MAPPA CEO Confesses: The Journey from Fear of Bankruptcy to the Massive Investment in Chainsaw Man

Manabu Otsuka, CEO of the anime industry giant MAPPA studio, admitted in a recent interview that the path to the company's current success was anything but easy. Otsuka stated that in the studio's early years, they faced a serious fear of bankruptcy and were essentially running a "bicycle operation" (a system where income barely covers expenses and collapses if it stops). Founded in 2011 by legendary producer Masao Maruyama, the studio is now associated with massive productions like Jujutsu Kaisen and Attack on Titan, but they had to take significant financial risks to reach this point.

One of the most striking points in Otsuka's statements concerned Yuri on ICE, which became a global phenomenon in 2016. Although the series achieved tremendous success by selling over 430,000 Blu-ray and DVD units, MAPPA did not receive the financial return they expected from this success. The CEO attributes this to the traditional "production committee" system, where studios often work only as subcontractors and the actual profit is shared by investor companies. Otsuka emphasized that this bitter experience led the studio to change its business model, stating, "Yuri on ICE was a huge hit, but the money that came into the studio was very little compared to its success."

This financial disappointment formed the basis for the revolutionary decision made for the Chainsaw Man anime adaptation in 2022. In a rare move in the industry, MAPPA undertook 100% of the series' funding on its own. This meant that without any production committee support, all the risk and potential profit belonged to the studio. Otsuka acknowledged that Chainsaw Man was a complete success financially but did not create as large a social impact as Jujutsu Kaisen. Nevertheless, this project allowed the studio to gain experience in licensing and rights management, moving them to a more independent position in the industry.

So, what does this mean for us fans? This strategic shift by MAPPA shows that anime studios are moving away from being just "drawing companies" and wanting to own their own content. Otsuka states that even if they do not fund every project 100% in the future, they aim for a structure where they have equal say with investors. This is seen as a critical step for the studio to generate the budget it needs to produce higher-quality works and to escape the exploitative subcontracting system in the industry.