The Dawn of AI in Anime: Implications of the First Release Scheduled for 2025

The technology is rapidly developing with every single day, and it made our lives much easier and more efficient. Especially in the case of the artificial intelligence, which opened up many possibilities in the work environment. However, it divided so many people, particularly the entertainment industry. A recent announcement of the to-be-released anime Twins HinaHima, based on lives of the real-life TikTok influencers Himari and Hinana, sparked heated discussions between the fans of Japanese manga and anime, saying this project will change the culture of animation in Japan forever.

First Anime Ever to Be Mostly Created by AI

Many studios in Japan announced their Spring 2025 schedule, and among them, there is one project by Frontier Works and KaKa Creations that attracted the attention of the fans, which prompted not very favorable reactions. Twins HinaHima is a project created by the aforementioned studios and is based on real-life popular TikTok influencers Himari and Hinana. This upcoming anime wouldn't be anything special if the studios didn't mention that they created and produced this project mostly by AI, which they cite as 'first of its kind.

Of course, with the announcement, the press release contained a teaser promotional video that contained the process of the creation and more AI artwork. Moreover, despite using mostly AI, the staff of the anime was far from lacking, and it included everyone from animators to cinematographers. Finally, the teaser showcased that sections of the animation process, like character designs, were 'only' AI-assisted, meaning the animators hand-drew their work using Clip Studio Paint, which has some features supported by AI.

Another section of the process, like animation, AI-generated many parts and only added finishing touches to the mostly done work. Although studios don't see problems with them using AI for their work, many fans of Japanese animation, including the industry people, started questioning the future of anime and general animation in Japan.

More about Twin HinaHima on Anime Senpai.

Is AI the Inevitable Future in Japanese Animation?

Twins HinaHima anime follows the story of two sisters dreaming of becoming viral influencers on the TikTok platform, which isn't anything special or extraordinary, but the fact that studios are willing to use almost fully AI technology is concerning for the workers within the anime industry. This project might be the preview of what we can expect in the future, both positively and negatively. Interestingly enough, two of the contributors to the Twins HinaHima are Makoto Tezuka and Yoshikazu Yasuhiko, very well-known animation directors and animators, known for their work with new technologies. They welcome AI, citing that it can be used as a tool to help the animators work more efficiently, even comparing it to the arrival of computer graphics (CG) in the 1980s. Moreover, they believe that the use of AI won't lead to the replacement of talented mangaka artists.

On the other side of the coin are mostly fans, who express their feelings online regularly and are mostly negative in their analysis of the use of AI in anime and manga. They believe it's embarrassing using AI instead of talented artists, and it's strange that the country with so many talented people is doing this.

Nevertheless, this, at first, innocent news sparked a slight outrage among the anime and manga audience, and although this doesn't seem like a huge problem now, the inclusion of AI will bring even more criticism towards studios.

Conclusion: More AI Will Spark More Outrage Among the Artists and Fans

The entertainment industry already faced many protests from creators whose work started getting replaced by the artificial intelligence—for example, we recently saw writers, actors, and others protest big Hollywood studios, seeking their rightful royalties and preventing big executives from using their faces generated by the AI. If the release of almost fully created AI anime is an indication, we can expect something similar happening in Japan and other Asian countries that nurture manga tradition.

More opinions about AI on FandomWire.