Toei Animation is one of the biggest names in the anime industry. Responsible for iconic titles like Dragon Ball, expanding the use of AI in their productions, fans aren't very happy.
Following reports of heavy investment in a company called Preferred Networks in April, Toei's recently released fiscal year 2025 presentation included a section detailing how they plan to apply AI to the production of their biggest shows. Though the technology has already quietly made its way into various aspects of anime production, Toei's detailed report has received quite a large amount of backlash, causing the studio to backtrack. However, though changes have been made to their original AI-focused presentation, it doesn't seem their plans are changing.
Toei Clarifies Their Plans for AI in Anime
The Powerhouse Studio Has Broken Their Silence on AI, But Not in the Way Fans Had Hoped
Toei's original presentation detailed just how the studio planned to "Apply AI to various processes of anime production". Those included the use of AI to generate storyboards, in-between frames, backgrounds, and even in coloring, with hopes of speeding up the animation process by effectively removing the human artist's touch. Naturally, this angered the vast majority of anime fans, who believe that replacing artists with AI is inherently wrong, and that AI can never replicate what an artist with years of experience and a trained eye is capable of.
"An Insult to Life Itself": Studio Ghibli's Hayao Miyazaki Hates AI ionately, And He's Told Us Why
Hayao Miyazaki has already explained his utter disgust for AI and its consequences, and why he thinks so.
In response to the backlash, Toei updated their fiscal year 2025 report, and removed the images under each of their planned uses for AI. They also added to the original description, clarifying that though they plan to implement AI in these areas, none of their productions are currently making use of the technology. The only image that remains in the report is under the background section, to which Toei added that the image is an example of the use of Scenify, a technology they developed and released in 2021.
One Piece Animator Confirms That AI Is Not Being Used In Production
One Animator Feels Like It's "An Overblown Disconnected PR-esque Statement"
In response to the report, Vincent Chansard, who has worked at Toei Animation on One Piece, Cowboy Bebop's Shinichiro Watanabe have reacted to AI in anime, Chansard's statements will certainly ease concerns for now.
However, even with intense backlash, Toei Animation has remained firm in their report that they plan to implement AI into their productions in the future. For now at least, fans can be certain that shows like Dragon Ball and One Piece are currently being made entirely by human hands.
Source: Toei Animation Fiscal Year 2025 Presentation
One Piece
- Release Date
- October 20, 1999
- Network
- Fuji TV
- Directors
- Hiroaki Miyamoto, Konosuke Uda, Junji Shimizu, Satoshi Itō, Munehisa Sakai, Katsumi Tokoro, Yutaka Nakajima, Yoshihiro Ueda, Kenichi Takeshita, Yoko Ikeda, Ryota Nakamura, Hiroyuki Kakudou, Takahiro Imamura, Toshihiro Maeya, Yûji Endô, Nozomu Shishido, Hidehiko Kadota, Sumio Watanabe, Harume Kosaka, Yasuhiro Tanabe, Yukihiko Nakao, Keisuke Onishi, Junichi Fujise, Hiroyuki Satou
Cast
Mayumi TanakaMonkey D. Luffy (voice)-
Kazuya NakaiRoronoa Zoro (voice)
WHERE TO WATCH
The One Piece anime began in 1999 and follows the adventures of Monkey D. Luffy, a boy with rubber-like abilities, as he embarks on a journey to find the legendary treasure "One Piece." Inspired by the pirate Shanks, Luffy aims to become the King of the Pirates, accompanied by a diverse crew.
- Creator(s)
- Eiichiro Oda
- Seasons
- 21
- Streaming Service(s)
- Hulu, Pluto TV
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