Bleach Directors Spark Debate Over Controversial Take on AI, Lazy Animators

It is hard to believe, but Bleach really is back. After years off the air, the iconic anime made a comeback under Studio Pierrot last October. Since its launch, the anime was put forward two success cours, and there are more underway. To date, Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War has been overseen by two directors, Tomohisa Taguichi and Keiichi Hara. Their work has been met with praise by fans, but now, the pair have stirred up debate following some controversial remarks about AI animation and lazy workers.

The situation came to light courtesy of Full Frontal Moe, a website dedicated to all things animation. It was there the team posted a recap of Taguchi and Hara's appearances at Annecy Festival. The panel summary went live over the weekend, and it is fair to say the recap has caused tons of drama in the anime fandom.

After all, the panel did ask the directors what they thought about AI's use in animation projects. Hara didn't mince words during the event, saying AI could solve "the problem of lazy animators by doing their work in their place." The director, who specifically oversees animation on Bleach, said AI could produce better animators because of its competitive nature.

"He thinks a time might come when AI, which doesn't complain, doesn't get tired, and doesn't sleep, would replace humans. But [Hara] said his generation is safe," the recap reads. The article goes on to explains Hara's comment about lazy animators. The director said he realized recently that "one of the problems with the current industry is the non-neglible number of animators who are being paid without putting in the work that's expected of them. There are obviously a lot of very talented key animators, but there's a pretty fair share that [don't] do work that's up to standards if at all!"

As for director Taguchi, the creative was more interested in how AI could impact writing. "Maybe it can't write complete scenarios itself yet, but it can definitely help in developing stories," the director said about tools like Chat GPT. "This is just the beginning, and if these technologies improve enough, they could be able to resolve the problem with animators."

It goes without saying that AI in any workforce is a controversial topic, and creative industries take it extra seriously. From music to acting and animation, AI has stirred plenty of debate in the past year. These comments from the directors of Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War have hardly endeared the project to netizens online. But for better or worse, directors Taguchi and Hara are going to feel the way they want about AI. 

What do you make of this latest industry breakdown? Do you side with Taguchi and Hara on this topic? Let us know what you think in the comments below as well as on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!