Japanese AI animation will be released in 2025, with 95% of shots using generative AI
According to (ITmedia) reports, Frontier Works, a subsidiary of Japan's Animate, recently announced that it will launch an experimental AI animation (Twins Aang Naifei) (ツインズひなひま, tentative translation) in the spring of 2025, and the first production trailer has been released.
The biggest feature of this work is that generative AI technology was used in the production of more than 95% of the shots, but it is emphasized that AI is only an "auxiliary tool."
(Twins Harna Feili) animation is based on the virtual TikToker owned by KaKa Creation. The protagonists of the story are a pair of twin female high school students studying in Tokyo High School. The elder sister is white-haired Feili, and the younger sister is red-haired Harna. The two dreamed of becoming famous on TikTok, but while filming various interesting dance videos, they accidentally discovered some unusual changes.
In terms of production process, Frontier Works uses a variety of AI technologies to assist animation production. For example, let AI generate animation manuscripts from storyboards, convert real-life photos into animated backgrounds, and convert 3D models into hand-drawn textures.
Image source: Twins Hinahima, the official Japanese AI animation Twins Hinahima will be released in 2025, with 95% of the characters using generative AI
However, in order to ensure the quality of the work, the final presentation is still modified and processed by professional creators.
When making the main visual poster, the team first took real-life photos, then converted them into animation styles through AI, and finally asked artists to modify them. The characters and title LOGO in the poster were all hand-drawn by the creator using drawing software.
Image source: Twins Hinahima, the official Japanese AI animation Twins Hinahima will be released in 2025, with 95% of the characters using generative AI
Makoto Tezuka, Ryo Yasuhiko’s thoughts on AI-assisted animation
Before the animation was launched, (Oricon News) interviewed Tezuka Makoto, son of Osamu Tezuka, and (Mobile Suit Gundam) character designer Yasuhiko Yoshikazu, and asked them about their views on AI-assisted painting.
Tezuka believes that AI technology is just like the rise of computer animation (CG) in the 1980s. At that time, it also caused the industry to worry that painters and directors would be replaced, but it turns out that these worries are unnecessary:
"Today's movies no longer emphasize the use of CG. The reason why people are particularly sensitive to AI is because it is still in the stage where it must be publicly publicized."
He further pointed out that for entertainment works, the most important thing is whether the finished product can entertain the audience. Whether it is drawn by humans or programs is not the point.
He also speculated that if his father, Osamu Tezuka, were still alive, he would be happy to use AI to handle some mechanical tasks, such as drawing lines or coloring.
Yoshikazu Yasuhiko said that due to the current shortage of manpower in the animation industry, the quality of painting is low. He believes that AI may be able to take on simpler tasks, such as painting intermediate frames, crowd scenes or passers-by, leaving real painters to do other tasks. work to help improve the overall painting level.
Source: ツインズひなひま official Tezuka Makoto, Yasuhiko Ryowa’s views on AI-assisted animation production
AI animation has sparked heated discussions among netizens. Will it replace human painters?
However, the way the animation was produced has caused a lot of controversy in the community. First of all, judging from the trailer, the movement of the character's hair and the change in pupil shape after turning his head are obviously unnatural, not quite like the drawing method we are used to when watching animation.
There are also Japanese netizens who are very concerned about copyright issues and believe that the animation production team deliberately confused the essential difference between human "copying" and AI "copying and reuse".
Other netizens are worried that animation is a labor-intensive industry with a very detailed division of labor. If AI is allowed to replace certain production links, it will undoubtedly deprive relevant workers of their livelihood.
However, at this stage, it may be very difficult for AI to replace core animators.
The current common Japanese animation production process is that investors may first propose an animation plan, and form an "animation production committee" with other investors and animation production companies to establish an animation producer, and then finalize the director, screenwriter, character design, general manager, etc. After taking important positions such as painting supervision, the production process is gradually advanced.
Some excellent original animators can create wonderful clips, and they are also divided into many styles and schools (golden style, realistic style, web style, etc.). They have a set of inheritance and evolutionary pedigree that is unique to human beings. This part is currently difficult to be recognized. AI replaces.
Audiences familiar with the animation production process can even infer the quality of undisclosed works from the selection of animation producers. For example, CloverWorks producers Umehara Shota and Fukushima Yuichi are both recognized as candidates for leading a strong painting team, and audiences generally do not worry about the painting quality of their team's works.
However, excellent producers and animation teams are hard to come by. Employees of most animation production companies have to struggle between the quality of animation, labor costs, and time pressure, allocating resources to a small number of works, and some works can only be "Sacrifice".
Image source: CloverWorks producers Umehara Shota and Fukushima Yuichi are both recognized as candidates for leading a strong animation team.
Can AI be used to solve labor shortages? The key still lies in whether animators’ treatment has improved or not.
The problem behind the shortage of workers in the Japanese animation industry is very complex. Currently, most of them rely on outsourcing animation studios and animators from many countries to deal with it, and it seems that it cannot be solved by relying solely on AI-assisted painting.
Due to the prevalence of the production committee system, 100% of the income related to Japanese animation does not fall into the pockets of the production companies, but the main funders of the committee share most of the income.
Some companies such as Kyoto Animation (Kyoto Animation) usually strive to be listed as the largest investor in the committee to ensure maximum revenue and arrange a suitable production period. Their employees also adopt a monthly salary system, but most animation production companies are not the largest investor. With limited income, labor expenses can only be reduced, so project outsourcing and piecework have become common employment models.
(CryptoCity) previously reported that the 2023 survey report of the Japanese Animation Association JANICA showed that the average daily working hours of animation practitioners reached 8.84 hours, and only 43% of them were able to take 8 complete days of rest per month.
What is even more worrying is the salary issue. The average annual salary of new employees aged 20 to 24 is only 1.966 million yen, and the average annual salary of employees aged 25 to 30 is 2.928 million yen, which is lower than the median annual salary of Japan’s 20 to 29 year olds. 3.3 million yen (Job Bank survey in early 2024), which represents the generally low salary for freshmen in the Japanese animation industry.
Source: The 2023 survey report of the Japanese Animation Association JANICA. The 2023 survey report of the Japanese Animation Association JANICA shows that the average annual salary of new employees aged 20 to 24 is only 1.966 million yen.
Another survey by the Japan Anime Film Alliance (NAFCA) showed that among 323 valid samples (191 animators), the average monthly cumulative working hours was approximately 219 hours, and the median was 225 hours. Compared with the national average in Japan The average of 162.3 hours is much higher, and 37.7% of the employees earn less than 200,000 yen per month.
In order to respond to these problems, local AI and blockchain experts in Japan have promoted the "Anime Chain" project in January 2024, attempting to use blockchain technology to solve AI copyright and ethical issues, and establish a platform for creators and companies to An environment where you can use generative AI with peace of mind.
However, as many people in the industry have pointed out, for the Japanese animation industry to continue to develop, relying on AI technology alone may not be enough. It is also necessary to face up to the long-standing pathological labor problems such as low wages and overwork, as well as the tax pressure faced by freelance workers and other structures. Sexual issues. Only by fundamentally improving these problems can we bring true sustainable development to the industry.
We have discussed the current situation of labor shortage in the Japanese animation industry and Naoki Urasawa’s views on AI creation:
AI infringement, animation industry is short of manpower! Can Japan’s private launch of “Anime Chain” really improve the industry?
In the AI era, it is even more important to maintain the original intention of creation! Looking back at (Pluto) Naoki Urasawa’s remarks, why can’t AI surpass humans?
"95% of the drawings are done with AI! Japan’s AI beautiful girl animation will be released next year. Will human painters be replaced? "This article was first published in "CryptoCity"