Jujutsu Kaisen Animator Just Got Revenge Against MAPPA In A Hilarious Way

Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 has become controversial due to the harsh and cruel working conditions of the animators working for MAPPA, but one of them managed to find a great way to get back at the studio.

In the fierce battle between Sukuna and Makora/Mahoraga seen in episode #17 of Jujutsu Kaisen, the majority of Shibuya got destroyed. Animator HoneHone, who worked on the scene, decided to sneak in an Easter egg that he later revealed on X (formerly Twitter).

The animator modeled one of the destroyed buildings from MAPPA’s interior, which apparently was well received by the rest of the staff. Fans went wild with the post, which has been viewed by more than 8 million people.

Jujutsu Kaisen Animator Voices Frustration By Destorying MAPPA Building In The Anime

One of the most outspoken members of the Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 crew, HoneHone frequently expresses his displeasure with the excessive workload and little remuneration. The skilled artist continued to work on the episodes despite the team’s strict schedule, which often left them with only a few days to finish each episode. Using actual locations, the production set out to create a genuine Shibuya for Jujutsu Kaisen. In the case of this scene, HoneHone could not find the floor plans of the actual Shibuya building, so he chose to use MAPPA’s interior instead, as it luckily had the same measurements.

Even though this act was hilarious, it regrettably exposes the animator’s unresolved resentment toward Mappa. Mappa is particularly well-known for its labor abuses, even if they aren’t the only animation company that does so. When combined with the fact that the studio animates some of the most popular anime on the market, their bad reputation is by now a label they will struggle to get rid of. This season of Jujutsu Kaisen is just the tipping point, with many other incidents of workers speaking up about the brutality of the industry. HoneHone’s only way to vent his frustrations was through humor, and it is great that some sort of creative freedom was allowed.

There are still many amazing moments in store for the Shibuya Incident arc, which is gradually coming to a finish. Understandably, fans are concerned given the production controversy, but it seems that the animators have decided to finish their work nonetheless. While MAPPA’s practices are reprehensible, fans have a huge amount of respect for animators like HoneHone who were not afraid to speak out about the grueling working conditions behind Jujutsu Kaisen‘s success.

Sources: HoneHone (X), VocalPinneapleAcademia (YouTube).

Watch On Crunchyroll