MAPPA renews and expands partnership with Netflix

According to Polygon, animation studio MAPPA has renewed and strengthened its partnership with Netflix that began in 2020, the companies announced on Jan. 21. Details remain vague, but MAPPA and Netflix said they will "work together on new projects with a global perspective," and that Netflix will have exclusive rights for a slate of MAPPA productions.

Some MAPPA titles are already exclusive to Netflix, including the 2024 Ranma 1/2 remake and Kakegurui Twin. The announcement noted that more than half of Netflix subscribers enjoy anime, that anime viewership has tripled over the past five years, and that anime titles on Netflix were viewed over 1 billion times in 2024; it also said Japanese content is the second most viewed globally after English-language titles.

The move follows MAPPA’s 2022 decision to bypass the traditional production committee system to self-fund the first season of Chainsaw Man, a step the release said could give the studio unusual freedom — though it did not specify how much influence Netflix will have. MAPPA has faced criticism over animators' working conditions, which VP Hiroya Hasegawa said would be addressed through mentorship and work-life balance.

Key Topics

Culture, Mappa, Netflix, Manabu Otsuka, Chainsaw Man, Production Committee