All for the animators: MAPPA explains the business behind Chainsaw Man

Betting all of your company's money on a single project is a madness that almost no one dares to do in Japan. This Monday, within the anime industry, the president of the world-famous studio MAPPA, Manabu Otsuka, finally broke his silence and explained to all the otakus why they decided to reject investor money and pay for the entire production of Chainsaw Man absolutely out of their own pocket.

A gamble for the love of art

In the world of Japanese animation, it is standard practice for a group of companies to come together to pool money and share the risks if the series fails. However, the head of the studio confessed that the story of the chainsaw boy completely captivated him on a personal level. The raw, violent, and slightly distorted energy of the work reminded him exactly why he decided to dedicate his life to making cartoons in the first place, feeling that the shonen fit perfectly with the rebellious spirit of his workers.

The master plan to earn millions

But it wasn't all pure romanticism; there was a brilliant business plan behind this risky decision. By putting up all the money themselves, the studio kept absolute control over the series. This means that every cent earned from merchandise sales, global streaming rights, and movie tickets goes straight into their bank accounts without having to split it with anyone else. The president promised that all those massive profits are being used to buy better computers, train rookie artists, and improve the working conditions of his entire team.

The weight of carrying the entire workload

Of course, being the sole owners of the project brought them massive headaches. The president was incredibly honest about the difficulties they faced:

• Lack of experience: Since it was the first time the studio handled its own marketing and product sales, they made many mistakes during the first season.
• Maximum pressure: Without commercial partners to back them up, any mistake or failure in the animation fell one hundred percent on the company's shoulders.
• Success pays off: Despite the initial stumbles, the recent movie of the Reze arc was a massive global success, giving them the money and confidence needed to already be preparing the chapters for the highly anticipated Assassins arc.

Seeing that being the total owners of the series allows the studio to earn more money to pay its animators better, do you think other animation companies should copy this risky strategy, or is it too dangerous to bet the entire budget on a single anime?