Animating Dreams, Living Nightmares

By James Tong April 2, 2025

The wait for the next animation for the series has stretched on for months, and finally, the characters take to the screen, and every frame seems flawless. But behind every split-second of an animated masterpiece sits an animator with a tablet, up past midnight coffee in hand, constantly redrawing character movements. The foundation of animation is the hard work of dedicated artists, yet many animators face restless hours, unfair treatment and extreme pressure to meet high audience expectations.

Historically, the animation industry has faced controversy from labor disputes, poor working conditions and low wages. From as early as The Disney Strike in 1941, animators’ working conditions have been subpar, some only earned $20 a week while working on “Snow White.” Despite new technologies that streamline production and a resurgence in animated media, similar exploitation still exists. Today, Japanese anime animators claim an annual salary of $12,000 in 2019, per the New York Times, exemplifying the pervasive industry-wide shortcomings that seem to have made little improvements.

Linus Awyong Art

Tight deadlines and budget constraints from studios and high audience expectations push animators into relentless production cycles. For example, the ongoing “Invincible” series is known for its decline in animation quality and mid-season breaks, frustrating viewers. However, audiences complaining about the animation of “Invincible” fail to understand that Amazon Video gave the show a fraction of the budget of other animated shows and a much smaller animation team. As opposed to “The Boys”—allocated a hefty $20 million per episode by Amazon—“Invincible” is given a mere $750,000 per episode, which, in combination with tight deadlines, inevitably led to lower quality animation. In addition, streaming wars see Netflix, Disney+ and Max scramble for audience popularity, demanding more and more content from their already overworked animators. According to Screen Rant, Studio MAPPA, a studio famous for animating critically acclaimed anime adaptations like

“Jujutsu Kaisen,” “Attack on Titan” and “Chainsaw Man”, received complaints from overworked and underpaid animators, claiming excessive hours and even being unable to see their families for extended periods to work. Similarly, the film “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” experienced indefinite delays, highlighting the detrimental effects of intense production pressures on both the film and the animators. According to The Verge, over 100 animators allegedly quit "Jujutsu Kaisen" due to these difficult working conditions.

“I value the quality of animation more than its release date, so studios should have reasonable deadlines so their animators can create the best product possible. While studios should be strict about maintaining progress and avoiding delays, amazing animation made by hurting people for the sake of better entertainment is unethical,” Junior Samuel Mao said.

Audiences play a pivotal role in shaping industry standards. When Studio MAPPA planned “Attack on Titan” for its fourth season, animators were given a mere 10 months to complete 16 episodes, forcing them to rely on CGI elements over 2D drawings. In response, fans took to social media not to protest against the studio overworking and underpaying their animators, but rather to harass and threaten those who put their blood, sweat and tears into the show. While it is natural to desire high-quality animation, it is important to recognize the effort behind each frame. When looking behind the curtain, it becomes clear that artists working on popular shows are rarely to blame for low-quality art or choppy animation.

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Demanding perfection or quick releases at the expense of animators’ well-being is an unfair expectation, and fans should instead advocate for healthier work environments. Studios such as MAPPA should be held accountable and be transparent, and audiences should know how their favorite movies and shows are

made, just like any other product.

“Audiences should acknowledge if studios are mistreating animators or setting unreasonable deadlines between content, and adjusting their expectations accordingly. Instead of targeting animators for being lazy or untalented, look at their working conditions and paychecks, both of which are typically borderline exploitative,” Sophomore Hyejune Yang said.

As animation sheds its reputation as a childish medium of storytelling and interest in animation as an art form grows, viewers should acknowledge and address the hardships endured by the animators. By prioritizing animators’ well-being, the industry can support sustainable working environments while continuing to produce captivating shows and media.

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About the Contributors

James Tong

staff writer

James Tong is a writer for the school journalism. He enjoys collaborating with others and this is his first year in journalism. His hobbies include swimming, biking, hanging out with friends and listening to music.

Linus Awyong

artist