Revolutionizing Fan-Character Interaction: Genies Partners with King Records
- Mar 2, 2026
Genies, an AI avatar technology firm, has teamed up with King Records, a subsidiary of Japan's largest publishing group, Kodansha. The partnership is set to turn manga intellectual property under King Records into interactive AI companions, starting with the "Hypnosis Mic - Division Rap Battle" franchise.
Genies specializes in transforming 2D anime and manga characters into interactive, intelligent 3D renditions, enhancing the way fans connect with these characters. All 21 main characters from the "Hypnosis Mic" franchise will be recreated as AI companions providing fans a more in-depth, customized way to interact with them than merely observing or listening.
The 3D character model of each character, including its range of emotional expressions, will be crafted and supervised by human creators. The use of AI is exclusive to powering the interaction aspect of the fan experience, ensuring the preservation of the persona, appearance, and story integrity of each character.
Genies' CEO, Akash Nigam, hailed the partnership as a step towards redefining how fans connect with their favorite characters. King Records’ CEO, Furukawa Kohei, echoed this perspective, describing their collaboration as a new era of character engagement.
The partnership is marking Genies' significant expansion into the Japanese market, known for its deep fan-character connection culture. Genies' technology can now breathe life into characters within days against weeks, respecting the distinct visual flair of each franchise.
