Following in the footsteps of Space Battleship Yamato toward the revival of Mushi Productions through the “Masterpiece Film Festival”
The popularity of Space Battleship Yamato is said to be sparking a major animation boom. Free-spirited ideas unique to animation seem to be inspiring dreams and romance in today’s younger generation.
One company that is greatly pleased with the anime boom is the longest established anime studio Mushi productions. Mushi is known for producing works such as Mighty Atom, jungle Emperor, And 1001 Nights, but it went bankrupt about four years ago. The main reason for this, according to the film industry labor union, was that “TV stations and sponsors forced them to produce works that were not profitable.”
The anime industry appears to be booming due to high demand, but the reality is that over 90% of workers are subcontractors, and animators with six years of experience may only earn around ¥70,000-¥80,000 a month. While income increases with volume due to the piece work system, a decline in quality is inevitable. TV stations, on the other hand, are increasingly outsourcing to Taiwan and South Korea, where wages are even lower.
Despite struggling under such unfavorable conditions, the company aimed to rebuild itself, and as a stepping stone, the Mushi Productions Masterpiece Festival is planned for August 27 to September 1 (Yomiuri Hall, Tokyo).
In addition to the aforementioned works, films such as Tomorrow’s Joe and Belladonna of Sadness will be screened, bringing together all of Mushi’s works. They’ve already received inquiries from all over the country, so the initial reception is positive.
“If we can secure 16,000 spectators during this period, we should be able to avoid going into the red. We’re not even considering failure. We really want to make this a success,” says Mushi Pro, burning with enthusiasm. They say that once the company is successfully rebuilt, they want to demonstrate their adventurous spirit and become become a leader in the industry.
By the way, when asked for their thoughts on the hit of Yamato, they welcomed its success. “It’s an incredible hit. It’s created a great mood for anime as a whole.”