Over the last couple of months, anime has been in something of a turbulent state. A lot of this has come from the revelations coming out of MAPPA Studios with the latest season of Jujutsu Kaisen. Though anime is incredibly popular, the quality of life for animators and mangaka has possibly never been lower.
From Hunter x Hunter creator Yoshihiro Togashi giving fans multiple possible endings to his much-loved series in case he dies to Eiichiro Oda, the creator of One Piece, spending all his waking hours trying to finish One Piece to the detriment of his health, things aren’t looking up. Then, two prolific directors decided to open their mouths, and they said something truly despicable about anime and its relationship with AI.
In a recent interview, Tomohisa Taguchi of Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War and Keiichi Hara, known for Crayon Shin-Chan, were asked about the topic of AI. Taguchi immediately jumped into discussing the benefits of using AI, while Hara took things a step further by explaining how it can “replace lazy animators who don’t get the work done.” These comments pave a troubling path for anime and those who sacrifice their well-being for their art.
This train of thought, if it catches on, could derail a lot of careers. It’s also deeply disheartening to see a veteran of the craft think this way. Hara is in his 60s and has been a part of the industry for decades. Meanwhile, Taguchi has been a part of several notable recent hits. I personally have adored many of the projects he has worked on, and this feels like a kind of betrayal.
What I find particularly damning is Hara’s belief that AI taking over the industry may allow for John Connor-style artists to rise up and try and surpass the machines. This is nothing commendable – this is deplorable. Art has always been a kind of rebellion. What he speaks of is the creation of a kind of elitist caste. Completely stripping away any kind of joy.
Now, none of this is new. After all, we’ve seen a spike in AI use in media in the West, whether it be on YouTube with channels like Corridor Crew championing the new AI overlords or Marvel’s growing use of AI in their shows. It’s just sad because I once felt that anime was a haven. Within anime and manga was the true expression of creativity and imagination.
With Taguchi and Hara saying out loud what many executives are probably thinking about, the chance of this happening has risen. And with the situation of MAPPA constantly in flux, animators are being pushed into a desperate situation.
As I’ve spoken on in the past, I’m an artist myself – a failed one, but I still know the ins and outs of the industry. I’ve seen truly accomplished artists beg for work. They want to be seen, and they want to share their talent with the world. This is yet another nail in the coffin for artists, not just in the West but around the whole world.
Every day, I see more AI “art” showing up on Instagram, and I see more and more comments praising it, and it’s disheartening. I see those messed up fingers, and all I can think is that some artist out there could have done this commission for you, and it would have had a lot more personality and heart.
