I stumbled onto a new animation project this week, which at first glance appeared to be a cross between Akira (1988) and some of the music videos from Gorillaz. Frankly, I didn’t know what to expect, but when I heard that AI had played a major role in its development, my inner geek got the best of me, and I was intrigued.
What I discovered is a time machine into the future of animation and if it promises to look and sound like this, we are all in for a treat.
Firstly, RŌHKI isn’t just another anime series. It’s a visual experiment in what happens when music, storytelling, and AI come together. What makes RŌHKI unique is how the music drives the story. It doesn’t just accompany the visuals—it’s a central part of the narrative, guiding emotions and shaping the overall experience.
It was developed through a unique collaboration between musicians and professional comic book writers and was created with open-source AI tools like MidJourney and Wonder Dynamics, that helped streamline production, which according to the official press release, gave the creators more freedom to focus on storytelling and music. The AI helped speed up processes that would normally take massive teams and large budgets, but the heart of the project remains securely within human hands. This “hybrid” approach marks a shift in how independent creators can reclaim artistic control. As explained by the creators, AI isn’t replacing creativity; it’s enhancing it, allowing small teams to create high-quality work without sacrificing their vision. As an aspiring filmmaker, I personally find this approach refreshing and liberating.
The visuals are striking, blending nostalgic, hand-drawn animation styles with futuristic, AI-generated backgrounds. I couldn’t escape a recurring notion of just how far animation has evolved since I first watched Samurai Jack back in college. Samurai Jack was monumental during my college years, as it was the show that first piqued my curiosity about Japanese-influenced animation and film directors like Kurosawa. By contrast, this 12-minute debut episode of RŌHKI, made by my beloved Samurai Jack, looks and feels prehistoric. The fact that artificial intelligence had helped create this was simply mind-blowing. The music plays an equally important role, in shaping the emotional tone of the episode. Unlike traditional anime soundtracks, which might serve as background noise, the music in RŌHKI is a key part of the storytelling and each song feels like a piece of the narrative guiding the viewer through different emotional beats.
In this first episode, we’re introduced to Hachi, a character who is physically and emotionally lost. He climbs high above the city with a sword, ready to end his life. The tension builds as the music swells, perfectly matching his internal conflict. Before Hachi jumps, a mysterious being named IO appears, questioning him about his past and his losses. Their conversation is deep and philosophical, touching on themes of guilt and regret. Despite the discussion, Hachi leaps from the building, but IO stops him in mid-air. This is where the story takes an unexpected turn—Hachi learns that the sword he’s holding makes it difficult for him to die. It’s a weapon he was never supposed to touch, and now he’s bound to it.
This twist opens the door to more than just a physical journey for Hachi. It’s a narrative of about second chances, redemption, and the emotional weight of decisions made in the past. The revelation that Mako, a friend Hachi believed was dead, is actually alive adds layers to his story, forcing him to reconsider his path. What makes this episode so powerful is that the music evolves with these plot twists. When Hachi discovers Mako is still alive, the score shifts, adding new energy and hope to the narrative.
The use of AI in the animation process seems apparent but not overpowering. While some viewers might catch glimpses of AI-generated artifacts, these elements contribute to the dreamlike quality of the visuals. The combination of hand-drawn animation with AI’s ability to create intricate backgrounds and real-time motion capture creates a surreal, immersive world. It’s a blend of the old and the new, nostalgic yet futuristic, much like the existential themes explored in the narrative.
RŌHKI isn’t just an anime series that’s experimenting with AI. It’s a blueprint for how independent artists can use new technologies to create without the constraints of traditional studios and big budgets. By using AI for the technical heavy lifting, the creators of RŌHKI have been able to focus more on the storytelling, the music, and the emotional depth of the project. The project’s core creators have remained anonymous, letting the art itself take center stage.
One of the most exciting aspects of RŌHKI is how the music and animation work together to tell a cohesive story. The score is less bound by traditional music structures, allowing it to flow freely with the emotional beats of the episode. This approach feels like narrative-driven albums like Good Kid, M.A.A.D City by Kendrick Lamar, where each track is a chapter in the overall story. In RŌHKI, the music shapes the pacing and mood of the episode, from quiet moments of introspection to intense, high-stakes action scenes. The way the music shifts alongside the visuals makes the experience feel fluid and dynamic.
At just under 12 minutes, the episode is short, but it packs a lot of emotional weight into its runtime. The visuals are stunning, and the music keeps you engaged, but it’s hard not to wish for more time to explore the world of RŌHKI. The relationship between Hachi, IO, and Mako is only beginning to unfold, and the revelations about Hachi’s past hint at a much larger story. What RŌHKI manages to do in such a short runtime is impressive. It sets the stage for what’s to come while giving viewers a taste of its unique blend of music, animation, and storytelling. The AI-enhanced visuals, the narrative-driven soundtrack, and the philosophical depth of the story all come together to create a rich, layered experience. It’s rare to see a project that manages to balance all these elements so well, and RŌHKI does it with a confidence that makes you eager to see where the series goes next.
RŌHKI delivers a strong debut. It’s visually stunning, emotionally engaging, and creatively ambitious. The combination of AI-enhanced animation and narrative-driven music creates a unique, immersive experience that sets the series apart from anything else out there. If this first episode is any indication of what’s to come, RŌHKI is poised to make a significant impact on both the anime and music worlds. My only complaint is that the first episode is simply too short. At a little more than 10 minutes, it’s about the length of the short films we made in film school. I would love to see this series expand to a traditional 30- or 60-minute format. However, what we have been introduced to in this short episode is undeniably the future of animation.
RŌHKI: Episode 2 will be released in November.
