Covid Outbreaks In China, South Korea Slowing Anime Production
It’s time to bust out the harried Shirobako images, because it’s another tale of industry woe.
As y’all are well aware, a large chunk of anime production gets outsourced to firms in places like China and South Korea. Now, according to one industry insider, Covid outbreaks in those countries are taking a toll on anime production lines.
The source of this info is Kyoko Kotani, a key animator and animation director who’s worked on shows like Spy x Family and Dance with Devils.
Tweets Kotani:
The workers at an animation company in China have been down for several days due to a Covid infection, and it seems that the amount of work we can ask them to do is decreasing.
The good news? The Chinese New Year was already built in to a lot of schedules, so Kotani posits this might not have a huge effect on the upcoming season.
The bad news? Kotani tweets again:
Not only Chinese animation companies, but also South Korean companies are finding it tougher and tougher to ask for work due to Covid, and it has become impossible for the title I am working on, which is not a TV series, to be in colored fully by end of this year.
Other industry folks chimed in, adding that they’re also feeling the crunch.
Of course, there’s no one to blame in a situation like this, but don’t be shocked if some anime gets delayed in the coming months.
中国のアニメ会社の作業者さんたちが数日前からコロナの感染でダウンしてしまって、仕事お願い出来る量が減ってきてるみたい。
最近は放送前に全話制作が終わってる作品も多いし、特に1月新番組は中国の春節を考慮した制作体制になってたりもするからすぐには影響出ないと思うんだけど、どうなんだろう— 小谷杏子 (@koni_ko222) December 21, 2022
中国のアニメ会社だけじゃなく、韓国の会社もコロナでお仕事頼むのが厳しくなって、テレビシリーズじゃないけど自分が今作業してる作品も年内でフィルムをオールカラーにするのが不可能になりました～。
それとは関係なく、自分の仕事はちゃんと終わらせないと
みなさんお大事にしてください
— 小谷杏子 (@koni_ko222) December 22, 2022
Source: Otakomu
