​Summary

​Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping how anime and anime-inspired content is developed, produced, and distributed.

​This technical and practice-driven session brings together leading creators, engineers, and AI researchers working at the forefront of anime production to examine how AI is being applied in real-world pipelines today, and where it is headed next.

​Through concrete case studies and forward-looking discussion, we will move beyond the hype to explore practical applications.

​Key Themes:

• ​🗺️ Industry Landscape: How AI is currently being adopted across major anime studios, independent productions, and global entertainment companies, and what the next phase of adoption looks like.
  

• ​🛠️ Technical Deep Dives: Emerging AI models, tools, and workflows for scene building, animation, and production efficiency, with insight into upcoming technologies.
  

• ​⚖️ Data, Rights, and Ethics: Practical considerations around training data, IP protection, and responsible AI deployment in creative industries.

​✨ Series Context: This event is part of the AI × Entertainment Series, leading into an AI Filmmaking Hackathon in April. Hackathon winners will premiere their work at the historic Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles as part of a three-day Global Hollywood Film Festival, connecting innovation directly to industry audiences.

​Agenda

• ​18:00 - 18:15: Doors open

• ​18:15 - 18:30: Intros by organizers (TAI, Global Connects Media, AIMovie.Studio)

• ​18:30 - 18:50: Precise Control with Nano Banana For Scene Building and Animation (Yves Dalbiez)

• ​18:50 - 19:10: Making the “5 Requests Per Second” Anime Film Trailer: A Hybrid Anime Production with and without AI (Sho Akiyama)

• ​19:10 - 19:30: Defining the Blueprint for AI in Anime (Coco Nitta)

• ​19:30 - 19:50: IP × AI: Now and Next (Hiroaki Yabusaki)

• ​19:50 - 20:50: Networking

• ​21:00: Doors close (who stays, cleans up)

​Speakers

​Talk 1 - Precise Control with Nano Banana For Scene Building and Animation

​Speaker: Yves Dalbiez (Film Director)

​Abstract: Why do we need precise control, and what will you learn in this short masterclass?

• ​Consistency - Keep characters aligned with the story AND emotion.

• ​Framing - Shape composition, depth, and mood with intent.

• ​Performance - Direct poses, gestures, and expressions precisely.

• ​Animation - You can use these techniques to create keyframes

​Bio: Yves Dalbiez is a Sundance-featured, multi-award-winning filmmaker blending 20 years of CGI, animation, and live-action expertise with new AI tools. He has created campaigns for Unilever, Conrad, Canon, official sequences for Snoop Dogg MV, and projects with top L.A.-based studios. Yves is a consultant for creative agencies and helps them harness generative AI without losing quality or message. Featured in Forbes, Stash, and Motionographer, he speaks globally, leads Runway meetups, and partners with leading AI platforms, shaping the future of visual storytelling.

​Talk 2 - Making the “5 Requests Per Second” Anime Film Trailer: A Hybrid Anime Production with and without AI

​Speaker: Sho Akiyama (Animation Director & AI Engineer)

​Abstract: In this session, Engineering Manager and Animation Director Sho Akiyama breaks down the production of the two-minute film teaser for 5 Requests Per Second, an anime film satirizing startup culture and tech-bro VC grifts. The talk explores how the project blended professional artists, emerging AI tools, and traditional animation workflows, and what was gained (and lost) along the way. Sho will share practical production lessons, pipeline efficiencies, creative trade-offs, and ethical questions that surfaced while experimenting with AI in an indie animation environment, followed by a free screening of the trailer.

​Bio: Sho Akiyama is an Engineering Manager at Mercari and an independent Animation Director creating Japanese animated films and series. His work sits at the intersection of engineering, storytelling, and production technology, exploring how new tools (including AI) reshape creative workflows and artistic collaboration.

​Talk 3 - Defining the Blueprint for AI in Anime

​Speaker: Coco Nitta (Founder & President of KamikAI)

​Abstract: This talk introduces KamikAI and the journey behind building the world’s first truly production-ready AI animation tools designed specifically for commercial anime production. While much of the conversation around AI in animation has centered on experimentation or fears of replacement, KamikAI was founded on a different thesis: that AI should exist to empower artists, not replace them.

​The presentation will explore how KamikAI’s technology was developed in close collaboration with leading anime studios in Japan, shaped directly by the realities of professional anime workflows, production constraints, and creative standards. Every tool in the KamikAI platform is built to superpower animators and creative professionals by increasing productivity, reducing costs, and maintaining consistent quality, while preserving artistic intent and human control at every stage of the pipeline.

​The talk will also share how KamikAI’s tools are already being quietly used by many of Japan’s top anime studios in real commercial productions, including powering the first AI-assisted anime scenes to appear on Netflix across major series and some of the world’s largest IP. Attendees will gain a practical, behind-the-scenes view of what it actually takes to move AI from research and demos into real production, and what an artist-first approach to AI means for the future of professional anime.

​Bio: 22 years of experience as a creative operator across global and Japanese media. Before founding KamikAI, Coco built a career as a Grammy-nominated, AMA-winning music producer. At his previous company, SPKTRM, he spent several years bridging Western and Japanese entertainment, bringing top international talent into the Japanese media ecosystem through partnerships with AVEX and LDH.

​Talk 4 - IP × AI: Now and Next

​Speaker: Hiroaki Yabusaki (CEO, AiHUB)

​Abstract: AI can be utilized in the IP ecosystem in many ways—from improving production efficiency to becoming a new form of IP itself, such as AITubers. How IP leverages AI ultimately depends on striking the right balance between rights management, AI technology, and fan engagement. Since 2023, AiHUB has led numerous IP projects across anime, idol culture, and AITubers. In this session, Hiroaki, CEO of AiHUB, will explore current use cases of IP × AI and share an outlook for 2026.

​Bio: Hiroaki has led cross-border IP and commerce initiatives since joining Tokyo Otaku Mode in 2013, including global e-commerce launches and major collaborations such as Pokémon Center and Suzume no Tojimari × Fortnite. He has been a director of Licensing International Japan and Vice Chair since 2024.

​AI x Entertainment Series Schedule

• ​Fri, Jan 16: AI x Anime

• ​Fri, Feb 13: AI x Games

• ​Fri, Mar 13: AI x Movies

• ​April (day TBD): AI Filmmaking Hackathon

​​Organizers

• ​​​​​​Ilya Kulyatin: Fintech and AI entrepreneur with work and academic experience in the US, Netherlands, Singapore, UK, and Japan, with an MSc in Machine Learning from UCL.
  

• ​Douglas Montgomery: Douglas is a veteran research analyst in global retail and entertainment, with experience at Warner Bros. across the U.S., Japan, and the U.K., and prior roles at Walmart. He is the founder and CEO of Global Connects Media, a speaker and columnist for Nikkei Asia, and producer of the Global Stage Hollywood Film Festival.
  

• ​Hero Kominato: Leading Tokyo's largest international AI Video community at AIMovie.Studio. Leveraging his network of filmmakers and engineers, he bridges the gap between leading AI companies and creative professionals. He also serves as a community partner for major platforms such as Freepik, Runway, and Mago.

​Supporters

​​​Tokyo AI (​​​TAI) is the biggest AI community in Japan, with 3,000+ members mainly based in Tokyo (engineers, researchers, investors, product managers, and corporate innovation managers).

​Value Create is a management advisory and corporate value design firm offering services such as business consulting, education, corporate communications, and investment support to help companies and individuals unlock their full potential and drive sustainable growth.

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