Recently, Madhouse and MAPPA founder Masao Maruyama shared his bold prediction on the future of the anime industry via an interview with Agence France-Presse (AFP).
He specifically said some harsh criticisms of the Japanese anime industry’s focus on money-making genres as opposed to more artistic works.
Maruyama also mentioned that he believes China is poised to overtake Japan’s anime industry.
He also said that it hasn’t happened yet simply because of some limitations in the country.
Masao Maruyama Has Harsh Words for Japan’s Anime Industry
Maruyama is one of the most distinguished figures in the anime industry.
Not only did he work closely under Osamu Tezuka the “Father of Manga,” but he also helped give opportunities to now-renowned directors.
Some of these include Satoshi Kon (Perfect Blue), Mamoru Hosoda (Belle), Masaaki Yuasa (Inu-Oh), and Sayo Yamamoto (Yuri on Ice), among others.
He also co-founded two of the most respected anime studios that are still active now – Madhouse and MAPPA.
This means Maruyama’s word has a lot of weight behind it, adding to the severity of his recent words.
In his recent interview, Maruyama said that “people are no longer trained in animation” in Japan and that the country’s anime industry will be “overtaken in no time.”
According to Maruyama, the industry’s focus on money-making genres such as kawaii anime lack the creativity of certain American and French arthouse anime works.
This is one of the reasons he believes Japan will be overtaken soon.
The viewpoint is one that he shares with esteemed director Hayao Miyazaki who has famously criticized otaku culture in Japan’s anime industry.
RELATED: Best Anime By Studio MAPPA
Maruyama Believes China May Overtake Japanese Anime
As for which country will take over Japan’s top spot, Maruyama believes that China is poised to become the next top country when it comes to animation.
This makes sense given that many anime productions outsource animation work to studios based in China.
Maruyama followed that the only reason China hasn’t overtaken Japan yet is because of the country’s “restrictions on free expression.”
Though he said that if these restrictions are lifted, Japan will soon be overtaken.
Of course, Maruyama clarified that these are his current thoughts and that these should not be taken definitively.
However, he is still worried that Japan’s anime industry is lagging as China is investing heavily in young animators.
Maruyama is currently working as the head of Studio M2 which is busy with the Pluto anime, an adaptation of Naoki Urasawa’s manga.
Get the latest anime news and info by following us on Twitter @epicstreamanime.
READ NEXT: The Best Anime Studios to Watch
Sources: AFP via Channel News Asia, Anime Hunch
Explore new topics and discover content that's right for you!