Ufotable Reaffirms Commitment to Hand-Drawn Talent Following Astra Awards Appearance

Ufotable, the studio behind the Demon Slayer franchise, confirmed its commitment to human artists and traditional animation methods during the 2025 Astra Film Awards. This statement directly addresses the ongoing industry debate surrounding artificial intelligence and reassures fans about the production quality of the upcoming Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle film trilogy.

A studio representative spoke at the Hollywood Creative Alliance event held in Los Angeles on January 10, 2026. While Ufotable and Aniplex did not issue an outright ban on AI tools, the representative stressed that human craftsmanship will remain central to future Infinity Castle productions.

“I will be very careful in how I approach and talk about A.I. But what I will say is that our studio, Aniplex and Ufotable, will continue to work with our hand-drawn artists, our writers, our voice actors, and the talent that help bring this emotion to the big screen for everyone.”

This commitment follows recent industry controversies, such as the removal of AI-generated dubs on Prime Video. Ufotable’s firm stance is notable as many animation studios continue to navigate rapid technological shifts.

The film, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle, received an Honorary Award at the ceremony. It was nominated for Best Animated Feature alongside major titles like Zootopia 2 and Arco, but ultimately lost to KPop Demon Hunters. This recognition speaks to the distinct visual quality Ufotable brings to the screen.

The current film trilogy is adapting the final, climactic arc of the manga. For context on the awards, Dragon Ball Daima took home Best Anime Series at the 2025 TV Awards.