Fans really liked Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2, Episode 17, even though animators complained about bad working conditions at the studio. The episode turned out great, but it could only show 30% of what the animators originally wanted.
Rumors about MAPPA’s non-disclosure agreement (NDA) and bad working conditions have been around since the start of Season 2.
These discussions increased after recent episodes, and some said production might have stopped at one point. This was also clear from the delayed preview release.
An Animator for Jujutsu Kaisen Reveals Production Challenges
After Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 episode 17 was released, the animators got a lot of praise for their work. Even though praise for the anime was common, this time it was especially big.
Despite tough working conditions, the animators’ skills were so good that they could still make the episode great. A freelance animator named RocciaNobili, who worked on the episode as an Animation Director and Emergency Key Animator, shared the real situation of the animation on 17 November 2023.
Man I thought I was going insane yesterday watching that clearly unfinished jjk episode and then seeing everyone calling it the best thing ever. pic.twitter.com/DEpmwFcXG5
— Steely (@SteelyB_) November 17, 2023
He said that even though fans loved the episode, only 30% of the intended vision was achieved due to time constraints. The animator felt frustrated, thinking they could have finished it as planned with more time.
He also mentioned that he couldn’t enjoy the episode because he noticed too many animation errors that needed fixing.
Fans Reaction to the Animator’s Revelation
Fans were surprised when they found out that the animator’s revelation about Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 episode 17 being the best-animated episode of the year was incomplete. Despite this, they praised the animators for their hard work.
Some fans enjoyed the episode but were disappointed to learn it could have been 70% better. They wished to see the intended final version.
No problem, but please please think before you tweet. As someone who actually worked on the show, and also the current state of the industry, your word is very very powerful. I'm your side, but more than you I'm on the side of integrity.
— Quasar (@Quazar_10) November 21, 2023
I liked the episode it's a hard to follow episode but i watched way too many shows so i think I'm judging this critically but yeah it's a good episode and sometimes it goes crazy.
— Soumen Roy (@SoumenR50176286) November 21, 2023
LATEST JUJUTSU KAISEN EPISODE(#17) WAS NOT JUST 30% FINISHED!!
Confirmed by the animator himself. So please retweet to spread awareness about the misinformed news about "unfinished episode". https://t.co/eFKmg0dtvj
— JJK (Mya) (@JJK_Mya) November 21, 2023
It was a unfinished episode anyways tho, they even said so, of course it was completed to the point it was watchable but still not to the point the animators wanted
— Hayse (@BNDDtrash) November 21, 2023
2/2
-is amazing, beautiful. The episode itself is mostly cleaned up, well animated story boarding though, which is entirely on Mappa for not treating its animators with respect and care. It made me so happy and so entirely sad to watch that episode and see how unfinished it is
— Mothpop (@FoxtuallyThem) November 21, 2023
However, fans consistently support the series and the staff’s efforts. One user mentioned that the episode was unfinished, as the animators acknowledged. Although it was watchable, it didn’t reach the level the animators had aimed for.
Some even hoped the MAPPA animators could make corrections for the Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 Blu-ray release. However, they felt uncertain about this.
Overall, fans wanted MAPPA Studio to treat its employees better. Despite poor planning, fans believed the animators could achieve more with proper time and treatment.
