Among the many exciting Fall 2025 anime series on Crunchyroll, one of them made headlines for all the wrong reasons. Based on Aki Akimoto’s beloved romantic comedy series, the anime adaptation of Mechanical Marie premiered on October 5, 2025. While the manga already reached its conclusion in 2023, fans were looking forward to the anime’s debut, but the episode left a bitter taste in their mouths. The animation by studios Zero-G and Liber was simple and nothing groundbreaking, but the usage of high-quality stills in between caught everyone’s attention. While the illustrations are incredibly well-drawn and highly detailed, they were immediately branded as AI-generated by viewers for multiple reasons. It didn’t take long for the AI rumors to circulate on social media because many pointed out irregularities in the visuals.
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On her official X handle, Akimoto even credited the artist Mizuno Uta and praised the visuals. Uta’s portfolio, shared by Akimoto, features some of her previous works, which are immensely similar to the visuals in the anime. While the mangaka didn’t say anything about the AI allegations, the post was too timely and specific to be brushed off as a coincidence. Although Akimoto helped put the rumors to rest, the post unfortunately didn’t reach a wider audience, which is why the AI controversy never really died down. Despite all the accusations, the studios remain silent on the matter. The second episode was released on October 12, which didn’t remove the one quality that makes the anime unique.
What Is the Plot of Mechanical Marie?
The story follows Arthur Louis Zetes, a wealthy heir to the Zetes Corporation, who has no trust in the people around him. Having seen only the worst of them since childhood, after several kidnappings and assassination attempts, Arthur believes people are always driven by greed. He orders his butler to find a robotic maid for him that can help around the mansion. However, since the technology isn’t advanced enough to create automation maids who look like humans, the butler hired Marie, a former prodigy in martial arts, who doesn’t show any expressions on her face.
Drowning in her parents’ debt, Marie agrees to a high-paying job where she has to pose as a robot. Initially skeptical about her, Arthur immediately believes she’s the real deal after seeing that she shows no sign of human emotions even in the face of danger. The misunderstanding creates a series of hilarious situations in the mansion, as Marie faces off against the dangers around Arthur while also taking care of him.
As time passes, Arthur, who keeps everyone at a distance, can’t help but dote on her. Crunchyroll will stream new episodes of Mechanical Marie every Sunday and has been listed for 12 episodes. The manga isn’t digitally available on any official platforms yet, but you can buy the volumes on platforms such as Yen Press and Amazon.
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Courtesy of Sony Pictures Entertainment / Aniplex / Crunchyroll
