Three years after the end of the Attack on Titan manga -- and 15 years since it began -- series creator Hajime Isayama is ready to work on a new project. This time, he's working closely with Yuki Kaji, the voice actor of Eren Yeager.
The @/AttackOnFans social media account on X (formerly Twitter) recently shared a preview page of Soyogi Fractal, a new spinoff manga inspired by Kaji's singing avatar, Soyogi Soyogi. The character of Soyogi uses voice synthesis software that's similar to Vocaloid-based performers to replicate and manipulate Kaji's voice. The Soyogi Fractal project was created to celebrate Kaji's 20th anniversary as a voice actor.
Attack on Titan Creator Seeks an Artist for His New Project
Although Isayama will be overseeing the story and draft, he will not be illustrating Soyogi Fractal. An audition is currently being held for an artist to work on this project on the official website. From now to April 30, artists can submit their interpretation of the final act based on Isayama's storyboards available on the Soyogi Fractal website. Based on the preview pages, the story -- written by Kaji -- will deal with the AI origin of his character and the anxiety around the controversial software.
Eren's Voice Actor From Attack on Titan Has Called AI Use "Creepy" and "Terrifying"
Last December, Kaji expressed his frustration regarding AI software being used to duplicate his voice and others without consent. "I think it's creepy, or rather, it's terrifying that something that I didn't sing or talk about ends up spreading around the world as if it had actually happened," Kaji said. Although Kaiji can understand the appeal of these AI-manipulated clips giving fans the "dream collaboration" they've always wanted, he believes it's disrespectful to the people behind the characters. "By selfishly toying with them this way, turning them into so-called 'toys,' there is a risk of damaging the pride of those people. In terms of love and respect for the work, it is extremely disappointing and lacks consideration."
Soyogi Fractal is set to debut this summer in Kodansha's Weekly Shonen Magazine and Bessatsu Shonen Magazine. Currently, the project is designed to be a one-shot story. The Attack on Titan anime series is available on Crunchyroll and Hulu. Kodansha USA handles the English distribution of the manga.
Source: X (formerly Twitter), Soyogi Fractal website
