The Eiken manga recently got an AI remake, and as expected, it has elicited strong reactions from manga fans, many of whom are against generative AI for manga and anime.
Eiken ended in August 2004, so it was surprising that it got a revival. What’s interesting aside from the fact that the manga is being remade with AI is the fact that its creator is on board with the initiative.
Eiken Manga AI Remake Gets Official Blessing from Author
Weekly Shonen Champion’s Eiken is an ecchi comedy serialized from April 2001 to August 2004. While it didn’t get a full anime series adaptation, it did get a two-episode OVA from J.C.Staff (of One-Punch Man and DanMachi fame).
Since the series ended, Eiken has not gotten any new projects. Interestingly, the series was picked up and released in North America by Media Blasters between July 2005 and September 2008.
In April this year, the Eiken manga remake project started serialization in Manga Okoku, and it features the same core story as the original, but with updated artwork made using generative AI.
This remake is an official project as it has the blessing of the original creator Seiji Matsuyama. In a recent interview with Real Sound, Matsuyama revealed that fans have requested for the classic manga to be released in color for smartphones.
As older works aren’t made for phone screens, it was decided that generative AI should be used to remake these older manga. Matsuyama said that his older work is too hard to read digitally so he approves the remake.
Thus, this is just one of the many planned classic manga that Manga Okoku will remake.
Where to Read the Eiken Manga Remake
Currently, the Eiken manga AI remake has only begun serialization in Manga Okoku, meaning the entire series is not yet available on the platform.
Still, fans can expect regular chapter updates on the platform, as generative AI should make it much faster to pump out the remake chapters.
For now, there’s no word on release plans for the series in English outside of Japan.
Manga Fans Are Split on the Generative AI Remake
Given how AI continues to be a hot topic among anime and manga fans, many readers expressed their disappointment with the decision to remake Eiken.
On Reddit, many manga readers disliked the decision, with some also criticizing the generic look of the remake’s AI art.
Others weren’t too worried, given that Eiken is still a niche series that was panned by some critics during its initial serialization.
Of course, there would be more reason to worry for these fans if the manga remake initiative extends to other classic titles such as Osamu Tezuka’s various manga.
Get the latest anime news and info by following us on Facebook.