More details have emerged on Toei Animation‘s AI aspirations following its investment in Preferred Networks (PFN), described as possessing “top-level AI technology competence in Japan.” In Toei Animation’s FY2025 financial report under the FY2026 outlook section, the company says, “We will seek to co-develop new business opportunities and improve the efficiency and quality of our production, capitalizing on synergies between AI and animation production technologies.” Toei Animation adds that it’s eyeing a joint venture with PFN. You can check out Toei Animation’s list of example AI applications below.
Example future uses of AI at Toei Animation include:
- AI-generated storyboards and layouts
- Coloring and color correction
- Line drawing correction
- In-between generation
- Background generation from photos
This follows the announcement on April 30 that Toei Animation would underwrite and acquire shares in PFN. Other investors in PFN include Kodansha, Sekisui House, TBS Innovation Partners, Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank, and Mitsubishi UFJ Trust and Banking Corporation. Mizuho was noted as a lender.
Many of the above investors have announced further recent inroads into the anime industry. This week, TBS announced the formation of a new company, CIP, aimed at IP creation and development. It’ll invest up to 30 billion yen ($205 million), with one of the first-to-be-announced moves being a partnership with MBS to jointly develop anime IP. Mizuho is working with Questry and Royalty Bank on a fund for anime film investment.
This isn’t Toei Animation’s first foray into AI-supported anime production. It worked with PFN in 2021 to create an experimental short film using PFN’s Scenify tool to turn photo backgrounds into anime backgrounds. The above image on the right under Backgrounds (shown again below) comes from that project. Toei Animation said in some cases, the time spent on a background was reduced to one-sixth of its normal time. You can check out a detailed chronology of the project here and the short film below, titled URVAN. Toei Animation has also provided learning materials to AI company Cinnamon AI to support auto-coloring.
ALSO READ:
Trademark Applications for ‘AI Anime’ & ‘AI Animation’ Launched by Creator’s X Anime Studio in Japan
’It’s Like a Heartless Monster’: Cowboy Bebop Creator Comes Down Hard on Generative AI in Anime
An example of how Toei Animation converted a photo to an anime-style background:
No anime companies were named, but notable anime studio OLM Digital’s R&D department is undertaking an AI research project called ANIMINS (ANIMe INSight), which explores how AI can fit in the anime production workflow. You can read a detailed overview of the project here. OLM Digital revealed that over 10 major anime companies have agreed to test the findings from the ANIMINS project.
Proponents of AI introduction into the anime industry say it’s necessary to meet global demand, not let the promising opportunity for Japanese anime slip by, and improve worker conditions. Nevertheless, many anime creators are worried about job security and a reduction in standards. They argue that it fails to address poor conditions that might be better solved by better scheduling, revenue-sharing, rights reallocation, tax rebates, and addressing skill gaps and declines.
You can read Toei Animation’s report here.
Featured image © Eiichiro Oda / Shueisha / Toei Animation
Participate In Discussions