In his words
It’s like a heartless monster. I don’t think people are impressed by the amount of information or the accuracy.
My current conclusion is that, regardless of other fields, it’s better not to use AI in the creative field.
Biography
Shinichiro Watanabe (born 1965) is one of anime’s most celebrated directors, best known for Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo, and Kids on the Slope — works prized for their jazz- and hip-hop-infused soundtracks and their fusion of Japanese and Western sensibilities. His 2025 series Lazarus renewed attention to his craft-first approach at a moment when the industry was debating automation.
A heartless monster
In an April 2025 interview with Gizmodo Japan around the release of Lazarus, Watanabe was asked about generative AI in animation. He was blunt: whatever its technical accuracy, AI-generated work struck him as emotionally empty, “a heartless monster.” He argued that anything drawn by human hands carries a charm — “even if the drawing is messy” — because the feelings of the person who drew it are embedded in the line.
Anything drawn by human hands has a certain charm, even if the drawing is messy… the feelings of the person who drew it are put into it.
Watanabe’s objection is less about job loss than about meaning: he sees animators as people who make anime because they want to draw and tell stories, and he questions whether AI output — however polished — can hold the same value. His verdict places him alongside fellow anime figures like Hayao Miyazaki in the handcraft camp of the debate.
Where they stand in the war
Who backs them up
Sources & further reading
Canonical record: https://battlelines.ai/topic/shinichiro-watanabe