AI-drawn Cyberpunk Momotaro manga threatens traditional anime creation process
AI-drawn manga Cyberpunk Momotaro took Twitter by storm. The 37-year-old manga artist, who goes by the pseudonym Ruthport, has admitted to using Midjourney, an AI visualization tool, to create his story. As a retelling of the classic Japanese folk tale Momotaro, this AI-drawn manga sparked a debate about the ethics of combining technology and art as a substitute for human creativity.
According to Rutport, it would take a talented artist a year to create a 100+ page manga. Cyberpunk Momotaro divided artists, some of whom see such technological advances as a new form of creative assistant. Others echo the humanist anxiety that AI will soon replace them as creators of a new generation.
How Rootport Created Painted AI Cyberpunk Momotaro using Midjourney AI
AI program midjourney was created by the Japanese company HEROZ. Using machine learning techniques, often known as "Deep Learning" or "Machine Learning", this artificial intelligence is capable of producing material on a variety of subjects. These programs have major implications for art and fiction media such as manga, as Rootport has shown through drawn by AI Cyberpunk Momotaro.
Using text cues such as "pink hair", "Asian boy" and "stadium jacket", writer Ruthport used his existing familiarity with manga stories to conjure up images of the story's protagonist in less than a minute. The best photos were then arranged in a comic book style to create an AI-drawn book that had already garnered attention on the Internet prior to its release by significant publishing house Shinchosha on March 9th.
His creation is fully colored, unlike the usual black and white manga, even if the same character's face can sometimes take on noticeably distinct features. This manga rides the current train of hype, driven by the recent popularity of cyberpunk in the anime world. Despite the fact that Rootport had a good attitude towards his creation, rootport recognized the difference from traditional mangaka in regards to cyberpunk momotaro:
“But is it the same satisfaction you get when you draw something by hand from scratch? Most likely no".
What the story revolves around Cyberpunk Momotaro
Cyberpunk adaptation of Momotar's famous story, Cyberpunk: Momotaro, stands out for dealing with darker and more complex topics. Unlike the ancient myth, Momotaro is a young boy with amnesia who is taken in by the owners of strip clubs while the story reveals secrets with his body.
Midjouney has faced various legal challenges regarding the alleged theft of artists' works and copyrighted material for his creation. While some Japanese lawmakers have raised concerns, experts say violations are unlikely if AI-drawn manga is created with simple clues and a little creativity.
Rootport himself notes the use of artificial intelligence manga, especially for futuristic settings, as they level the playing field for good storytellers with little drawing skills. It is believed that Cyberpunk Momotaro is the first of its kind and will see more followers in the future.