Korean Webtoon Accused of Plagiarising Mushoku Tensei By Using AI

Fans have accused a Korean webcomic that it’s been plagiarizing the popular anime Mushoku Tensei.

The accusations do have some merit, as some of the panels in the comic are eerily similar to that of scenes in the anime.

The webtoon in question is “The Knight King Who Returned With a God,” whose first six chapters were released a few days ago. The webtoon is based on the novel of the same name.

The studio behind The Knight King, Blue Line Studio, has removed the panels from the comic following multiple bad reviews by infuriated fans. 

Blue Line Studio isn’t new to controversy, however. The studio has admitted to using AI in their production process to give some finishing touches to the illustrations, which was opposed by lots of anti-AI fans.

It’s a touchy subject since AI is new to the art industry, and many people are skeptical. The first chapter of The Knight King was rated 1.9 out of 10 and scored the lowest among 600 webtoons released that week.

The studio has denied using generative AI to produce images but instead uses it to finalize some minor details. However, according to the readers, AI was used extensively in making, saying that style, shape, and colors of the illustrations look similar to other projects.

Besides being accused of plagiarizing Mushoku Tensei, the Webtoon is also accused of copying the character of Groot from the Guardians of the Galaxy.

This incident raised questions on social media as to how or if AI should be used in the process of making art.

AI generates images using already made work by artists, so some netizens consider it plagiarism by extension.

Also Read: Mushoku Tensei Author Plans To Write A Sequel Story

There are regulations being implemented by the South Korean National Assembly which will force content creators to make public any content that uses AI. The platform where the webtoon was published is also investigating the incident internally. 

Blue Line Studio has removed all panels that used AI and has made a public apology and pledge not to use AI in their work again.

There’s no news of any legal action taken by the creators of Mushoku Tensei as of yet. Considering the strict copyright laws in Japan, it wouldn’t be surprising if the production committee of Mushoku Tensei decided to take a legal action.

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Source: Nate News