Vincent Chansard’s Departure from MAPPA and Unexpected Return.
Veteran animator Vincent Chansard has been at the center of controversy lately regarding the treatment of animators in the anime industry.
Previously, he had declared he would be leaving MAPPA Studios, known for acclaimed shows like Attack on Titan and Jujutsu Kaisen, seemingly bidding sayonara after becoming disgruntled over issues like tight production schedules and heavy workloads.
However, in an interesting turn of events, there are now reports that Chansard has decided not to fully retreat from the industry.
Rather, he will be joining the animation team for the hugely popular series One Piece as it heads into a climactic new saga.
Going “One Piece” refers to him hopping aboard what is arguably the anime/manga juggernaut franchise of the moment to continue plying his creative talents.
One Piece (Credits: Eiichiro Oda)
Though the production challenges may still be immense given One Piece’s intense following and expectations, it seems Chansard couldn’t resist the chance to contribute his signature flourishes to such an iconic show at a crucial juncture in its story.
His decision has sparked discussion anew around animation work environments and whether coveted projects like One Piece can offset stresses that have been driving away talent.
Vincent Chansard’s Departure from MAPPA Raises Questions in the Anime Community
Veteran French animator Vincent Chansard has made waves with his announcement that he will no longer work with acclaimed animation studio MAPPA.
One Piece Egghead Island Opening (Credits: Toei Animation)
Chansard is renowned for his exceptional contributions to classic anime franchises like Boruto and Fate/Grand Order over his career.
However, in recent years, he has become best known for his instrumental work in animating pivotal moments in the Wano Country arc of the global phenomenon One Piece.
Specifically, Chansard lent his signature flair to animating sequences like “Zoro vs King” and the introduction of Luffy’s long-awaited Gear 5 form.
One Piece Egghead Island Opening (Credits: Toei Animation)
His scenes of fluid action and emotional drama were considered some of 2023’s most stunning anime visuals.
Given this reputation, the timing of Chansard’s MAPPA departure is especially shocking, coming right after he animated parts of megahit Jujutsu Kaisen’s second season, demonstrating he still operates at an elite level.
Chansard’s announcements have sparked discussion about why an animator behind some of One Piece’s most impactful recent episodes would suddenly leave MAPPA.
One Piece Egghead Island Opening (Credits: Toei Animation)
While no explicit reasons were given, some speculate issues like production crunches or creative differences.
Still, with Wano reaching its crescendo in the One Piece anime, many fans hope Chansard will continue contributing his talents however possible.
One Piece Egghead Island Opening (Credits: Toei Animation)
His past One Piece work has shown that when the franchise gets ahold of genius-level animators like Chansard, absolute masterpieces can result.
Perhaps this is not the end of the ace animator voyaging into the New World of Luffy and the Straw Hats.
About One Piece Future’s Story
After surviving a harrowing plunge down a massive waterfall in Wano, the Straw Hat Pirates took time to recover and regroup. During this reprieve, Nami decided to punish their rambunctious captain Luffy for his reckless actions by putting him in a cage.
One Piece Egghead Island Opening (Credits: Toei Animation)
Soon after, they received a newspaper detailing massive developments that had occurred globally during their isolation in Wano.
Perusing the paper, they were met with a mix of triumph and tragedy. On one hand, they were thrilled to see their own bounties had skyrocketed after victory against Kaido and Big Mom, cementing their status as an unprecedented rising power.
One Piece Egghead Island Opening (Credits: Toei Animation)
However, they also read grim tidings – news of a suspected assassination of kingdom ruler Cobra carried out by Luffy’s sworn brother Sabo. Additionally, Cobra’s daughter Vivi, a beloved ally of the crew, had mysteriously vanished.
Luffy immediately insisted on rushing off to rescue Vivi, but Zoro persuaded him that until clear evidence of Vivi’s danger emerged, they should let her tackle challenges in her homeland independently.
One Piece Egghead Island Opening (Credits: Toei Animation)
Still, Luffy refused to believe Sabo murdered Cobra, flashing back to when he first told Sabo and Ace of his improbable dream to become Pirate King. Recounting this long-held ambition prompted reactions ranging from Sanji’s dismissive laughter to Usopp’s skepticism.
Yet Luffy stood firm that this was possible for the future Pirate King. Inspired by their captain’s vision, Franky declared they needed to urgently hunt down the last Road Poneglyph to guide Luffy closer to this seemingly impossible dream.
One Piece Egghead Island Opening (Credits: Toei Animation)
However, Robin cautioned that this sacred stone’s whereabouts have been veiled in mystery for ages.
The range of upbeat and sobering news left the crew balanced precariously between soaring optimism about their growth into an unprecedented power and heartache over losing a dear companion in Vivi.
But Luffy’s enduring dream anchored their next objective – to forge ahead undaunted into the most dangerous seas, continuing their quest to aid this fated King of the Pirates.
