Earlier this week at Gamescom, Crunchyroll unveiled a first look at its upcoming Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice anime, Sekiro: No Defeat, which adapts the popular PlayStation Soulslike game developed by FromSoftware, Inc. But in the wake of the trailer’s release, concerns from fans online began to suggest and speculate that some off-looking parts of the trailer may have been down to a use of generative AI.
Qzil.la, the studio behind No Defeat, was not prominently featured in its marketing in the trailer released this past Tuesday during Gamescom’s Opening Night Live stream. So, when people online, both on Reddit and in the trailer’s YouTube comment section, were concerned that some of the animation they saw in the otherwise smooth-looking trailer might have been created with generative AI tools, concerns were raised further when critics started looking into Qzil.la’s past works.
An examination of the anime database MyAnimeList found no prior notable works by the studio, making them a surprising choice for a major adaptation of one of Sony’s most successful video games (Sekiro has sold 10 million copies since its release in 2019, according to IGN). Furthermore, a section of Qzil.la’s own website explicitly notes that the studio, according to machine translation, will “challenge the conventional wisdom of existing methods,” doing so in part by utilizing “the latest technologies such as AI… thereby bringing about digital disruption in the anime industry.”
© Qzil.laAlthough Qzil.la’s original post on Twitter announcing the No Defeat trailer described the series as a “2D animation,” the studio is involved in other upcoming series that utilize generative AI technologies. A talk in March earlier this year at the Niigata International Animation Film Festival saw representatives from the studio, alongside partners from Comisuma, discuss their work using AI in the production of the 2026 series The Life of a Gigolo, describing the series as cel animation where “approximately 60% of the animation is being produced using AI.”
But for just as many concerns that began circulating online, No Defeat‘s announcement likewise saw users come to the series’ defense, touting the animation legacy of creatives confirmed for the project. No Defeat is directed by Kenichi Kutsuna, a former animator on Naruto responsible for some of the anime’s most impressive action sequences. Qzil.la’s official website also notes that its CEO, Shun Fukudome, is a former animator at Production I.G. But the controversy grew to a point that saw Qzil.la release a new statement today where it denied any use of generative AI.
『SEKIRO: NO DEFEAT』 制作手法についてのご案内 pic.twitter.com/yIwzzf9WXl
— SEKIRO: NO DEFEAT｜アニメ公式 (@sekiro_nd_anime) August 22, 2025
“We’re incredibly excited to bring Sekiro: No Defeat exclusively to Crunchyroll in 2026,” an English translation of the statement, provided to io9 by Crunchyroll, begins. “The whole anime adaptation is a fully hand-drawn 2D animation created by the talented teams at Qzil.la, ARCH, and Kadokawa. We can confirm that no AI is being used in the creation or production of this anime. Fans can look forward to the same artistry and precision that defined the original game, now reimagined in a new medium.”
Today’s statement was prefaced on the Japanese news website Natalie, which writes that the show was “all in hand-drawn 2D animation.” Kutsuna also provided a comment to Natalie about the anime, adding to the confusion over how much, if any, AI was used in the show’s production, given the company’s statements on it being a part of its mission and the anime’s tweet stating the opposite.
“In adapting the overwhelmingly beautiful Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice into an anime, I have gathered all the beauty I can muster and approached the production of this work. Whether you’re a fan of the game or are experiencing the world of Sekiro for the first time through the anime, this is a work that you will surely take home with you as something special. Please look forward to it.
Qzil.la CEO Shun Fukudome also provided a comment on the anime, writing, “Expressing the charm of the original work, which combines beauty and intensity, in animation has been a challenge that requires great resolve. Together with the wonderful creators who have agreed to take on this challenge, we are working every day to pursue the visual beauty that can only be expressed through animation. We will work wholeheartedly to create a work that will leave a deep impression on fans of the original work, as well as those experiencing the work for the first time through anime.”
“We are taking on the monumental task of animating the breathtakingly beautiful Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. In doing so, we are pouring every ounce of our artistic vision and passion for beauty into its production,” Kutsuna said in a comment provided to IGN. “The final product is being crafted to be a truly memorable experience, one that will leave a lasting impression on both dedicated fans of the game and those who are discovering the world of Sekiro for the very first time. Please look forward to it.”
Lately, AI’s growing pervasiveness in the animation space, including the U.S. government’s involvement in the Studio Ghibli AI art trend, has become a source of ire for fans. In essence, the rise of AI art has led to individuals scrutinizing animated shows for using AI in their production instead of human workers, and this practice is now being called into question with Crunchyroll’s Sekiro anime. This trend is further exacerbated for anime viewers with juggernaut studios like Toei Animation, the studio behind One Piece, stating that AI will enhance their shows in the future. With companies expressly claiming to be interested in AI, using this technology in the future seems only to prelude those same companies having incidents where they’ll have to come forward to deny them.
The same can be said for streamer Crunchyroll, which came under fire back in July when an episode of the anime Necronomico and the Cosmic Horror was released on the platform with German-language subtitling explicitly revealing that it had been written by ChatGPT. Crunchyroll pulled the subtitles, telling Aftermath that “We were made aware that AI-generated subtitles were employed by a third-party vendor, which is in violation of our agreement. We are investigating the matter and are working to rectify the error.”
That move itself came after concerns were raised last year by a comment from Crunchyroll president Rahul Purini, who at the time told The Verge that the streamer was experimenting with generative AI and LLMs to “improve and optimize [their] processes” for delivering subtitles in more languages for simulcast releases. After backlash, Purini walked the comments back a month later in an interview with Polygon.
“AI is new, we are curious to see what it can do, what it cannot do, to understand it better,” Purini told Polygon. “Quality is of paramount importance for us, and if we find out the technology is not to the level that it can create the best subtitles we want for our fans, then we will wait until the technology gets there. And if it never gets there, then it never gets there.”
The rise of generative AI has made many fields, anime production included, a more scrutinized battleground, where fans feel compelled to reconsider projects they’re otherwise excited about out of a fear that AI may have played a significant role in their creation—at the expense of human artistry. At the very least, Sekiro: No Defeat is apparently not one of these projects to worry over, but as the world continues to wrangle with the minefield of considering the public response to generative AI, controversies like this will continue to appear.
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
English (US) ·