Toei Animation released a striking promotional video to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball manga, blending classic illustrations into dynamic motion—but social media users quickly raised questions about whether generative AI played a role in its creation.
Here’s the TL;DR…
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Toei’s five-minute anniversary video animates Toriyama’s original manga panels and color pages with fluid effects, directed by human animators without confirmed AI involvement.
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Dragon Ball started as a 1984 manga inspired by Journey to the West, evolving into a global franchise that shaped shōnen storytelling.
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X users accused the clip of being AI-generated due to its polished look, but replies pushed back against rushed conclusions.
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A wave of “AI witch hunts” has recently targeted artists and studios, with false claims harming reputations in comics and animation.
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Toei has acknowledged future AI plans since 2021, but denies current use in major series like One Piece or Precure.
What Exactly Is in Toei’s Dragon Ball 40th Anniversary Video?
The video, titled “Dragon Ball 40th Anniversary Special Video,” runs about five minutes and focuses on Son Goku’s journey. It opens with young Goku and Bulma on a motorcycle, then shifts to group scenes featuring early characters like Yamcha and Oolong. Later segments bring black-and-white fight panels to life, showcasing battles against Piccolo, Vegeta, Frieza, Cell, and Buu, complete with energy blasts and fusions like Vegito.
Production credits list Naoki Miyahara as director, Hayato Makino for CG, and Shig Kubota for animation supervision. A shorter edit shared on X by @Genki_JPN went viral with over 62,000 likes, though some noted the clip’s tighter editing made the music sync feel off.
How Did Dragon Ball Become a 40-Year Cultural Powerhouse?
Akira Toriyama launched Dragon Ball in Weekly Shōnen Jump in November 1984, drawing inspiration from Journey to the West and martial arts films. The story follows Goku, a super-strong boy with a tail, as he collects wish-granting Dragon Balls and trains to face ever-escalating threats. The manga ran for 519 chapters across 42 volumes, evolving from adventure comedy into the battle-heavy Dragon Ball Z era.
Toei adapted the series into anime beginning in 1986, producing 153 episodes of Dragon Ball and 291 episodes of Dragon Ball Z from 1989–1996. The franchise expanded with Dragon Ball Super in 2015, more than 20 films, and countless games, influencing series like One Piece and Naruto through its themes of growth and camaraderie.
Toriyama’s death in 2024 added emotional weight to the anniversary, which included events such as the Genkidama Festival on January 25, 2026, at Makuhari Messe, featuring cast appearances and new project reveals.
Why Are Fans Accusing Toei’s Anniversary Video of Using AI?
Replies to the viral X post included blunt suspicions. One user wrote, “DB fanbase so ghetto they won’t even notice this is AI man SIGH.” Another asked, “Sorry for my ignorance but is this animation AI or done by an actual person?” Others pushed back, noting the full YouTube version avoids the clipped feel that fueled doubts.
No evidence supports AI use in this specific video. Credits clearly list human staff, but the highly polished style—closely mimicking Toriyama’s textures—sparked assumptions amid broader industry debates.
What Fuels the Recent Surge in AI Witch Hunts Against Artists?
False AI accusations have surged since 2023, often targeting creators over minor imperfections like odd hand drawings—mistakes long common in human art. In 2025, DC Comics artist Stanley “Artgerm” Lau faced social media attacks that forced him to post process videos proving traditional methods. Pony fandom artists reported similar harassment, with Equestria Daily warning: “AI Witch Hunting Is Causing Actual Damage To Real Artists, Please Stop.”
Comic artist Brian Shearer described emerging “artist purity tests” in 2025, where audiences scrutinize images for supposed AI “tells,” ignoring the widespread use of digital tools. Even a children’s book illustrator faced viral backlash for art deemed too perfect, despite being openly anti-AI.
Has Toei Animation Ever Admitted to Using AI in Productions?
Toei partnered with Preferred Networks in 2021 to test AI for in-between frames and layouts, expanding those efforts in May 2025 to include storyboards, coloring, backgrounds, and corrections. Fan backlash followed, especially from One Piece and Dragon Ball audiences concerned about quality.
Toei clarified in a fiscal update that AI is not currently used in series like Precure, but remains part of long-term efficiency plans amid Japan’s animator shortage. In a 2025 One Piece episode, a six-fingered hand sparked AI rumors, but animator Vincent Chansard (credited as Miki) confirmed it was a rushed human error, not automation.
How Do AI Tools Fit Into Anime’s Evolving Production Landscape?
Anime studios face intense deadlines and staffing shortages, making AI appealing for repetitive tasks. Toei’s strategy mirrors industry-wide experimentation, where tools like Stable Diffusion assist backgrounds but raise ethical concerns over training data.
There is no confirmed link between AI and the Dragon Ball anniversary video. Instead, the backlash highlights ongoing tension between innovation and tradition in a medium built on hand-drawn craft.
The anniversary video stands as a heartfelt tribute to Toriyama’s legacy, while also exposing growing skepticism as technology blurs lines between art and automation. As Toei moves forward with AI integration plans, the challenge will be balance—embracing tools without losing the human spark that made Dragon Ball iconic.
Hat Tips
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Reddit r/animenews, Dragon Ball Fans Upset At Toei Animation, May 2025
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ComicBook.com, Dragon Ball/One Piece Studio Reveals AI Plans (And Fans Aren’t Happy), May 17, 2025, https://comicbook.com/anime/news/dragon-ball-one-piece-studio-ai-controversy
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Anime Corner, Toei Animation Responds After Backlash to AI Plans: Denies Current Use, but Still Expects to Introduce It, May 19, 2025, https://animecorner.me/toei-animation-ai-backlash-denies
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Screen Rant, Dragon Ball, One Piece Studio Sparks Debate After Revealing “Expanded” AI Usage, May 16, 2025, https://screenrant.com/toei-animation-anime-one-piece-dragon-ball-ai-use-production-update
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Game Rant, Toei Denies Using AI Following Backlash, May 20, 2025, https://gamerant.com/toei-denies-using-ai-following-backlash
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CBR, New Controversial Dragon Ball SSJ4 Goku Design Gets Hate Days Before Official Reveal, November 11, 2025, https://www.cbr.com/dragon-ball-ssj4-goku-design-controversy
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Equestria Daily, AI Witch Hunting Is Causing Actual Damage To Real Artists, Please Stop, February 24, 2025, https://www.equestriadaily.com/2025/02/ai-witch-hunting-is-causing-actual.html
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Animation Magazine, Toei Invests in AI Tech Co. for Animation Production Venture, May 18, 2025, https://www.animationmagazine.net/2025/05/toei-invests-in-ai-tech-co-for-animation-production-venture
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Gizmodo, Animation Studio Toei Wants to Use AI for Future Productions, May 18, 2025, https://gizmodo.com/animation-studio-toei-wants-to-use-ai-for-future-productions-2000603817
Article Compiled and Edited by Derek Gibbs on January 25, 2026 for Clownfish TV D/REZZED
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