Reiji Miyajima, the creator of the Rent A Girlfriend manga series, made waves by revealing his foray into artificial intelligence (AI) on Tuesday, March 26, 2024. Using his own artwork as a foundation, Miyajima trained an AI model to replicate his distinctive style, resulting in an illustration of the series’ female lead, Chizuru Ichinose.

Miyajima, who shares insights and updates through his social media account @Miyajimareiji, expressed a newfound interest in AI technology. He showcased the AI-generated illustration of Ichinose and eagerly awaited feedback from fans.

While the AI-generated image bore a resemblance to Ichinose Chizuru, some fans felt it lacked the authenticity and originality present in Miyajima’s hand-drawn artworks.

Fan reactions to the AI-generated image varied. Many expressed disappointment, viewing the use of AI in art creation with disdain, as it seemingly undermines the dedication and effort artists put into their craft. Concerns were raised about the potential impact on future content of the manga series.

There was speculation among fans about Miyajima’s motives behind training an AI model to replicate his art style. Some feared that AI integration into the manga creation process could become commonplace, potentially altering the series’ artistic direction.

One fan highlighted the ethical complexities surrounding AI art, noting that training such models typically involves data from a wide range of copyrighted material, not just the artist’s own work.

In Japan, where no laws specifically regulate AI-generated artworks, opinions on the matter varied.

While some saw Miyajima’s use of AI as ethical and a means to reduce workload, others found it disheartening, uncertain about distinguishing between hand-drawn and AI-generated content.

Additionally, there was a cultural divide in perception, with some Japanese fans perplexed by Western fans’ aversion to AI use, believing it could actually benefit creators by alleviating stress and prolonging their manga production careers.