Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 Episode 14 has been panned by fans due to its sub-par animation quality. Episode Director and Storyboard artist Hokuto Sadamoto revealed that the reason for the choppy animation was due to multiple changes in the storyboard rather than in the graphic images.
Since the series is in its infamous Shibuya Incident arc, fans have high expectations with each episode. The previous ones garnered praise for their detailing in fight sequences and sound effects. Episode 14, which features Megumi’s fight against Dagon, didn’t live up to the hype in animation quality although it was a good episode in general.
Jujutsu Kaisen Director Breaks Silence on Disappointing Remarks About Latest Episode
Storyboard artists assist their head of animation director by creating visual illustrations of the anime’s narrative. Hokuto Sadamoto was tasked with the animation for Episode 14. Following its release on October 26, Jujutsu Kaisen fans called out the artist for his sloppy work.
Sadamoto addressed the issues regarding the poor animation quality and sincerely asked for an apology from JJK fans. Writing on the messaging platform X, they claimed that time constraints affected the development of the latest episode. Transcription of the now-deleted tweet can be seen on Comicbook:-
“I felt really sorry for the people who said, ‘It’s not the drawings, it’s the storyboards that are bad.’ I’m really sorry. Even before I accepted the contract, I was repeatedly told that I didn’t have time, so I thought, ‘Let’s save energy…’ and that’s my responsibility. I didn’t care what happened to the later sections either, so I should have spent a full month creating the pre-visualization and then handed it over to the director.”
In another example of MAPPA assigning hectic schedules for its staff, Sadamoto revealed that they had to “make 250 cuts in two weeks.” This affected the developments in the storyboard which in turn affected the overall quality of the animation for Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 Episode 14.
Hokuto Sadamoto having a breakdown on Twitter feeling bad about today's episode aired is heartbreaking man, the episode is pretty good despite the rough edges and the the time constraints are insane, ah, this makes me sad
— kmick (@kmicktwt) October 26, 2023
MAPPA Studios seem to be on a hunt for popular mangas but taking multiple animation projects is resulting in harsh work schedules. Besides Jujutsu Kaisen, the Tokyo-based studio is responsible for Attack on Titan, Vinland Saga, Hell’s Paradise, and other fan-favorite animes.
Also Read: Kenjiro Tsuda Hints at Nanami Kento’s Inevitable Fate in Jujutsu Kaisen with Heartfelt Message
Jujutsu Kaisen Animators Were Made To Sign Non-Disclosure Agreements
Over the past few years, multiple MAPPA staff members have expressed discontentment with the work culture and hectic schedule associated with the studio. Almost every fan knows about the issue and has lent their support to animators on social media. Unfortunately, the most affected branch has been that of Jujutsu Kaisen.
Last month, Jujutsu Kaisen animators came forward to complain about the terrible work conditions in MAPPA. This created much controversy and the company’s first measure to cull the problem was to make their employees sign NDAs. Obviously, the decision didn’t sit right with either JJK fans or staff members whom they supported on social media.
One of the animators noted on X that “the schedule is beyond terrible” and “the fact that work gets done at all with any level of competency is incredible.” Another claimed the workplace to be “a mess and not very good” with the executives giving no respect for their work. These posts have either been removed or deleted but the original transcriptions can be found on Reddit.
Fans believe that the indefinite timeline of Chainsaw Man Season 2, scheduled to be released sometime in 2024, is due to their ever-increasing workload.
