TV Asahi's Xross Road Launches Closed Beta for AI Manga Tool HANASEE After Securing $1.5M

TV Asahi-backed Web3 IP platform Xross Road has initiated the closed beta for its specialized AI manga engine, HANASEE. This launch coincides with the company securing $1.5 million in pre-seed funding, positioning the tool to rapidly convert written works into complete manga pages for market testing and IP assessment.

HANASEE is designed specifically for novelists and scriptwriters, allowing them to visualize stories without needing drawing expertise. The system employs specialized AI agents to handle illustration, dialogue scripting, and panel layout. Active manga artists were involved in fine-tuning the system to address visual consistency issues common in standard AI generators.

Creators guide the narrative flow, panel composition, and pacing by interacting directly with these agents, mimicking professional production workflows to achieve proper visual rhythm and page-turn experience.

Xross Road, which operates as a subsidiary of TV Asahi Music, attracted investment from firms including Arbitrum Gaming Ventures, Decima Fund, Taisu Ventures, and Baboon VC.

The company frames HANASEE as a crucial, cost-effective method intended to accelerate IP pipelines and bridge the gap between novel source material and manga adaptation. This technology is aimed at cutting through traditional industry roadblocks, namely high production costs, talent shortages, and the lengthy timelines that often stall promising novels.

Beta access is currently invite-only. The public launch is now targeted for March 3, offering both free and paid tiers. The company plans to support English, Chinese, and Korean languages.

Content generated using HANASEE will be integrated directly into Xross Road’s platform for subsequent distribution and sales efforts. A blockchain-based rights management system, intended to ensure fair revenue sharing among contributors, is scheduled for release in early 2026.