishiguro | Ayako Sekine | Nintendo | Cutscene in Minoru: Famicom Detective Club, co-produced with Contrail |
| 2025 (Upcoming) | Ark: Survival Ascended | | | Studio Wildcard | Upcoming Lost Colony DLC |
| 2025 (Upcoming) | Inazuma Eleven: Victory Road | | Yuriko Waki | Level-5 | Cutscenes |

### Other productions

* Sex: Prologue (OVA, 2018) – promotional video for the 30th anniversary of manga Sex by Atsushi Kamijo; directed by Sayo Yamamoto
* Kick-Flight Promotional Video; Kick-Flight × KANA-BOON (ONA, 2019) – promotional video for the mobile game Kick-Flight, featuring the song "Flyers" by Kana-Boon; directed by Munehisa Sakai
* Mechronicle (unknown, TBA) – directed by Shinji Kimura

### Cancelled projects

* Dreaming Machine (film) – cancelled film, originally directed by Satoshi Kon and taken over by Yoshimi Itazu after Kon's death; planned co-production with Madhouse
* Yuri!!! On Ice: Ice Adolescence (film) – cancelled film to be directed by Sayo Yamamoto and announced in 2017 before being delayed in 2019 and in production hell for several years. The film was cancelled in April 2024.

## Notable staff
### Representative staff

* Masao Maruyama (founder, first president (2011~2016), board chairman since 2016)
* Manabu Otsuka (second president since 2016)
* Wataru Kawagoe (MAPPA Sendai representative)
* Makoto Kimura (board member, 2018~2024)
* Hiroya Hasegawa (executive vice president since 2024)
* Yasuteru Iwase (board member since 2024; former animation producer)
* Yuusuke Tannawa (board member since 2024)
* Shuuhei Yabuta (board member since 2024)
* Kousuke Hosokai (board member since 2024)
* Keisuke Seshimo (operating officer since 2024; also animation producer since 2016)
* Eiji Matsuo (chief rights officer since 2024)

### Animation producers

* Masato Matsunaga (2012~present)
* Masakazu Watanabe (2012~2014; co-founder of Lapin Track)
* Fuuko Noda (2014~2024)
* Takahiro Ogawa (2014~present)
* Koya Okamura (2015~present)
* Toru Kubo (2015~2021)
* Katsuhito Masuda (2017~2018)
* Ryota Kitsunai (2023~present)
* Ryo Oikawa (2024~present)
* Yuriko Waki (2024~present)

### Directors

* Munehisa Sakai (2017~2022)

### Animators

* Tadashi Hiramatsu [ja] (2018~present)