Web3 IP platform Xross Road has announced the closed beta launch of its AI-powered manga creation tool HANASEE, which is targeted at making adaptations of novels and scripts.
Xross Road, which is a wholly-owned subsidiary under TV Asahi Music, also revealed that it had amassed US$1.5 million in pre-seed funding for HANASEE. The pre-seed round saw investments from Arbitrum Gaming Ventures, Decima Fund, Taisu Ventures, Baboon VC, and others.
The AI tool is being positioned as a “new, cost-effective, and rapid option” for IP holders to “adapt their original IP into manga for market testing and multi-format expansion.” The website’s FAQ section states that users “can create based on novels uploaded by authors or stories you upload yourself.”
Xross Road says that HANASEE utilizes “specialized AI agents for different stages: illustration, scripting, and panel layout,” and that the AI agents are “rigorously fine-tuned by active manga artists.” It also claims that the tool’s “layered, isolated editing tool overcomes common consistency issues found in general image generation AI, thereby enabling the creation of coherent, long-form manga.”
Future plans for HANASEE involve a public release; support for English, Chinese, and Korean; and a “blockchain-based rights management system ensuring transparent revenue sharing.” The latter is planned for an early 2026 drop, while HANASEE is currently scheduled to launch on March 3. The AI tool, which will have free and paid plan options, previously missed its December 2025 and January 2026 release dates.
In Japan, there are worries about the unpermitted use of creative works by generative AI, which feed on existing material for their training. The Japan Cartoonists Association issued a joint statement with parties like KADOKAWA and Kodansha in October 2025 following the launch of OpenAI’s video generation AI Sora 2, in which it expressed concern at the copyright infringement committed by generative AI and urged for measures to be taken. Earlier the same month, Japanese media reported that Japan’s government had made a request to OpenAI to refrain from such infringement.
After X (formerly Twitter) rolled out an AI-powered image editing function, Dr. Stone artist Boichi said that they would put a pause on uploading comics and illustrations on the social media platform. “I want to be clear: I do not fear AI. In fact, I believe in its future and the possibilities it may bring,” Boichi wrote. “However, I cannot accept my works being used, learned from, or exploited without my consent or proper compensation.”
Source: Press release
