If anime is your thing, especially shonen, then you’re probably familiar with Toei Animation. The studio is known for adapting popular Manga like Dragon Ball, Sailor Moonas well as Sailor Moon. It has a lot of work coming up. Some of the series and films that are released may have been created with artificial intelligence. Toei recently published a new publication,
which includes a list of the latest series and films. Financial briefing For 2024-2025 fiscal year, one slide shows that the studio has invested an undisclosed amount of money in Preferred Networks, which is a Japanese company with cutting-edge AI technology. The two hope to “codevelop new business and improve the efficiency of our production by capitalizing on the synergies of AI and animation production technology.”
Toei has a specific interest in AI for storyboards and productions. This includes coloring (and color specification), background, and in-betweens. The technology can be used to automatically correct in-betweens, specify and pick the correct colors and generate backgrounds using referenced photos. The slide at the time only talked about future prospects and did not mention the technology being used in the studio’s existing works, such asOne Piece orDigimon BeatBreak andGosu.
AI is a controversial topic in the entertainment industry. It’s often argued that it’s a way to increase efficiency and reduce menial work. However, workers in different creative fields (voice acting or art) feel threatened by the studios’ adoption and integration of the technology into projects without artists consent. Others see it as a form digital necromancy or theft that could add more steps to the production or lead to unintended mistakes upon release. Toei is a large company, and its use of technology will affect everyone, from other studios, to fans who watch their work.
Want to know more about io9? Find out when the latest Marvel, Star Wars and Star Trek films will be released, what’s coming up for the DC Universe in film and television, and all you need to know about Doctor Who’s future.
