Overwork and overproduction – these are some of the main problems currently facing the anime industry. Animator wages remain low even as the demand for anime climbs and mega corporations become steadily more involved on the financing side. Under these circumstances, even studios that make an effort to create a positive work environment take on more work than they can chew simply to remain afloat.
Formerly an animator at Titmouse Vancouver, Joan Chung worked at Science SARU from December 2019 to June 2021. She has credits for Japan Sinks and Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!, although much of her work is on Star Wars: Visions and yet-to-be-announced projects. After parting ways amicably with the studio, she spoke to ANN over email about the long-term problems of the anime industry and how that affected her experiences at Science SARU.
“Prior to COVID, the studio culture was…
