Is MAPPA The Best Animation Studio? (Discover)

Animating some of the biggest hits recently, MAPPA  has surely become the powerhouse of the Anime industry.

Ever since its establishment, MAPPA has churned out rich animation from Attack on Titan season 4 to Jujutsu Kaisen, MAPPA has a tradition of staying faithful to the Manga and revamping those parts that were not taken care of in the Manga.

Masao Maruyama, a well-known name in the anime business, established the Japanese animation company MAPPA in 2011.
Masao Maruyama, a well-known name in the Anime business, established the Japanese animation company MAPPA in 2011.

About MAPPA

MAPPA is a Japanese animation studio that was founded in 2011 by Masao Maruyama, who is a well-known figure in the Anime industry.

Maruyama is a former producer at Madhouse, another prominent Japanese animation studio, and has also worked as a producer on numerous Anime series and films.

He is considered a pioneer in the industry and has been involved in the production of many popular Anime franchises over the years. 

Maruyama founded MAPPA with the goal of creating a new type of animation studio that would focus on producing high-quality, innovative content.

Since its founding, the studio has gained a reputation for its dedication to producing a number of popular Anime series, such as Attack on Titan, The God of High School, Jujutsu Kaisen, and The Promised Neverland.

In addition to producing Anime for television, MAPPA has also worked on Anime films and video games. 

The studio is known for its high-quality animation and attention to detail and has earned a reputation as one of the top animation studios in Japan.

Some of MAPPA’s most popular works have been widely praised for their compelling storylines and character development.

After the success of AOT season 4 and Jujutsu Kaisen, MAPPA has been taking on a lot of Anime projects lately.

It is not uncommon for animation studios to work on multiple projects at the same time, as it allows them to maximize their resources and continue to produce new content for their audiences.

Another possibility is that MAPPA has gained a reputation for producing high-quality Anime, and as a result, it may be receiving a larger number of offers for new projects.

It’s also possible that the studio has made a strategic decision to increase its output in order to meet demand and grow its business.

Which studio is better: WIT or MAPPA?

WIT and MAPPA are often compared to each other after Attack on Titan switched from WIT studios after season 3 to MAPPA. But it would be unfair to say which one is better based on just a single season. 

WIT has been the first studio that introduced AOT to us in the form of Anime, the titans, and the background everything seemed top-notch to Manga fans at that time.

Everyone like the WIT’s vibrant, gentler hues, but now that the plot has taken a turn for the better in the final season of AOT, MAPPA’s aesthetic makes more sense.

While MAPPA mainly relied on the Manga source material and improved upon the content provided without adding any Anime original characteristics. WIT took it upon themselves to experiment with the character design, which proved to be for the better.

So, for manga readers, MAPPA’s design was a richer adaption, yet WIT’s design looks just as excellent, if not better, from an Anime standpoint.

MAPPA vs. Other Studios: Who’s the Best?

Which studio is best for AOT?

MAPPA's take on Eren's Titan
MAPPA’s take on Eren’s Titan.
Title Shingeki No Kyojin/ Attack on Titan
No. of Seasons4
Release YearApril 2013
CreatorHajime Isayama
GenreSeinen, Dark Fantasy, Action
About Attack on Titan

Attack on Titan came as a surprise hit in the 2010s for its first season was animated by WIT studios which took the job to animate the second and the third season.

They used a combination of CGI and traditional animation under the direction of Tetsuro Araki for the first season while the other two seasons were directed by Masashi Koizuka. 

But as the creator, Hajime Isayama is concluding the series with season 4 and the story has taken a turn for good the Anime has also switched its studio to MAPPA.

The handover was chosen because of the series’ expanding scope, said the show’s producers. The third season’s finale with a glance into the sunset was designed to symbolize a turning point in the show’s plot.

Numerous studios reportedly turned down the opportunity to complete the series because they didn’t want to try to step into WIT Studio’s outsized shoes. Eventually, the studio selected to produce the last season was MAPPA.

Initially, Fans were worried if MAPPA would do justice to Anime since most of the Anime that changed studios resulted in lower-quality animations so far.

Also, season 4 has some intense action including the Warhammer Titan battle, Armin defeating the Marley fleet, Marley sneaking into Eldia, and Levi fighting the Beast Titan But MAPPA proved its worth. 

Is Mappa Studio good for AOT?

MAPPA was a great choice for the finale of AOT since it depicted the post time skip period perfectly.

WIT studio’s bright colors fit perfectly for the pre-time skip-shonen vibe of the first three seasons but it lacked in some parts.

Like the CGI titans were looking more silly rather than behemoths. MAPPA improvised by integrating hand-drawn scenes and CGI to give a better look to the 3D sequences. 

Eren vs Warhammer fight scenes

Wit Studio used the term “adaptation” literally and added and rearranged a number of Manga sequences to suit their own preferences. This has perks, but MAPPA’s accurate adaptation also has advantages.

No Manga scene was missing, which is great considering how much the quality of the series improved as Isayama’s graphic style developed.

Fans thought that Wit Studio had taken far too many artistic licenses with the original material in Season 3, which was a rather major concern. 

The characters also don’t vary from Isayama’s writing in any way since the character design also stays true to the manga.

In the first three seasons, Mikasa was a protagonist that suffered from persistent obsession with Eren, despite the manga really including some strong character growth for her.

It’s significant that the latter was kept in MAPPA’s adaption because of the major part she plays at the end of the show.

These parts were quite tense and heart-pounding due to the combination of background music and cinematography.
These parts were quite tense and heart-pounding due to the combination of background music and cinematography.

The static scenes in season 4 were more haunting and powerful than WIT’s creation in seasons 2 and 3.

The conjunction of cinematography and background music made these scenes pretty nerve-wracking and heart-pounding at the same time. 

Each studio chooses a different art form for its own take on the Attack on Titan adaptation.

None, however, is intrinsically better, especially in light of the fact that MAPPA’s muted colors effectively capture Season 4’s all-out conflict.

As a result, the MAPPA’s darker style is perfect for showing the horrors of war. Since the Wit Studio’s bolder colors could have seemed out of place throughout this arc, this change ended up being helpful.

Conclusion

  • In conclusion, Mappa is a highly skilled and capable animation studio that has demonstrated a strong ability to produce high-quality works. 
  • Overall, Mappa’s skills and experience make it a strong choice for producing Attack on Titan and other Anime projects.
  • The studio has a reputation for delivering visually stunning and polished animation that captivates audiences and has garnered a strong following among fans of Anime. 
  • Mappa’s work Attack on Titan has been widely praised and has helped to cement the studio’s reputation as a top-tier animation studio. 

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