A few months ago, animation director Kan Yamamoto tweeted a tweet titled "This industry is really abnormal". Although everyone laughed at this, a recent news item made this sentence a reality. A 28-year-old man who worked for the animation company "A-1 Pictures" in 2006~09 and committed suicide in 2010 has just been found to be the motive for his death. According to a report by the Shinjuku Labor Standards Administration, the man chose to take his own life because of overwork and became ill and was under pressure, so it was judged to be a "labor disaster".

According to the records left by the man who committed suicide during his work period, in many cases he worked more than 300 hours of overtime per month, and some media even broke the news that the man had the experience of working 600 hours a month. Although he didn't know how much overtime pay the company paid him, the man was basically in a state of sleeping directly in the company.

For mental and physical burdens that are "carried out to make a system"

The job that the man did was called "Carrying out the system". While this position is arguably the best springboard to the acting and directing industry, it is also one of the "most brutal jobs" in the animation industry. In order to meet the deadline for animation, employees in this industry need to provide materials for each process such as concept art, animation, and processing, and adjust the pace between the performer and the animation artist.

A-1 Pictures is still looking for people to work on the production site, but we can see on the recruitment page that "in order not to delay the production plan, this job requires that we be able to confirm and manage the progress of each project so that the work can be completed." Words like that.

During the survey, one of the employees who claimed to be involved in the production of zuò related to MADHOUSE explained his opinion. The man, who was not yet 30 years old, earned only 170,000 yen a month when he first started working, and he did not qualify as a full-time employee for a year. And this job took a great toll on him, both physically and mentally.

"The creators in the industry are basically self-centered people, and the ability to eliminate their individuality and make them work with other people is the key to getting the job done. Therefore, we cannot ignore their unreasonable demands, and there is a high possibility that we will be overwhelmed by the pressure. ”

It can be seen that even well-known companies in the industry that have produced such big works as "Summer Wars" and "Death-Notes" are in such a state. Due to the impact of the suicide of a former employee of A-1Pictures, there is currently a post on the major Japanese forum 2CH titled "I used to work in an animation company, do you have any questions?" And the landlord also recorded his own experience.

"The situation of that [suicidal] person is not uncommon among animators. We don't have a respite, we can't afford to be stunned, and we're left with a mountain of questions and looming deadlines! ”

"The fact that the people who compiled, processed, and photographed poured their urgings and complaints on us was also a big blow to our spirit."

Problems related to "profitability of business" and "planning and management".

Speaking of animation, it can be said that it is one of the elements that can represent Japan today. Japanese animation has received high international acclaim, and its work has had a strong impact on fans and creators around the world. But in such a situation, why is there such a harsh situation in the animation production scene?

President Hirosho Kunimitsu of Gumi, an online game production company, explained this issue. He commented on his Facebook page:

"Anime products are basically only sold in Japan, so they are not very profitable. The planning and management aspects are also relatively poor, so they are very inefficient. ”

With the exception of a few works, most of the Japanese animation works only stay in the domestic market, so the market size is very small. In addition, the on-site management personnel cannot supervise and guide well, and the efficiency of the business is also very low. At present, in the animation industry, both of these problems are real.

At the same time, there is another problem: the money in the animation industry does not flow enough to the producers. According to a survey by the Japan Animation Association, consumers have invested 1,372.1 billion yen in the "animation industry market" in the broad sense of the word, and it continues to rise. On the other hand, in 2012, the "animation industry market," which is measured by the revenues of animation producers and animation companies, received only 172.5 billion yen. This figure is even down 23% from 224.4 billion yen in 2005. The profit that can be obtained by the company is only one-tenth of the revenue of the broad market.

Regarding such a big difference in market size, the Animation Association analyzed: "This is due to the fact that the animation industry led by animation characters has played a very large role in the utilization rate of borrowed capital. However, some people on the Internet believe that it is due to advertising agencies and TV stations taking the lion's share of the profits.

The reason why I can't express a tough attitude towards the animators on the animation scene

The hardships of the people who work in this industry are also expressed in the awkward relationship with the animators. According to a 2009 survey conducted by the Japan Association of Animators and Performers, the average annual income of animators aged 20~30 is only 1.1 million yen. While the investigation may not be very impartial, the problem of poor remuneration of animators is nothing new.

The unit price of each sketch of the animators is very cheap, and if they don't work day and night, they can't even guarantee their lives. This is also a real side. As a result, even if the people who "made the zuò" were under strong pressure from the higher-ups, they could not make strong demands on the animators on the spot.

However, at present, the phenomenon of improving the treatment of employees can also be seen in the industry. Director Hayao Miyazaki's Studio Ghibli introduced the concept of "a regular staff establishment and a fixed salary system" to improve the treatment of animators.

When Kaguya Monogatari was a great success, the studio awarded 1 million yen to each of the 100 people involved in the production of the work, and also established a private nursery school. However, there are still a few companies like Studio Ghibli, and most companies still face harsh treatment for their employees.

Talented people who have developed a liking for animation and want to be involved in the animation industry are working hard to create even when they are physically and mentally exhausted. This situation is not uncommon in today's entertainment industry, but in order to make the animation industry more robust, can we only expect the introduction of new management models and the emergence of managers and managers with conscience and excellent operating methods?