Yuki Kaji, the acclaimed voice actor behind Eren Yeager in "Attack on Titan," celebrated his 20th anniversary in 2023 by launching his own creative project, "Soyogi Fractal." As part of this initiative, he designed a voice synthesis software character named Soyo Kaji and announced plans to create a manga based on her.
Now, that衍生 short manga, "The Theory of the Malicious Man and AI," has officially debuted! "Attack on Titan" creator Hajime Isayama is credited with the story concept, while rising star manga artist Kai Noshigami handled the artwork. The manga was prominently featured on the cover and with color pages in the February issue of "Bessatsu Shonen Magazine," released today (January 9).
This project is actually part of "Soyogi Fractal," the official name for the previously announced "Yuki Kaji Synthesized Voice Project." Kaji himself spearheaded the planning, collaborating with AI singing voice synthesis software Techno Speech to create the voice character "Soyo Kaji" using his own voice as a base. Illustrator Mai Yoneyama designed the character's visuals.
▼ Soyo Kaji performs "Kakumei Dualism"
"The Theory of the Malicious Man and AI" tells the story of an AI that gains self-awareness but is forced into an exploitative company. One day, on a whim, it becomes a VTuber, unexpectedly skyrocketing to fame. This sudden popularity triggers a series of troubles, ultimately escalating into a crisis that threatens the extinction of humanity. To commemorate the release of this short work, Hajime Isayama personally drew the cover illustration, and a clear file folder featuring the cover art is included as a special bonus.
Yuki Kaji expressed his excitement about the successful launch of the first short manga from his project, especially having the esteemed Hajime Isayama pen the story. He extended his sincere gratitude to Isayama-sensei for readily agreeing, making this collaboration possible.
Hajime Isayama commented that it had been about ten years since he last worked on a manga outside of "Attack on Titan," and he once again felt the challenge of manga creation. However, he added, since he wasn't responsible for the artwork this time, he could design troublesome compositions to his heart's content and then hand them off to someone else – it's the best feeling ever (chuckles).
If you're curious about this unique short story, grab the February issue of "Bessatsu Shonen Magazine" and dive into what kind of narrative this Hajime Isayama x Yuki Kaji collaboration has cooked up!
via： PR TIMES