Why Japan’s animation industry has embraced AI – DW – 05/20/2025

When the AI ​​Studio Ghibali filter which converts photos and videos into the cute style of Hayao Miazaki’s anime, it provoked a hot debate, Copyright of artists,

Even though the studio Ghibali did not direct for the viral trend, an interview of 2016 with the company’s co-founder broadcast so widely. In this, Miazaki said that he was “upheaval” by AI-related materials, called it “to insult life”.

But this did not stop Japan from advancing AI development.

Japan’s Copyright Act, 2019 has been amended, a large interpretation has been made as permission to use copyright materials to train the AI ​​tool without the consent of the copyright holder. The law, especially more permissible than the European Union or America, aims to attract AI investors to the Asian country.

Japanese artists are already worried about developments. Arts Workers Japan’s agreement for a 2023 survey, which collected data from approximately 27,000 reactions working in creative fields, 94% of Japanese artists have smoked smoking about their copyright AI violations.

Opening the discussion to the public, the Japanese agency for Cultural Affairs specified last year that the permissible rule of the country does not apply if exploitation of copyright “prejudice the interests of the copyright holder.”

But so far, any battle for copyright protection is challenging. Even if IFMArs manage to agree that it is not right to use copyright material to train the AI ​​model, each must be targeted by approach, as it is to be stated Charlie Fink, Professor of Cinematic AI At Chapman University, California. “So the question is that if the crime is quite big, then how will you probably start addressing the loss?” He asks.

USA Los Angeles 2009 | Hayao Miazaki on the performance of her film Ponio
Hoyo Miazaki AI, co-founder of Studio Ghibali, is a famous critic of AIPicture: Chris Pizello/AP/Picture Flake

Anime industry faces labor shortage

As part of an international brand strategy known as “Cool Japan”, the Asian country is promoting its unique cultural presentations – and Anime is part of those incredible soft power exports.

According to the annual report by The Association of Japanese animation, a global anime boom pushed the Japanese market to a record high in 2023 in 2023, producing 300 TV titles that year.

Manga Advertisement in Tokyo.
Tokyo is considered a global maize for anime and mangaPicture: Charmine Lee/DW

And AI is already part of the mixture. In March this year, the first AI-in-operated Anime, “Twins Hinhima” was launched. Back in 2023, a small anime clip called “Dog and the Boy” released by Netflix Japan used AI -produced artwork to paint the background.

Currently there is a lack of labor in the anime industry, which is due to its working conditions. A 2024 report by the Nippon Anime and the Film Culture Association showed that the workers were done more work, with the minimum wage below mangoes, and under -peded.

The use of AI in anime can be seen as a solution to fill the thermafore, anime specialist indicates Rolland Celts, visiting the Vaseda University School of Culture, Media and Society, Japan, visits Professor. “The population is shrinking, so there are many young artists, and they are paid very poorly to do a very difficult laboratory,” he told DW.

A man holding two books titled 'Japanmerica' in a Woody Outdoor Settings, a Woody Outdoor Settings.
Japanese-American writer Rolland Cults ‘Japanmerica: How Japanese pop culture attacked America’ and ‘The Art of Blade Runner: Black Lotus’ is the author.Picture: Charmine Lee/DW

K&K Design is anime production studio, which is included in its work, using a customized version of the text-to-emmos model stable spread. Hiroshi Kawakami, vice -president of K&A’s design, says that the tool colors, background generations, photos and videos into anime help to turn photos and videos in anime.

A five-second anime clip that the specific wood requires hand-prepared work for a week, now within a day the AI ​​model can be produced to feed only two pictures, he told DW.

About 60% of the artists in Japan said that they are concerned about losing their jobs to AI, according to the art worker Japan Survey.

Despite the possibility of future job loss, Kawakami stressed that AI plays a “supportive” role, and visual judges between a field would not be to change humans in creative thoughts.

A picture of a Japanese manga figure.
The AI ​​model requires two search pictures to make only a 5-second clipPicture: K & K Design Japan

A culture that embraces technology

Celts say that the studio churned anime projects for TV late at night, and AI can help produce such materials. But he does not see it as endangering creativity in East Asian country.

Celts suggest that AI does not have the approach to rebuild its version of “One Peace” within a few years. “Shinto in [Japan’s national religion]All things have a ‘kami,’ or soul … so about Japanese robotics, about AI, the thesis about technology is less afraid of ideas, because technology is woven in nature. ,

Finally, as he goes out, the first anime hero was called the Astro Boy – and what half a boy, helped the robot.

The film is still from 'Astro Boy' (2009): Boy flying in the sky over skyscrapers.
The ‘Astro Boy’ was sorted as a manga starting in 1952; Its anime has been seen as before the adaptation style since 1963. It is still from the 2009 filmImage: Image Crystal/Zuma Press/Imageo

Taking hints from internal sources of Hollywood

The AI ​​trend wants to impress filmmakers worldwide, and many are already integrating technology in their work.

Canadian independent filmmaker Taylor Nixon-Smit, who is writing on the influence of AI on the film industry, says that he uses Chatgpt to generate the list of works for pre-performance, to consolidate research and draft operating contracts, but most film works can still obese by humans. Nixon-Smith told DW, “You still need a costume designer to prepare boards, you still need buyers to go out and buy things, you still need a wardrobe, so it fits the actors properly.”

Megil, Charlie Fink, former Disney manufacturer and current assistant professor at Cinematic AI at the University of Chapman, feels that the use of rapidly developed technology “will lead a new golden age of Hollywood” – one who “will” be highly democrats, as a person can make a film for a few thousand dollars, “he told DWU.

The expert says that hundreds of people involved in the production of live action film will become a matter of past.

For now, the actors are still at the center of production, but the AI ​​performance “wants the total changes over the next few years,” Fink says.

Lump’s threat has already inspired the strike of Hollywood actors against the lack of AI-related security for workers last year.

A woman holds a strike placard that reads Sag-abftra on strike! - AI is not art.
During the SAG -Ftra strike in July 2023, the sign organized by actor Frances Fisher reads ‘AI not Arts’Image: Richard Shotwell/Invest/AP/DPA/Picture Alliance

The no fake act, targeting unauthorized AI replicas, was resumed in the US Congress last month. Bill received the support of entertainment veterans including Walt Disney, YouTube, SAG-AFTRA, as well as OpenaiI.

However, for Fink, this law can be the “first stage of grief” as the sea. In his view, the rise of AI is unavoidable. He predicts that it will gradually replace actors and producers, and suggests to be ahead of the game by learning to use AI: “disintegration means opportunity.”

Edited by: Elizabeth Granier

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