MAPPA's use of CGI in Chainsaw Man anime causes controversy

Chainsaw Man
Denji as the Chainsaw Devil in Chainsaw Man (Image via MAPPA)

With the release of Chainsaw Man episode 1, anime critics have come out yet again to complain about the CGI that has been used in several scenes. Previously, fans criticized the anime over a leaked fight scene clip in the first episode. However, people were quick to shut down any arguments about the same, considering the quality of the video itself.

Now that the anime has officially premiered, there has been some controversy surrounding MAPPA's use of CGI in Chainsaw Man. While a portion of the audience loved the CGI used in the first episode, others despised it, claiming that it ruined the anime entirely. With both sides having their own arguments on the CGI used in the anime, it caused controversy among the online anime community on several social networking forums.


The use of CGI in Chainsaw Man episode 1 puts MAPPA under fire

Although most parts of the episode were made in 2D, some parts, especially the fight scene between Denji and the Zombie Devil, had instances where 3DCG was used to help fasten the production process. While it looked good in several shots, the 3D modeling was too apparent for the eye in some instances. This was because the frame dropped drastically, causing Denji's movement to look quite jarring.


MAPPA's use of CGI in episode 1 of Chainsaw Man complicates the frames

This was reason enough for some fans of the series to criticize MAPPA. They stated how 2D animation would always be better than CG animation. Moreover, the same fans cited examples from the episode since the difference in Denji's chainsaw blades in 2D animation and CG was obvious to one's eye.

That being said, not everyone was against MAPPA's use of CGI in Chainsaw Man. Several fans found CGI to be a decent method for animating scenes. However, they also felt that several scenes in the first episode had moments where CGI ruined the experience through its drastic frame drop and jarring movements.

One fan even added that the use of CG for Denji's Chainsaw head itself was fine, but what ruined the scenes was the CG work done on Denji's body, which caused his movements to look awkward.


Fans rush to defend MAPPA

While several fans criticized MAPPA over the use of CGI in Chainsaw Man episode 1, the other section of the fandom defended the studio. Despite the controversy, the majority of the fanbase is aware of the anime shows that MAPPA has piled up over the years, some of which are yet to be released. Hence, some fans believed that MAPPA's use of CG animation was justified, as they had too much work to get done.

But this statement was not satisfactory for some fans, as they argued how the studio shouldn't have taken such a money-hungry decision of accepting multiple projects at the same time in the first place. They felt that the management made the mistake since they agreed to numerous projects, all of which are set to be released one after another.

Makima hugging Denji in Chainsaw Man (Image via MAPPA)
Makima hugging Denji in Chainsaw Man (Image via MAPPA)

Some fans even tried to defend MAPPA by saying how the studio's use of CG animation was inevitable. They scrutinized the frames by looking at the manga's art style and Denji's chainsaws which required some computer work to have some realistic effects.

However, these arguments were quickly shut down by the critics, as they themselves know the use of CG isn't necessarily bad, looking back at Toei Animation's Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero movie. According to them, the studio didn't put in the effort to create flawless CGI and were quick to release the anime due to their tendency to work cheaply.

Hopefully, MAPPA will take all the criticism well and make appropriate changes to the episodes that are yet to air.