Inu to Shounen

The new cooperation project by WIT Studios and Netflix is a music video that mixes technological advances to create a futuristic piece. Though the artistic quality of Inu to Shounen is not stellar, one has to say the artistic direction is interesting and even culturally and historically important. Anime suffers from an animation shortage, which leads to outsourcing and delays, as well as the inability for studios to grow in-house talent. Netflix has by the past claimed to help out with the animation shortage by financing the training program of WIT Studio for 10 animators, but the choice to use AI-art generation for backgrounds was ... perhaps to cut costs, something that has defined anime throughout the years. Inu to Shounen shines more light to the application of technologies in the process that goes behind backgrounds, as well as more light to the importance of backgrounds, something unique enough to be valued more than at its surface-level. Another interesting thing to note is how AI is also involved in the singing, with a vocal bank like vocaloids use. Overall an interesting MV to watch with awareness of its context.

Inu to Shounen is an animated music video made by Wit Studio which became very unpopular due to the fact it used AI art and many people found it offensive. The music video is about the relationship between mankind (shounen) and artificial intelligence (inu). It tells a story from the time the two "characters" first met to an apocalyptic event occurs until the two best friends reunite in a post-apocalyptic environment.

The art style is definitely not the worst thing that has been made into anime, it's not great but AI art has some potential if it's well-used. The thing that actually ruins the whole experience ... is auto-tuned voice that manages to fill the song with melancholy but it's impossible to enjoy it and this is said by someone who doesn't consider auto-tune to be of the devil.

Inu to Shounen didn't do anything outrageous, it's just simply an experimental project which may feel soulless due to its several problems where its biggest flaw wasn't the art itself, it was just a horrible song and that's all.

Stumbled upon this and thought I'd give it a try because it's 3 minutes long.

I was surprised to notice that this short animation focusing on scenic shots, uses very blurry, nonsensical, obviously AI-generated backgrounds. I believe it is the first time I see this used in anime, and it does not look good at all. Netflix appears to be on an endless quest to find more corners to cut, and it seems background artists found themselves on the butcher's block this time.

If they put only a fraction of the care they put into these main characters in the environment surrounding them, this might have ... been enjoyable, but as it stands, it completely ruins what could otherwise have been a somewhat touching short story of the titular boy and his dog.

It's very short so I'd still encourage you to go give it a look if you're interested in what the near future of anime might look like. If you value good art and have any appreciation for background artistry however, you'll inevitably end up disappointed and with grim prospects in mind.