In recent years, AI art generation has exploded, with countless platforms making it easy to create what used to be time-consuming artwork. This boom, however, has also sparked its fair share of controversy.
Shueisha's "Young Jump Newcomer Manga Award" (36th edition) is now at the center of a heated debate. The winning entry, Mikuni no Hahakiri-sama by Morigana Gurubon, has been called out by numerous X (formerly Twitter) users for allegedly using AI-generated art. While not officially confirmed, the accusations have already ignited a firestorm across Japanese X, sparking a major discussion: should AI art even be allowed in contests?
Turns out, this piece actually snagged its awards back in September, taking home the "Honorable Mention + Monthly Best + First Submission Award" and a cool 430,000 yen in prize money.
The official critique read: "Strong drawing skills, excellent fan service, and well-executed action scenes and selling points. Overall, a lot of effort is evident. However, there's significant room for improvement in character design, story, and structure, especially with overly complex settings and unclear explanations that hinder smooth readability. This aspect is a bit regrettable."
The whole uproar kicked off with a tweet from a user questioning how this piece, allegedly made with AI art, could possibly win an honorable mention and 430,000 yen. They pointed out numerous baffling elements within the work.
Among the red flags raised: "Are those beard lines on the female character's face?" and "The child's eyes look like they're melting, a common AI art glitch."
Other netizens chimed in, noting inconsistencies in character glasses and styling, plus bizarre and unnatural poses and clothing – all classic hallmarks of AI-generated images. The online debate is only getting louder.
However, it's worth noting that there's still no definitive proof of AI use; these are all suspicions raised by netizens based on the manga's artwork.
Unsurprisingly, the official "Young Jump Newcomer Manga Award" posts are now flooded with criticism, with many users expressing disappointment that an AI-assisted work could win, calling out the organizers' judging process.
Here's the kicker: the official rules for the Newcomer Manga Award don't explicitly forbid AI use, nor do they require entrants to declare whether they've used AI.
The key rules simply state: submissions must be unpublished original works, must not infringe on others' copyrights or other rights, and if infringement claims are proven, the award may be revoked even after announcement.
In other words, the current regulations prioritize "whether others' rights are infringed," not the method of creation.
Of course, there's still no concrete evidence of AI use, and since the author isn't on social media, their side of the story remains unknown. But given the current online uproar, it's likely the organizers will have to issue a statement soon.
▼ The official team even went all out for the award-winning "Mikuni no Hahakiri-sama," commissioning voice actors for an audio manga!