the renowned animator Kyohei Ebata, famous for his work in Boruto. He publicly denounced an unjustified salary cut during the production of the new anime of Netflix, , Yaiba: Samurai Legend. The case set off the alarms about labor practices within the industry and put the controversy at the center of the controversy. Wit Studio, responsible for the series. And again under scrutiny the harsh working conditions that still persist in the Japanese animation industry.
The accusation exposes problems of treatment and confidence in the production
It all started on July 17, when Ebata He denounced in his networks that a producer identified only as p He had unilaterally reduced his payment. The reason: changes in the lights and shadows of his illustrations, which the producer interpreted as proof that Ebata was delegating his work to third parties. The animator defended his technique, clarifying that the variations in Yaiba: Samurai Legend They were part of his artistic style and offered evidence to prove it, including file review and IP tracing.
However, the production of Yaiba: Samurai Legend He refused to carry out any verification. the most serious for Ebata It was that, despite the cut, he was required to complete the current tasks while maintaining the terms of the original contract. A practice that he described as an unlimited work subscription model that leaves creatives helpless. The controversy grew even more when rumors circulated that the Japan Labor Standards Office had suspended the responsible producer after receiving the complaint.
Wit Studio supports errors and promises to improve internal communication
public pressure and media impact forced Wit Studio. responsible for the animation, to publish a official statement On July 20, signed by the producer Haruyasu Makino. In it, the study recognized that they found no evidence that Ebata would have outsourced their work. They admitted that the way of handling the situation generated mistrust and unnecessary misunderstandings.
the statement of Wit Studio He explained that everything arose from assumptions based on subtle changes in coloration, and that it was a mistake to make such serious decisions without thoroughly investigating. In addition, the company regretted that the lack of direct dialogue worsened the problem and promised to improve internal communication and monitoring practices in future projects.
Yoshimichi Kameda, animation director Yaiba: Samurai Legend. He had already warned about the harsh working conditions and the scarcity of resources in this case, which is not isolated. According to Kameda, the team had to create new assets for each episode without almost reusing previous animations. which overloaded the animators and generated additional tensions.
Finally, after receiving the official apology, Ebata He deleted his posts. However, his complaint adds to a long list of claims from Japanese animators who demand fairer working conditions and more transparent contracts.
