Pros
- Fully remote work and flex-time hours allow for good work-life balance. (Overtime depending.) - The studio is always bringing in new big-name projects from major clients, both Japanese and foreign, which are exciting to be a part of and look great on a resume. - The company seems very stable - the pandemic barely shook it. - Visa sponsorship for foreign workers. I got a 5-year visa thanks to (probably) the company's size and reputation. - The CEO grew up partly in the USA, speaks English, and is not beholden to the typical Japanese work ethic. He seems to honestly try his best to incorporate new ways of working (remote work was being implemented even before the pandemic hit) and is easily accessible. He always listened to any concerns I brought up, and even conducts exit interviews with all outgoing full-time employees to find out what the company can do better.
Cons
- Low salary based mostly on your age, rather than experience, skills, or value to the company. Negotiation requests are largely denied. - Few opportunities for training, growth, or experimentation, unless you have been there for 3-4 years already. This is especially tough for fresh graduates looking to start a career gaining a variety of experience. - While this isn't the most "Japanese" workplace, Japanese hierarchical structures still exist that make it hard for people at the 'bottom', doing the grunt work of creating images, to have any kind of creative voice or say in the direction of the project. It's all decided by directors somewhere else. - Overtime pay is generally only paid if your overtime work exceeds 45 hours in a month. - Overtime hours can be pretty bad, but depend on your department, project, and production schedule. I had some months with very little work where I was just killing time all day, and some where I was working in the studio late every night.