It’s no secret that animation studio Qzil.la is interested in AI and similar technology. Beyond its website mentioning its intention to cause “digital disruption” in the anime industry through (among other things) the advancement of AI and its collaboration with web3 brand Azuki on the Enter The Garden anime anthology, its upcoming TV anime Risou no Himo Seikatsu — planned for a 2026 release — apparently uses AI for around 60% of its animation.
Thanks to its history, the recently announced Sekiro: No Defeat — an adaptation of FromSoftware’s Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice video game — has inspired debate on whether the anime uses AI in its workflow (in hindsight, perhaps the inclusion of the words “fully hand-drawn” in the press release was meant to be a preemptive measure to such discourse). And just a few days later, Qzil.la has deemed it necessary to issue a statement denying the use of generative AI in this particular production.
“In order to maximally deliver the unique charm of the original game, the production is progressing with hand drawn 2D animation used for the entire product, and generative AI is not used at all,” the studio said. It added that the entirety of the staff was “putting their soul” into each cut.
While I’m not a fan of generative AI, it was always hard to imagine Sekiro: No Defeat using it when its staff includes names like director Kenichi Kutsuna (an accomplished animator who storyboarded and directed the impressive opening animations for Magical Destroyers, Vlad Love (“Mitsugu” Version), and The Fire Hunter), background art director Yuji Kaneko (Tengoku Daimakyo, Kowloon Generic Romance), and action animation director Takashi Mukoda (Run With the Wind co-main animator). While there are those who simply don’t gel with the anime’s particular aesthetic, the statement should hopefully lead to a reduction in accusations of Sekiro: No Defeat being made with AI.
Source: @sekiro_nd_anime
