There is no
doubt that there is no such thing as bad publicity on the internet. A guy in
Japan thought it would be an excellent idea to photograph his hand making an
obscene sign in front of an instruction book to create manga with artificial
intelligence inside a bookstore. However, the image went so viral on social
media that it had the complete opposite effect: the book sold out in a matter
of hours in major online stores.
The book in
question is titled Hajimete no AI Manga no Tsukurikata (How to Make
Manga with AI for the First Time), a guide written by programmer and
creator Keisuke published by Takarajimasha publishing house in late 2025.
Costing approximately $11 (USD), the manual is designed as an instructional
format for students and beginners who want to explore tools such as Canva and
image generators to layout their own stories without having to master
traditional drawing.
The publication
of the photograph loaded with rejection on September 27, 2026 unleashed an
avalanche of interactions and debate among users. To the author's own surprise,
the enormous attention received caused the physical version of the book to sell
out completely on Japan's most important e-commerce platforms the next day.
Keisuke was quick to react on his networks to thank the involuntary publicity,
asking traditional bookstores to place new orders with the publisher to
motivate an urgent reprint while the digital version is still available.
This
phenomenon occurs in the midst of a rather tense climate within the Japanese
industry regarding the use of generative tools in art. Since the end of 2025,
the Japan Mangaka Association together with major publishers issued official
positions calling for respect for copyright and requiring adequate licenses
during the training of these programs. Despite the rejection of a sector of
traditional artists, several technology-assisted projects continue to gain
ground in competitions and digital platforms, constantly reopening the
discussion about the future of illustration in the face of technological
advance.
