MAPPA's anniversary offers a reason to look beyond its biggest titles. In Anime Corner's October 17 interview, recorded at AnimagiC, president and CEO Manabu Otsuka and director Kaori Makita reflect on the people and decisions shaping the studio.
Room for different creative voices
Otsuka describes a company that wants to accommodate different creators rather than impose one house style. He also says production schedules have expanded: at least three years is now typical, while larger projects can take five or more from planning.
Attack on Titan Final Season anniversary visual, unveiled June 17, 2026.
Artwork: Yuichiro Hayashi; Tomohiro Kishi; Iku Onishi; Yumena Ohama; Yusuke Tannawa · Layout; illustration; digital paint; background art; composite, respectively
Project: MAPPA 15th Anniversary: Attack on Titan Final Season
Production: MAPPA
©Hajime Isayama, KODANSHA/"ATTACK ON TITAN" The Final Season Production Committee.
The difficult work between the action
Makita draws attention to everyday scenes. Subtle acting and timing can be as demanding as spectacular action, she explains. Her perspective gives the quieter moments in an episode their due: the craft does not stop when the fight ends.
Manabu Otsuka, MAPPA's president and CEO.
Project: Manabu Otsuka / MAPPA
Two worlds, two very different kinds of light
The anniversary artwork offers its own invitation to look closer. Reze crosses a wet, shadowed passage in the Chainsaw Man visual; Mikasa approaches a tree through flowers and warm sunlight in the Attack on Titan image. One composition encloses its figure beneath an arch, while the other opens toward the sky.
MAPPA's 15th anniversary mark, retained on its original white background.
Project: MAPPA 15th Anniversary
Production: MAPPA
© MAPPA Co.,LTD
MAPPA unveiled these visuals on June 16 and 17. Its official credits identify Shoichi as the Chainsaw Man illustrator, with Misaki Nakano on digital paint, Taichi Uchima on backgrounds and Yusuke Tannawa on compositing. For Attack on Titan, Yuichiro Hayashi handled layout, Tomohiro Kishi illustration, Iku Onishi digital paint, Yumena Ohama backgrounds and Tannawa compositing.
The individual credits matter as much as the anniversary mark. These images give the celebration a human scale, through distinct characters, places and the artists behind each frame.
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