Everywhere I look, there’s news about another highly anticipated anime getting its animation budget slashed or reports of animators facing absurdly low wages. It’s hard not to think this is an ominous sign for the future of entertainment. Let’s dive into some recent examples that highlight what’s happening in the animation industry and why anime fans should be concerned.
Blue Lock Season 2… WTF?
Blue Lock’s second season recently dropped, and if you’re an avid viewer, you’ve probably noticed the glaring dip in quality. One Twitter user (or should I say, X user) even pointed out that a transition scene looked like a high school PowerPoint presentation with basic slide animations. And let’s talk about the fast-paced scenes – instead of the intense animation we expect, we’re getting CGI replacements. The worst part? (but also impressive) It was revealed that one animator completed the entire season. HOLY SHIT!
Uzumaki – Again, SMH
If you’ve been following my blog, you know I gave Uzumaki a pretty harsh review already (here’s the link to my initial impression if you want to check it out). Since then, all four episodes have aired, and though I didn’t watch beyond episode two, I’ve seen clips. And let me tell you, it got worse – OMFG, did it get worse. Rather than going in-depth, let’s just add this to the growing list of anime titles giving off some serious red flags about where this industry might be heading.
No More Wistoria for 3 Years!
We’ve just learned that Wistoria: Wand and Sword director Tatsuya Yoshihara’s schedule is locked up until the end of 2028! At first, this might sound like great news for anime – the demand is huge. But it makes me wonder, how on earth will studios keep up with this relentless demand?
Not Enough Animators to Keep Up
And here lies the core problem: there just aren’t enough animators to meet the growing demand. We’re seeing the effects in recent releases like Blue Lock, Uzumaki, and even with news about Jujutsu Kaisen animators being overworked and underpaid. I hope I’m wrong, but if this trend continues, we may start seeing more of our favorite anime series spiraling downward in quality.
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