Remastering Infamous Anime | A Controversial Use of Seedance
Edited By
Dr. Sarah Kahn
A fan attempts to overhaul the notorious My Sister, My Writer using Seedance, sparking debate over AI’s role in remastering animated content. This effort, with a $50 investment, yielded mixed results that both impressed and unsettled people across forums.
The Remastering Process
In an attempt to improve upon the original, which is known for its poor animation quality and hidden SOS message, the remasterer took a unique approach. Starting with nine key frames, he organized them into grids to develop a storyboard. However, only a narrow slice of footage, from 00:09 to 00:14, proved usable. This fan quickly adapted, reducing grids and transforming characters into simple blobs, which led to better outcomes in most scenes.
"The facial expressions are more subdued," the remasterer noted, illustrating one of the main challenges faced.
Despite these adjustments, problems cropped up. Seedance sometimes mimicked the blobs too closely, resulting in less-than-ideal character portrayals. In one particularly troublesome scene at 01:52, the fan had to erase original characters and provide a separate reference image to achieve a better look. He also confirmed that adjustments could be made by re-inputting the generated output into Seedance.
Community Reactions
Forum feedback varied widely:
Positive Outlook: "This sets a path for fan-led remakes," one commenter remarked, referencing the potential for future projects.
Concerns Raised: Critiques surfaced regarding the lack of emotion in AI-generated facial expressions, with one user stating, "The Seedance version is severely lacking in expression."
Excitement for Technologies: Many users are eager to see how tools like Seedance can enhance older animations, providing a hint of nostalgia mixed with hope for better quality in future productions.
Key Themes from Community Feedback
Quality Improvements: Many expressed optimism about the potential of tools like Seedance for remastering animations and creating new content.
Emotional Depth Lacking: Users noted that while the visual quality improved, the expressiveness of characters diminished, which could impact viewer engagement.
Future Possibilities: The exploration of AI as a tool for creating animations from scratch was discussed, with hopes to transform comics into animated content.
Key Takeaways
▽ Over $50 spent on improving one of anime's most critically panned productions.
△ AI-generated content enhances visuals but may compromise emotional depth.
※ "This showcases early use cases where AI can assist artists," a community member pointed out.
As this technology continues to develop, the potential for AI to change the landscape of animation appears immense, making the findings of this project a significant talking point in fan circles. While AI can provide a foundation, the artistic flair may still rely on human touch.
More updates are expected as users continue to experiment and push the limits of Seedance.
What Lies Ahead for Animation and AI
As the technology behind Seedance matures, there's a strong chance that more creators will utilize AI for remastering older animations. Experts estimate around a 70% likelihood that fan-led projects will increasingly gain traction, driven by both nostalgia and the ambition to enhance aesthetic quality. However, the challenge of maintaining emotional depth in characters could steer discussions toward developing more refined AI models capable of capturing nuanced expressions. With excitement brewing among people in forums, we might see an uptick in collaborative projects that blend human artistry with AI capabilities, possibly changing how animations are produced in the future.
Echoes from the Past
In the 1990s, the rise of digital technology transformed how music was produced, often replacing traditional instruments with synthesized sounds. This shift initially faced skepticism from purists who believed that emotion was lost in translation. Yet, over time, artists found innovative ways to blend the new with the old, creating rich and complex compositions. This situation resembles the current animation landscape, where the growth of AI in remastering content may initially seem like it compromises artistic integrity. However, just as musicians adapted to technology, animators might discover new strengths through AI, merging creativity and tech in unexpected and exciting ways.