The third season of the One-Punch Man anime continues to stir heated discussions among fans due to its animation quality, which has sparked mixed reactions since its release. Despite the production team’s efforts, criticism has not subsided, even leading the director to leave social media after receiving harsh comments.
Now, a fan named MEZA has taken the debate further by recreating several scenes using artificial intelligence (AI) through Grok Imagine, an animation-generating tool. On their YouTube channel, the creator compared the original anime with the AI-generated version, quickly drawing the attention of thousands of followers on social media.
A Controversial Comparison
The released video shows that the Grok-generated version improves the smoothness of motion and lighting in battle scenes, delivering a more refined aesthetic. The AI version highlights action details and visual effects more fluidly than some segments produced by JC Staff in the anime.
While many users praised the result, saying it reflects the quality One-Punch Man deserves, others pointed out that using AI might undermine the value of animators’ work and complicate discussions about copyright and creativity in the industry.
AI: Future Tool or Threat to Animation?
This experiment has reignited debate about AI’s role in the future of anime. Supporters see it as a powerful aid for studios and artists, helping to handle background scenes and smooth out motion quickly, freeing animators from overwhelming workloads.
Opponents worry that AI adoption could replace industry professionals, leading studios to increasingly rely on technology to cut labor costs.
Regardless, MEZA’s project shows how technology is becoming more integrated into Japanese audiovisual production. Do you think AI tools like Grok Imagine can improve animation quality without replacing the original creators?