The recent scandal over the use of generative artificial intelligence in the first episode of Ascendance of a Bookworm (Honzuki no Gekokujou) is far from over. Although WIT Studio issued a formal apology on April 10th taking responsibility for the AI-generated backgrounds in the opening, the company’s statements didn’t convince everyone. Now, a prominent animator has broken the silence to expose the studio’s deep internal problems and explain why he refuses to work with them again.

A history of avoiding responsibility

The animator, known for his previous work with the studio on the 2016 series Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress (Koutetsujou no Kabaneri), used the controversy to shed light on the company’s work culture. According to his testimony, the problems at WIT Studio are deep-rooted and go back years. He described his experience on that project as an environment where staff constantly blame others and reprimand workers even when they try to correct their own mistakes. In fact, he confessed that this toxic environment was the main reason he categorically rejected the offer to work on the acclaimed anime Vinland Saga.

The real culprit behind the opening

Regarding WIT Studio’s statement, where they blamed “failures in their inspection and management systems,” the veteran animator didn’t hesitate to point directly to the top management. He explained that, being an opening sequence, it’s impossible for the material to go unnoticed, as the anime director, producers, and other key team members meticulously review each cut before broadcast. Therefore, he argued that the director is the one who should be accountable and take real responsibility for having approved AI-generated images.

In a later statement the same day, the artist clarified that his intention was not to launch a hate attack against the company, but simply to expose his reasons for not wanting to associate with them anymore. He noted that, unlike other companies that properly face the consequences, the studio seems to lack a true sense of responsibility. Meanwhile, WIT Studio maintains its promise that it will redraw the affected backgrounds with human artists and replace the sequence starting from the second episode.