Sony’s AI coloring tech for A-1 Pictures & CloverWorks aims to streamline anime production, sparking excitement and debate among fans.
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| Featured image: Sony Group’s Corporate Strategy Meeting 2024, © Solo Leveling Animation Partners |
Sony Music Entertainment Japan is diving headfirst into the future of anime production, and their latest move is turning heads. On June 13, 2025, Shunsuke Muramatsu, SMEJ’s President and Group CEO, dropped a bombshell during Sony’s Business Segment Presentation & Fireside Chat: the company is teaming up with its powerhouse studios, A-1 Pictures and CloverWorks, to develop AI coloring technology for anime. As revealed in an Anime Corner report, this project aims to streamline one of the most time-consuming parts of animation while sparking both excitement and unease among fans and creators.
Anime production is no walk in the park. Animators often juggle grueling schedules, with coloring—filling in those vibrant character designs frame by frame—eating up hours of meticulous work. Muramatsu, who frequently visits A-1 Pictures and CloverWorks, noted that many processes in anime are still “analog,” relying heavily on manual labor. Sony’s AI coloring tech is being designed to lighten that load, letting animators focus on the creative stuff—like crafting epic fight scenes or heartfelt character moments. “If we can offer technological support that reduces physical work and raises efficiency, I’d like to do more,” Muramatsu said, hinting at a vision where tech and artistry go hand in hand.
The project is a collaboration between SMEJ, A-1 Pictures (known for Sword Art Online and Kaguya-sama: Love Is War), and CloverWorks (Spy x Family, Wind Breaker). Both studios, subsidiaries of Sony’s Aniplex, are deeply involved, with creators and management working together to fine-tune the tech through trial and error. While details are scarce, the AI is focused on the “coloring stage,” potentially automating the process of filling in keyframes and in-betweens, which could save animators countless hours. This isn’t Sony’s first rodeo with anime tech—they’re also developing AnimeCanvas, a production software set to roll out on a trial basis by March 2025, aimed at streamlining everything from keyframing to compositing.
But not everyone’s cheering. On platforms like Reddit, fans are split. Some see the AI as a game-changer, easing the burden on overworked animators. One user pointed out that similar tools have been in the works before, like a program animators could tweak to auto-fill colors across frames, saving time without replacing jobs. Others aren’t so sure, worrying it’s a slippery slope to cutting out colorists entirely. “They still use copyrighted images to train AI,” one Redditor fumed, raising concerns about ethics and job security. Another, a Lycoris Recoil fan, didn’t mince words: “Sony can go f*** themselves with a flagpole.” The fear is real—while AI might start with coloring, could it creep into other creative roles?
Sony’s not alone in this tech push. Toei Animation has experimented with AI for backgrounds, slashing production time in some cases, and KADOKAWA is testing AI to support artists with coloring tasks. But Sony’s scale, with A-1 Pictures and CloverWorks under its umbrella, makes this a big deal. Muramatsu emphasized that the goal isn’t to replace creators but to “support creativity,” a stance Sony’s been pushing since its 2024 Corporate Strategy Meeting. Still, with Crunchyroll (co-owned by Aniplex) in the Sony family, fans are wondering how this tech might ripple across the anime ecosystem.
For now, the AI coloring project is still in development, with no set release date. But as Sony doubles down on tech-driven anime production—coupled with plans for an anime training academy through Aniplex and Crunchyroll—it’s clear they’re betting big on a future where AI and human creativity coexist. Whether that’s a dream come true or a nightmare for animators depends on how they balance efficiency with the human touch that makes anime so special. Fans can only wait, watch, and hope the vibrant worlds of A-1 Pictures and CloverWorks keep their soul.
Source: Anime Corner
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