Recently, two famous directors were under fire for their controversial statements about choosing AI over animators, as apparently, “AI won’t complain about overworking!” Wit Studio announced One Piece Remake, which has divided the fandom. Although One Piece Remake sounds like a blessing to the One Piece Universe, aimed at fixing the “issues” the original anime has, this has created tension in the air at the same time.
Now, this may come as a total disrespect to the original animators of the One Piece anime series, however, Netflix and Wit Studio claimed to “retouch” the series, and fans can smell the AI from afar. This has also caused severe concerns among the fandom, especially after the recent controversial comment by Tomohisa Taguchi and Keichii Hara on using AI to “replace the lazy animators.”
One Piece Remake: What Plans Does Netflix Have for The Series?
Netflix and Wit Studio have suggested using “cutting-edge technology” to retouch the One Piece series from scratch, and fans are curious about what kind of “retouch” their favorite series will get. It is not the first time Wit Studio has used AI in their work. Wit Studio and Netflix had previously released an experimental three-minute short film, “The Dog & The Boy,” with the help of AI. The “cutting-edge technology” is a clear sign that AI will be used in the upcoming One Piece Remake project on Netflix, and fans are now concerned that this will set the norm for other animes!
Is The Anime Industry Gradually Shifting Towards The Usage Of AI?
The official Twitter Account of One Piece has posted a song that uses the AI voices of Japanese VAs, and no human touch was involved in that creativity. This brings us to a significant question: will AI replace a human being’s creativity or the jobs of animators or VAs in the anime industry? Fans feel there is another reason why Netflix is gradually taking over Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece.
One Piece is a long-running manga series that has been winning the hearts of fans for over 20 years. Oda says that One Piece will be over in 5 years, but it seems like Oda is slowly succumbing to his age. This may lead him to use quick methods like AI to complete the series.
尾田さんから担当に送られたオリジナルソング…❗️
タイトルは
「YO-HO-HOおれ達海賊」
だそうです。 pic.twitter.com/CNwqLZ3o8f— ONE PIECE スタッフ【公式】/ Official (@Eiichiro_Staff) December 21, 2023
Fans are concerned that Netflix’s claimed “cutting-edge technology” may set the norm for other animes, especially the original One Piece series. The One Piece Remake may have AI-generated voices of the Voice Artists. AI will undoubtedly assist these companies in hiring fewer staff to save costs. However, the absence of human touch in creativity, particularly in the anime industry, could appear to be mildly dystopian in the future.
