The recent endings of multiple animations from the Japanese animation studio MAPPA have left many fans wondering what will come next for their favorite series. MAPPA has taken on several larger animation projects recently, most notably through the animation of both Attack on Titan (進撃の巨人) and Jujutsu Kaisen (呪術廻戦). 

The first three seasons of Attack on Titan were not produced by MAPPA studios, but by an animation studio named WIT. WIT studios dropped Attack on Titan because as a smaller studio, they didn’t have the resources to keep up with the deadlines for the animation. When the release of the final season of Attack on Titan began, the fan base was split on the new studio’s use of CGI. MAPPA chose to use CGI because they would not have been able to finish animating everything that they needed to in time for the deadlines given to them. Proponents of MAPPA’s choice often point out that the use of CGI doesn’t really matter. “Their use of CGI in Attack on Titan does not bother me, I think it’s integrated well,” said Keira MacAllister ‘22, a fan of multiple series that have been adapted by the studio. Non-approving fans will often mention that MAPPA “didn’t [have] to accept the anime if they didn’t think it would be possible to achieve the quality that the anime [deserves].” 

Even through the recent pandemic, MAPPA continued to work in order to entertain people, and their efforts have paid off. For three weeks between January and February, the final season of Attack on Titan was the most in-demand television show in the United States. MAPPA has done well to work with time restraints and the pandemic, considering that the only time MAPPA released an episode of Attack on Titan late was when a magnitude 7.0 earthquake hit Japan. 

One of MAPPA’s earlier productions, Yuri!!! On Ice (ユーリ!!! on Ice), was among the highest rated animations in 2016. “The first production I saw by them was Yuri!!! On Ice,” said Casi Taylor ‘23, a long time viewer and reader of various stories picked up by MAPPA. Taylor is also looking forward to future releases by MAPPA, such as Chainsaw Man (チェンソーマン). “The anime I’m so excited to see is Chainsaw Man because the manga is so well played out and MAPPA doesn’t seem to change the original story line in any productions that they’ve made,” said Taylor ‘23. Long time viewers of productions by MAPPA like Taylor are excitedly waiting for what MAPPA will produce next. 

MAPPA has worked for years to make people happy through their art. The numerous animators working throughout the recent pandemic have put in their best with the restrictions on time placed on them and they still steadily release new content for people. MAPPA has gotten too much hate from some of the communities that they release content for, specifically from some of the louder Attack on Titan viewers. MAPPA deserves to be appreciated for their work and they should be, as without them the entertainment industry for some people would be drier than it already is.