Slayers Artist Rui Araizumi Falsely Accused of Using AI to Make Art

Earlier this month at Comiket 102, Slayers artist Rui Araizumi put out a new art book containing his fan art of ONIMAI: I’m Now Your Sister! and Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury, among others.

Almost immediately, X (formerly Twitter) users began to accuse him of using AI to create the final images in the book. One wrote about the cover image, “This Lina is 100% not Rui-sensei’s, and I hate it. It makes me want to ask, ‘Who used AI to make this?’ I wonder if [Slayer’s creator] Kanazaka-sensei knows?” Another followed up by saying, “Why did he use AI? Just a normal drawing would have been better.” Dozens of similar comments began popping up until Rui Araizumi himself released a three-minute video showing off the source file and its various layers.

“The cover of my new doujin magazine. _(┐「ε:)_ I’m drawing things properly!
Here it is separated layer-by-layer starting from the rough sketch.
I’ve put up this video so it’ll be easy for you to understand. *｡٩(ˊᗜˋ*)و*｡
Everyone can see my layer composition! (/ω＼) I’m so embarrassed.”
—
“Here it is in screenshots. *｡٩(ˊᗜˋ*)و*｡”

He did the same for the image used on the folder/bag and fan that came as a set with the art book.

“Here’s the design used on the folder/bag and fan.*｡٩(ˊᗜˋ*)و*｡
Here too it is separated layer-by-layer starting from the rough sketch.
It’s embarrassing but I’ll show it to you in this video.”
—
“Here are the screenshots too. *｡٩ (ˊᗜˋ *) و*｡
From rough sketch to line art _( ┐ ‘’ε :)_ as well as coloring and changing the colors of the line art.
With this [the process] should be easy to understand, right?”

Then, because he had to show the art that people paid good money for in order to prove he didn’t use AI, Araizumi apologized to all the people who had purchased the art book

“For those who picked up my doujinshi at the event and those who got it through other means, I’m sorry for publishing the image data in this way.

As I wrote in the afterword of the book, I wanted to challenge myself to do things I have not been able to do in my commercial work and do things differently from usual (such as painting). Because this was a doujinshi I had fun pursuing this goal.

To those of you who picked up the book and those of you who enjoyed it, if I have caused you any heartache, I am truly sorry.”

Finally, responding to a comment that he should pursue legal action in regard to the whole incident, Araizumi had this to say:

Maybe so _(┐「ε:)_ I’m keeping a record of those I thought were particularly horrible.

Source: Otakomu