In May 2025, Toei Animation — the storied studio behind One Piece, Dragon Ball, Sailor Moon, and countless other pillars of Japanese animation — revealed plans to begin integrating artificial intelligence across major parts of its production pipeline. The announcement has provoked a storm of reaction, with fans, industry insiders, and creators grappling with what it could mean for the future of anime.
Toei’s AI Vision: What They Plan to Automate
According to Toei’s FY2025 financial report (in its outlook toward FY2026), the studio is actively developing partnerships and investments aimed at co-developing “new business opportunities” and improving both efficiency and quality via AI-augmented production. Key candidate areas for AI deployment include:
- Storyboarding and layouts — generating basic layouts or rough boards automatically.
- Color specification / color correction — automating or semi-automating color decisions, error correction, and consistency.
- Line drawing correction & in-between frames — smoothing or cleaning hand-drawn lines, generating transitional frames, or filling gaps.
- Background generation — transforming or generating environmental backgrounds from photographic sources or AI models.
Toei has also invested in AI technology firms, including Preferred Networks (PFN), to further this ambition. The aim, as presented, is not to eliminate hand-drawn art but to streamline repetitive, time-intensive tasks and allocate more human creative energy where it matters most.
However, despite the boldness of the plan, Toei has strongly stated that no actual anime project to date has used AI in its production. The studio insists the announcement is forward-looking, not retrospective — an intention, not a confession of implementation.
The Stakes: Why So Much Heat?
1. Artistic Authenticity vs. Efficiency
One of the most frequently voiced concerns among fans is that AI could strip anime of its hand-crafted “soul.” The organic imperfections, expressive linework, and idiosyncratic styles of individual animators are often seen as central to the medium’s charm. Even if AI is initially confined to inbetweens or background touches, critics fear “function creep” — gradual encroachment into main art stages.
2. Jobs and Labor in Animation
The anime industry is notorious for grueling schedules, thin margins, and overworked staff. Some view AI as a tool that could alleviate burnout — automating menial tasks so artists can focus on meaningful, creative work. Others counter this optimism with caution: studios might use AI to cut costs and shrink human roles, especially in lower tiers or outsourcing houses.
3. Consistency vs. Innovation
Well-trained AI models could promote consistency across episodes, reducing jarring shifts in quality or style (a perennial gripe in long-running anime). But there’s a risk of homogenization — that too much reliance on AI templates might dampen unique stylistic flourish or experimentation.
4. Precedents & Pressure
Toei’s move doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Other studios and creators are already exploring AI's role in animation and art. The pressure for “faster, cheaper” content is mounting globally. If Toei succeeds, it could accelerate a broader shift in the industry — forcing competitors to adapt or be left behind.
One Piece & the God Valley Arc: Why Fans Are Especially Sensitive
For One Piece fans in 2025, the timing of Toei’s AI announcement amplifies present tension. The series is currently immersed in the God Valley Incident / Arc — a flashback saga so rich in lore, tragedy, and mystery that many fans say they don't want to return to the Straw Hats yet.
The God Valley storyline has become an emotional and thematic high point: revealing foundational secrets (the downfall of the Rocks Pirates, Garp’s role, the Celestial Dragons’ guilt, and more) in a tone more grand and historical than standard adventure arcs. Many fans have publicly compared ending or pausing it to “waking up from a dream.”
Given how high the expectations are for this arc — both visually and narratively — any sign that animation quality might suffer due to experimental AI could worsen backlash. The One Piece fandom is especially vigilant about adaptation quality and fidelity to Eiichiro Oda’s vision, making this a sensitive test case.
Interestingly, One Piece’s editor recently teased that the full truth of God Valley is nearing revelation, suggesting the flashback saga is not ending soon. This adds a further burden: the arc will be judged as a centerpiece of One Piece’s legacy — not just a detour.
What This Might Mean — and What Won’t
- Hybrid Animation Models
Rather than fully AI-driven works, a likely early outcome is hybridization — human key animation and direction, with AI-aided inbetweens, cleanup, backgrounds, or color. This model would allow studios to scale while preserving core craftsmanship. - Quality Safeguards & Gatekeeping
To satisfy fans and preserve brand reputations, studios may build internal review or “human in the loop” checks. Any visible regression in quality could provoke outrage and reputational damage, especially for flagship titles. - Studio Stratification
Larger studios like Toei may adopt AI sooner, creating a rift between big names (with resources for safe integration) and smaller studios that can’t risk backlash — possibly deepening inequalities in the industry. - Creative Redirection, Not Replacement
The most positive framing is that AI allows creators to focus more on design, narrative, and high-impact visuals — tasks that machines can struggle with. In a best-case scenario, AI becomes an assistant, not a substitute. - Fan Vigilance Will Grow Stronger
With the spotlight so bright on Toei now, fans will scrutinize each episode, each art shift, for signs of automation. The studio’s future confidence may rest partly on how well it earns that trust.
Conclusion: A Turning Point — Not a Final Turn
Toei Animation’s decision to adopt AI in production is ambitious, controversial, and full of unknowns. It may reshape not just how anime is made, but how fans see “handmade” identity in a digital age. The One Piece fandom, particularly in this era of the God Valley arc, is watching especially closely — a litmus test of whether technology and artistry can coexist without compromise.
But for now, the key is that no anime has yet used AI, and the change is not yet upon us. What happens next — whether cautious implementation or bold leap — will tell us not only what Toei becomes, but what anime as a medium wants to remain.
