Manga Legend Hirohiko Araki Fears that AI Will Ruin the Industry

The world of manga and anime has always been special, different than the world of Western comics and animation. And while the industry had, for decades, had limited access to Western markets, since the late 1990s and especially after the appearance of the “Big Three,” it all changed, as manga and anime became a global phenomenon.

Today, it is one of the largest and fastest-growing industries in the entertainment sector, as manga are now read and sold all over the world, while anime is watched all around the world as well. This helped some famous mangaka become globally known, and while the author of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is not a “Big Three” mangaka, his name is known to many manga and anime fans around the world.

Hirohiko Araki is best known as the author of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, one of the most popular manga series of all time. And while you might or might not like his style, his series is a global phenomenon. In light of that, we have found an interesting text by Araki that reveals his thoughts on the current state of the industry and its future.

Manga authors have generally been known for their originality, as their approach to the story and the drawings was always special. While there are authors who can draw better and those who cannot draw as well, almost every respectable mangaka has a specific and interesting style that makes them distinguishable, if not unique. Araki is, in that aspect, definitely a name that can be called distinguishable.

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure might not be for everyone’s taste, as the style is quite specific, but it has become a cult classic and it has a very large fandom. Araki managed to craft a distinct style in his manga and that is what made him so famous.

Recently, though, in his Hirohiko Araki’s New Manga Techniques (released on November 15, 2024), Araki attacked the use of AI in the industry after having seen an AI-generated image that looks distinctly like his own drawing:

Hirohiko Araki on the evil of AI art in today's "world of con artists". He worries about the impact AI-generated fakes will have on manga. He recently saw an AI image and was shocked at its similarity to his art style.
– Hirohiko Araki's New Manga Techniques (November 15, 2024) pic.twitter.com/NVNc2lUzXR

— JoJo's Bizarre Encyclopedia (@jojo_wiki) November 16, 2024

To be honest, we can understand where he is coming from and he is right. The use of AI has its benefits, but using it to avoid copyright, to create fake images, to fabricate things – that is simply too much. Drawings are possibly easier to make and we just hope that mangaka won’t have trouble crafting their work in the future and that Araki’s grim fear will never come to life.

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