Chainsaw Man director Ryu Nakayama departs MAPPA to establish his independent animation studio

Director Ryu Nakayama has departed from MAPPA to establish his own animation studio, Andraft. He made the official announcement on his X (formerly known as Twitter) account on January 6, 2024. Moreover, Andraft has already released a short trailer in collaboration with VSPO and Cardfight!! Vanguard, giving fans a sneak peek into the animation studio’s art style and quality. It's worth taking a closer look at Andraft’s recent work and diving deeper into Mr. Nakayama’s previous projects.

Chainsaw Man director Ryu Nakayama establishes a new animation studio

The official announcement of Mr. Makayama's new animation studio - Andraft. (Image via X/@r_mkym_)

The director of Chainsaw Man has left MAPPA to start his own animation studio called Andraft. In a tweet announcing the news, he mentioned that the company's goal is to take on diverse projects from different genres that will push the organization to new heights. Andraft also assured that they will undertake new and challenging projects without bias. Shougo Sakata, a popular voice anime actor, also congratulated the former Chainsaw Man director on the establishment of his new company.

A glimpse into Andraft's latest work

Andraft was tasked with animating a short trailer, serving as a preview video for the latest collaboration with VSPO and Cardfight!! Vanguard. The animation quality was impressive and the fight sequences were smoothly executed. The video's storyboarding and direction were handled by Ryu Nakayama, showcasing early potential for Andraft. Now that we have seen a glimpse of their work, let's delve into some of Ryu Nakayama's previous projects to get a better understanding of his talent.

Who is Ryu Nakayama? A detailed look into some of his works

Ryu Nakayama is seen attending an event. (Image via X/@DenjiUnleashed)

Mr. Nakayama, best known as the Chainsaw Man director, has also contributed to other popular titles. During his time at MAPPA, he worked on Jujutsu Kaisen, directing episode 19 of season 1 and contributing to the key animation and opening soundtrack for the first episode. Additionally, he worked on Black Clover, directing the ending and providing key animation for the first ending theme soundtrack.

He directed, storyboarded, and provided key animation for episode 16 of the Rising of Shield Hero series. With his impressive track record, it will be intriguing to see how Andraft, his studio, will contribute to the upcoming anime series. His talent and vision are sure to be valuable assets for the studio as they take on big projects that the anime community is eagerly awaiting.

Stay tuned for more anime and manga news as 2024 progresses.

Editor's P/S

As a Gen Z fan, I am thrilled to hear about the news of Chainsaw Man director Ryu Nakayama departing from MAPPA to establish his own animation studio, Andraft. Nakayama's work on Chainsaw Man was highly acclaimed, and I have been eagerly anticipating his future projects. The sneak peek into Andraft's latest project, a short trailer in collaboration with VSPO and Cardfight!! Vanguard, has only further piqued my interest. The animation quality and fight sequences were impressive, and I can't wait to see what else Andraft has in store.

Nakayama's previous works, such as his contributions to Jujutsu Kaisen, Black Clover, and The Rising of Shield Hero, showcase his versatility and talent as a director and animator. I believe that Andraft has the potential to become a major player in the anime industry, and I am excited to see what innovative and groundbreaking projects they will produce in the future. I wish Nakayama and his team all the best in their new endeavor and can't wait to see what they accomplish with Andraft.