Studio MAPPA's Bold Move Towards Self-Funded Anime Production Revolutionizes Industry Standards
Andrew Davis
Published May 16, 2026
By Published May 4, 2026, 3:29 PM EDT Zach joined the ScreenRant Anime team as a contributor in June 2026, before taking on a Senior Writer role in November. Since then, he has covered breaking news and produced features and lists about the most popular anime titles.
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Studio MAPPA has become a titan in the anime industry. After a relatively modest start in the early and mid-2010s, the studio slowly rose to prominence with a string of acclaimed works, before blowing up in 2026 with the debut of and the production of Attack on Titan's final season. In the years since, MAPPA has remained on its throne atop the industry, pumping out top-tier works like Chainsaw Man, Vinland Saga, Hell's Paradise, and other major hits.
However, MAPPA's rise in popularity hasn't been entirely free from bumps in the road. In 2026, multiple staff members and contributors to Jujutsu Kaisen's second season made public statements concerning employee mistreatment and other workplace issues, that did severe damage to the studio's reputation.
Now, MAPPA appears to be undoing some of that damage, leaving questionable workplace practices behind and instead revolutionizing the way anime is made. Thanks largely to the success of one key IP, Chainsaw Man, the studio has started down a road that will potentially forever change the anime industry for the better.
Studio MAPPA Is Putting Its Faith in Its Works, and Everyone Is Benefiting
Only a few short years removed from a controversy that nearly did irreparable damage to its reputation, studio MAPPA enjoyed one of its most successful years ever in 2026, success that was supercharged by . By the end of its theatrical run, Chainsaw Man's first film raked in nearly $200 million around the world. Though other anime films have surpassed those earnings before, MAPPA's approach to the hugely popular franchise makes those profits rather notable.
In an unconventional and risky move, MAPPA secured the rights to Chainsaw Man and self-funded the entirety of its production, even taking on the cost of marketing and expansion into international regions. Typically, anime projects are funded by committees, and any profits must be shared among however many investors are involved. As a result, the studio overseeing production takes home a smaller percentage of the pie, which is then divided and spread among the creators and artists.
[SITEURL] | Cursed Archives Interactive Quiz ScreenRant/ Anime/ Jujutsu Kaisen/ Trivia Cursed Energy Assessment · Grade Evaluation Jujutsu Kaisen
Trivia Challenge “Throughout Heaven and Earth, I alone am the honored one.” 👻CursesKing of Curses ✨SorcerersSpecial Grade 🌈DomainsExpand! ⚡TechniquesInfinity… 📘LoreGolden Age DOMAIN EXPANSION → QUESTION 1 / 8CURSES 01 The series begins when Yuji Itadori swallows a cursed object — the finger of a legendary curse known as the King of Curses, the most powerful cursed spirit in history. Who is this ancient being? AMahito BJogo CRyomen Sukuna DRika Orimoto ✓ Correct! Ryomen Sukuna is the King of Curses — an ancient, immensely powerful sorcerer from over a thousand years ago whose cursed essence was split into twenty indestructible fingers. When Yuji swallows one, Sukuna is reborn inside him, setting the entire story in motion. ✗ Cursed failure! The answer is Ryomen Sukuna. Mahito is a cursed spirit who manipulates souls, Jogo is a volcano-type curse, and Rika is the Queen of Curses from Jujutsu Kaisen 0. Only Sukuna holds the title of King of Curses. NEXT → QUESTION 2 / 8SORCERERS 02 The strongest jujutsu sorcerer alive is a blindfolded teacher at Tokyo Jujutsu High who possesses the legendary Six Eyes and the Limitless cursed technique. His birth alone shifted the balance of the jujutsu world. Who is he? ASuguru Geto BSatoru Gojo CYuta Okkotsu DKento Nanami ✓ Correct! Satoru Gojo is the strongest sorcerer in the modern era, wielding the Six Eyes and Limitless technique that grants him Infinity — an ability that makes him virtually untouchable. His confident declaration “Throughout Heaven and Earth, I alone am the honored one” became iconic. ✗ Cursed failure! The answer is Satoru Gojo. Suguru Geto is his former best friend turned enemy, Yuta Okkotsu is a Special Grade sorcerer from JJK 0, and Kento Nanami is a Grade 1 sorcerer and former salaryman. Only Gojo holds the title of the strongest. NEXT → QUESTION 3 / 8TECHNIQUES 03 The pinnacle of jujutsu sorcery is a technique that creates a separate space with a guaranteed hit against anyone trapped inside. This ultimate ability is declared by name before activation. What is it called? ADomain Expansion BBinding Vow CReverse Cursed Technique DBlack Flash ✓ Correct! Domain Expansion is the supreme technique in jujutsu — a sorcerer manifests their innate domain as a physical space where their attacks cannot miss. Gojo’s Unlimited Void, Sukuna’s Malevolent Shrine, and Mahito’s Self-Embodiment of Perfection are among the most devastating. ✗ Cursed failure! The answer is Domain Expansion. A Binding Vow is a contract that trades conditions for power, Reverse Cursed Technique converts cursed energy into healing, and Black Flash is a critical hit that applies cursed energy within 0.000001 seconds of a physical hit. NEXT → QUESTION 4 / 8YUJI ITADORI 04 Early in the series, Yuji Itadori develops an unintentional fighting style where his cursed energy arrives a moment after his physical punch, creating a devastating double impact. What is this technique called? ABlack Flash BCursed Strike CSoul Multiplicity DDivergent Fist ✓ Correct! Divergent Fist occurs because Yuji’s cursed energy is delayed behind his physical blow, creating two impacts in quick succession. While initially seen as a unique technique, it’s actually a sign of Yuji’s inexperience with cursed energy flow — he eventually learns to unify them properly. ✗ Cursed failure! The answer is Divergent Fist. Black Flash is a separate technique where cursed energy is applied within a fraction of a second of impact, creating a spatial distortion. Divergent Fist is Yuji’s signature early-series move caused by his lagging cursed energy. NEXT → QUESTION 5 / 8CURSED SPEECH 05 A second-year student at Tokyo Jujutsu High possesses a hereditary cursed speech technique that imbues his words with cursed energy, forcing anyone who hears them to obey. To avoid accidentally cursing people, he only speaks using rice ball ingredients. Who is he? AMaki Zenin BToge Inumaki CPanda DNoritoshi Kamo ✓ Correct! Toge Inumaki is the Inumaki clan descendant who wields Cursed Speech — his words become commands that others are forced to obey. He limits his vocabulary to onigiri ingredients like “salmon,” “tuna mayo,” and “kelp” to prevent accidentally harming people with his power. ✗ Cursed failure! The answer is Toge Inumaki. Maki Zenin has incredible physical prowess but limited cursed energy, Panda is a cursed corpse created by Principal Yaga, and Noritoshi Kamo uses Blood Manipulation. Only Inumaki speaks in rice ball ingredients to control his Cursed Speech. NEXT → QUESTION 6 / 8LORE 06 Yuji, Megumi, and Nobara are first-year students at a school that trains jujutsu sorcerers to fight cursed spirits. This institution, where Gojo serves as a teacher, is located in Tokyo. What is it called? ACursed Energy Academy BSorcerer Technical College CTokyo Jujutsu High DZenin Clan Dojo ✓ Correct! Tokyo Jujutsu High (Tokyo Metropolitan Curse Technical College) is where sorcerers train to exorcise cursed spirits. It’s one of two jujutsu schools in Japan — the other being Kyoto Jujutsu High, led by Principal Gakuganji. Their annual Exchange Event is a major arc in the series. ✗ Cursed failure! The answer is Tokyo Jujutsu High. The Zenin clan is one of the three great sorcerer families but not a school. Tokyo Jujutsu High is the institution hidden behind a barrier where Gojo, Nanami, and other sorcerers guide the next generation. NEXT → QUESTION 7 / 8DOMAIN EXPANSIONS 07 Sukuna’s Domain Expansion is unique — instead of creating an enclosed barrier, it manifests as an open shrine with a guaranteed hit range of up to 200 meters. This makes it one of the most powerful domains ever seen. What is it called? AMalevolent Shrine BUnlimited Void CChimera Shadow Garden DCoffin of the Iron Mountain ✓ Correct! Malevolent Shrine is Sukuna’s Domain Expansion — a Buddhist shrine adorned with skulls that delivers relentless slashing attacks. Unlike other domains, it has no barrier, which is considered a Binding Vow that massively increases its effective range and power. ✗ Cursed failure! The answer is Malevolent Shrine. Unlimited Void is Gojo’s domain that overwhelms targets with infinite information, Chimera Shadow Garden is Megumi’s domain, and Coffin of the Iron Mountain is Jogo’s volcanic domain. Sukuna’s barrierless Malevolent Shrine is considered the pinnacle. NEXT → QUESTION 8 / 8CREATOR 08 Jujutsu Kaisen became one of the best-selling manga series in history and a massive anime hit animated by Studio MAPPA. The manga was serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump. Who is the mangaka (creator) behind Jujutsu Kaisen? ATatsuki Fujimoto BKoyoharu Gotouge CYuji Kaku DGege Akutami ✓ Correct! Gege Akutami is the creator of Jujutsu Kaisen, which began serialization in Weekly Shonen Jump in 2018. Akutami’s dark, complex storytelling and intricate power system have made JJK one of the defining manga and anime of its generation. ✗ Cursed failure! The answer is Gege Akutami. Tatsuki Fujimoto created Chainsaw Man, Koyoharu Gotouge created Demon Slayer, and Yuji Kaku created Hell’s Paradise. Only Gege Akutami is the mind behind the world of cursed energy, Sukuna, and Jujutsu Kaisen. REVEAL MY SCORE → Assessment Complete Your Sorcerer Grade / 8 Are you Special Grade — or just a cursed spirit waiting to be exorcised? ↻ EXPAND DOMAIN AGAIN
By skirting any fundraising, MAPPA was able to take home nearly 100% of Chainsaw Man's profits, which then allowed the studio to better compensate its employees and creators. Such a move posed an intense risk to MAPPA, as any commercial failure would have meant severe financial loss. Fortunately, the studio's faith in its work paid off, and Chainsaw Man's profits have allowed MAPPA to acquire the rights to about 10 titles, according to .
Studio MAPPA Is Revolutionizing Anime
Self-Funded Anime Projects Are a Net Positive for the Industry, Creators, and Fans
MAPPA's approach to production is still unique in the anime industry, with other, smaller studios still crowdfunding their projects. At the same time, the success the studio has enjoyed in recent years cannot be ignored, and other major companies are likely to begin following MAPPA's business model. It isn't the first time self-funded production has proven lucrative, as Kyoto Animation, for its ethical practices, has done the same for a number of its own projects over the years.
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Jujutsu Kaisen's sequel, Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo, just dropped a surprise animated trailer, and it's a pure masterpiece, despite its short length.
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Though MAPPA found itself buried in controversy only a few short years ago, the studio appears to have largely repaired its reputation and is now blazing a trail that may very well change anime forever. Its belief in its own projects allows for greater creative freedom and better compensation for creators, which, in turn, leads to higher quality works for fans to sink their teeth into, all while the studio sees greater profits. If the industry follows MAPPA's lead, everyone wins.
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Junya Enoki Yuji Itadori - Yuichi Nakamura Satoru Gojo
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