Interview Part 1] "AI's Legacy" depicts a near future where AI and humans coexist! Interview with the original author & director vs. Talks about the points that make the work easy to watch and the highlights of the film.

The story takes place in a "near-future world" where people live with the same way of thinking as in modern society, despite the development of various technologies and AI.

One of the most distinctive characters is the "humanoid," a being composed of AI and a machine body that has the same emotional and human rights as humans, but ages and dies in its lifespan. The advantages of having a machine body are great: even if one is seriously injured, as long as the head remains intact, it can be treated, and even if a mental problem occurs, it can be cured by rewriting the telekinesis. At first glance, they appear to be ideal, but because they have the same mind as humans, they have a variety of problems and issues.

The main character Sudo, a doctor who treats humanoids, solves these problems. Sudo also has a dark side, taking on dangerous requests and dealing with humanoids and humans who have their own reasons for being. The drama unfolds in a "near-future world with a connection to the ground," with humanoids that copy personalities, humanoids struggling with their own limitations, female humanoids who love the same sex, humanoids trying to master traditional arts, and a stubborn blacksmith who teaches robots technology (......). The drama unfolds in a way that is only possible in a "near-future world.

This work has been highly acclaimed for its thought-provoking story that leaves a lingering impression and the realism of its "near-future world connected to the earth," but it has already reached the end of its 12-episode run. We asked Huuri Yamada (author) and Yuzo Sato (director) to discuss the future highlights of this work and broad themes such as the future of AI.

A thought-provoking story with a thoughtful audience in the first half of the season

--How is the response to the story now that the seventh episode has been aired?

Yamada: As the author, I feel that the response has been very positive.

Sato: Although the content is different from ordinary anime, the response has been better than I had expected. There are many deep stories and twists, but I can feel that the viewers are thinking about various things more than we expected.

--There are many stories that make you think. Is there any difference in the response to "AI's Legacy" from country to country?

Yamada: I have not been able to check the response in each country, but I personally feel that the response has been similar to that in Japan. It is interesting to know that there are people overseas who can understand this kind of theme and the way it is portrayed.

--It is interesting that the theme and the way it is portrayed can be conveyed to people overseas as well. From your point of view, what do you think is the appeal of "AI's Legacy"?

Sato: I think it's the fact that the story is set in the near future, but it's also a story that people can relate to.

--Personally, the scene at the ramen shop at the beginning of the first episode left a strong impression on me. The customer and the owner are making small talk, and the customer says in surprise, "Oh, General, are you a humanoid? The relationship between humans and humanoids is shown when the customer is surprised. I think this is an "AI relic" scene, similar to the present day but in the near future. In the anime version, the two episodes of the original story are often arranged into a single episode. Did Mr. Yamada and Director Sato discuss the combination of stories and original elements?

Sato: Yes, we did. During the composition meeting (a meeting to decide how to structure the series), Mr. Yamada gave me a list of his favorite stories, and Ryunosuke Kingetsu, who is in charge of the series composition, made a suggestion. I would make a proposal to Ryunosuke Kanazuki, who is in charge of the series composition, and then I would say, "It's a story that's hard to illustrate, so could you replace it with another story?

Yamada: I also attended all the scenario meetings (laughs). (Laughs) Mr. Kingetsu is a director who follows the original story, but he has given us precise direction at key points, such as adding dialogues. Thanks to him, I think we were able to make it all come together as a whole. I am a person who is open to making changes. When the director says, "Isn't this different from the original? I would say, "This is good. Our positions are reversed (laughs).

--How do you feel about the past episodes?

Yamada: I like episode 3 a lot, so I'm glad it got a good response.

--I was glad to hear that the response to the episode was good. I think both are great episodes.

*"Poppo" and "Joe the Gigolo."

Episode 3 "Where the Heart Is": A boy becomes strongly emotionally attached to "Poppo," a stuffed animal equipped with AI. Through the two, the relationship between human and machine is portrayed. This episode adds an original anime twist to the classic "Poppo" original episode 3 (Volume 1) and "Gigolo no Joe" original episode 49 (Volume 5).

Yamada: It was great that there was a connection between the boy who owns Poppo and Joe, which was original to the anime. With only "Poppo," the audience might have wondered, "Do machines have hearts? Does it have a heart? But with the addition of "Joe the Gigolo," Joe tells the boy that they are machines created with a purpose. I think you are pulling from the essence of "Sharon and Brian "*, but there are many other examples like this.

*"Sharon and Brian."

Unanimated. Original 21 episodes (Volume 2). Brian is a robot who looks just like a human, but unlike humanoids, he has no human rights. He meets Sharon, a humanoid, and Sharon's father, a human (in the world of this work, humans can adopt humanoids).

Sharon is torn between Brian, who is intelligent despite being a robot, and her father, who is human but arrogant and racist. Eventually, the cruise ship on which the three are aboard is caught up in a terrorist attack ....... Note that Sharon and Brian also make a guest appearance at the beginning of the original episode 43 (Volume 4), "Proof of Humanity.

Sato Viewers also commented that "Poppo, who looks like a stuffed animal, has a heart, while Joe, who looks no different from a human, seems dry and heartless. They responded, "It is interesting to see both of them in different stories in the original story, but in the anime arrangement, it is interesting to compare them.

Yamada: As far as the anime goes, I also like the piano story (*) and the stories about Memorize-kun and Perm-kun (*). It was a memorable story when I was working on the original.

*"The Piano Story."

Episode 5 "Tuning". Original story #7 "Piano" (Volume 1). A humanoid boy who loves the piano plays a haunting tone, but he has trouble controlling his emotions and does not fit in with his surroundings. The humanoid's brain can be "cured" by rewriting information, but what are the pros and cons of such a "cure"? ...... Regarding the creation of music in the humanoid era, the original story #74, "The Only Flower in the World" (Vol. 7), is also interesting.

The story of "Remember-kun" and "Perm-kun".

Episode 6, "Robots. This episode is a combination of the original episode 24 (Vol. 3) "The Mountain Blacksmith," in which the AI robot "Memoro-kun," which learns human technology at an astonishing speed, apprentices himself to a blacksmith who is devoted to tradition, and the original episode 25 (Vol. 3) "Half a Year Full," in which the AI robot "Permakun" enters elementary school to learn as a nursing AI. It is interesting that the stories of AI stepping into the human domain to participate in society continue at the same time.

Sato: Parma-kun is a good story, isn't it?

--In that sense, episode 6 is a time when you can enjoy two good stories at once. Were there any difficult stories in choosing the ones to be animated?

Yamada: There was one that combined a story about a humanoid who wants to have a child and receives a child (*) and something else, but it was rejected because I thought it had too many ups and downs as an animation (......). I thought it would be better to include it, though, because it's moving and it's a story that explains the worldview.

*"A story about a humanoid who wants to have a child and receives a child in the clear."

Unanimated. Original Episode 75 (Volume 7), "A New Family. The story of a humanoid couple who receive a child. The humanoids receive a child by applying to the relevant authorities. This is to "manufacture" and "receive" a new humanoid, but it is a major turning point filled with anxiety for the humanoid, who has a mind similar to that of humans. Some humanoids perform a ritual when a child is "born," and other details are interesting.

Sato: This is a story about making animation, but if a story is too good to be true, it is hard to make it into a picture. If the story doesn't have a bit of poison in it, it doesn't become interesting, or if it doesn't have ups and downs, it doesn't leave something that sticks with you.

Yamada: I also like stories with a touch of humor. Stories in which I apologize*, for example. I think I might have overdone it a bit (laughs).

(laughs).

Episode 7 "Human. Animated adaptation of the original episode 28 (Vol. 3) "Apology" and episode 27 (Vol. 3) "Restoration". Even in a world where AI-based apologies for complaints have become the norm, there are still monster customers who insist on apologies made by humans or humanoids in person. They are dealt with by specially trained humans. This is the black story of ......, where the hearts of humanoids working in customer service creak up at the distorted reality. The episode also examines the pros and cons of "treating" an elderly humanoid who has suffered a brain injury.

Sato: In this story, I was impressed by the reporter who insisted on "treating" the humanoid old man, saying "I am not wrong" and making a very pathetic "I've done it" face.

Yamada I think there are not many stories with this kind of bad aftertaste these days, so I think some people may be surprised. I am the last fart of the Showa era, so I make stories like this with Showa values (laughs).

--I heard that you participated in all of the script meetings, and I think this is a very active example of an anime author.

Sato: He was also present for most of the dubbing. He also had a deep knowledge of music, which was very different from me, who left it to the sound director.

Yamada I'm sorry for getting involved in all that (laughs).

Sato No, no, no, that's not true. It was fun. It was fun for us to hear your opinions. I really felt like we were working together on the project.

Yamada It is really fun to create something. For me, I didn't really know how to do it, but I found myself participating in the whole process. It was quite an interesting experience to see how the work became different from the manga with the addition of various things outside of myself.

Huuri Yamada

AI "climbing the stairs" to have a greater impact on the world

--I think it is also difficult to draw a story that lingers and makes people think every week.

Sato: I agree with you. Although it is a story about a future society, I am not obsessed with the future setting. I don't think there are many works that show ...... the problems and stories that arise as a result of the increase in the number of humanoids living in a society that is almost identical to the present day, so it was refreshing to work on the animation. I wondered how they could come up with such a story every week.

Yamada It's hard work, but it doesn't matter to the reader.

Sato There is an increasing pattern in which animations are delivered after all the episodes have been made, and I think it would be good if this were the case with manga as well.

Yamada I would like to do it that way, but there is the problem of running costs. If you deliver the manga after all the episodes are finished, you have no income during that time and cannot cover the cost of assistants, so I don't think there are many manga artists who would be willing to do that. Unless you get paid in advance and deliver the work by the deadline.

Sato: I think that the more you are pushed into a corner, the more ideas you come up with.

Yamada With the serialization of "AI's Legacy," it became clear to me that the one-episode complete method is not cost-effective (laughs). It is best to do a continuation (laughs).

Director Yuzo Sato

--Would it be different if there was a company like the "Nile Company" (*) in the original story that would guarantee your livelihood?

*Nile Inc.

A giant corporation. Appears in episodes 33 (Vol. 4) "City Without Labor" and 73 (Vol. 7) "Maximizing Happiness" in the original story. In Nile Inc.'s "New World," a special economic zone, there is no need to work; the AI evaluates every action and assigns points, and other mechanisms are in place to increase motivation. The AI recommends various activities for those who are not motivated to take action, and the AI also coordinates the people they meet there. In the prequel, "AI's Legacy Electronic Blue Age," Sudo is transferred to this new world when he was a resident physician.

Yamada: With a place like Nile Inc., you don't have to work, so you can do what you want. However, that is only for those who can act spontaneously, and I think there are some people who would really stop doing anything. Nile Inc. is interesting in that it is a company that has AI in its philosophy, trying to transform that person in terms of behavioral economics by making various recommendations to the latter group of people. I think we are gradually becoming a world where AI is intervening in motivation and people are being transformed. This is happening in reality, and there are already apps out there that gamify sleep. I think it can be scary in some ways, but I also think it can be a good thing. It could make the time leading up to a painful deadline more enjoyable.

-It's true that the human mind is easily changed when motivation is manipulated. Thanks to smartphone apps, walking can be fun.

Sato: There are many people who really can't keep their phones close at hand, aren't there? I forgot my phone again today, and it's not good. I can't do anything. Smartphones, SNS, and the Internet have entered our lives from an early age, so we can't eliminate them now.

Yamada I am also an information addict and a smartphone addict. I feel that I would be able to draw more manga if I stopped, and at the same time I feel that I am getting manga material from this. It may be a bad thing, but I also feel that it has its merits. My son is 3 years old, but he's very talkative, and he's learning difficult words from the videos. I feel that his ability to imagine and understand stories is also being strengthened through YouTube. For example, in the scene in "Princess Mononoke," when Ashitaka is kicked out of the village, he asks, "Can't I go back to the village anymore? Will I be all alone?" He says, "I'm going to be all alone. I thought it was amazing that he understood the detailed nuances of the scene, or that he was able to sense it from the atmosphere of the scene.

--I think the term "digital native generation" is a good example of what's to come. There are people who are influenced by networks and large amounts of information as true natives.

Yamada: I myself use my smartphone as if it were a part of my body, and if I forget it, it is as if I left my arm behind. I think AI will eventually become like that, too, and some people will be influenced by AI as if they are a bonus.

Sato: There will be many people whose jobs will be taken away from them. But that may eventually be for the good of the world and people.

Yamada I have been working with the thought that "the job of an artist will definitely be in danger" since long ago. AI that draws pictures is emerging, but I think it will soon be able to think of stories as well. Currently, AI specializing in words and AI specializing in images are generating a variety of things by eating a large amount of only words and images, respectively. In the future, however, these will be mixed, so that one AI learns pictures, has a lot of sound information, and learns words as well.

--AIs will become even more sophisticated and invade the realm of humans.

Yamada: I think there is a possibility that the quick strikes and other actions being taken overseas will prohibit the growth of AI in the future. In addition to that, it will be important how to align regulations internationally, because even if country A regulates, if country B does not follow suit, it will only lose the international competition. In the "AI's Legacy" series, a United Nations-like organization decides on various matters, and I have a sense that the same thing is happening in reality.

Sato: Even in the real world, it is difficult for nations to align themselves.

--In the real world, if the excessive progress of AI were to be regulated by law, what would be the deterrent?

Yamada: Various measures, including economic sanctions, would be used. Even these measures may not be able to stop them because of the pride of the major powers. Since it is companies that are actually creating AI, the question is how they will behave.

Sato: You have these antennas and your sensitivity is sharp, so I think you can make use of them in your story.

To be continued in Part 2!