『星の唄が聞こえる』(Hoshi no Uta ga Kikoeru), a feature-length anime film created entirely using generative AI, has been made available to watch for free on YouTube from October 22, 2026 — a date celebrated in Japan as “Anime Day.”
Three People, Three Months, Over 10,000 Attempts
The film is the work of a three-person team at DELINE PRIME (SPEED EFFECT Co., Ltd.). Production began in April 2026 but was temporarily suspended to concentrate business resources, before resuming in August of the same year. From that point, the team completed a 117-minute feature in roughly three months of active work.
The production pipeline drew on multiple AI tools: Seedance and MiniMax for video generation; ChatGPT image, Nano Banana, and Midjourney for still imagery; and Suno for music. Across approximately 1,500 cuts, the team averaged more than five retakes per cut, totalling over 10,000 iterations before arriving at the finished film. Voice work relied primarily on real voice actors, with AI-generated voices used in select portions.
Story: A Businessman Who Lost Himself
The film is an original fiction inspired by the real experiences of director and entrepreneur Yuino Hirotaka. The protagonist, Shinomiya Rei, is an entrepreneur who lost his parents at a young age and grew into adulthood measuring his self-worth solely by the results he could produce.
Acutely sensitive to others’ feelings yet deaf to his own inner voice, Rei gradually loses his colleagues, his family, and his sense of self in the pursuit of business success. It is through a humble folk prayer — “wishing upon a star” — rooted in the land of Aso in Kumamoto Prefecture that he begins to rediscover his humanity. The film is framed as a modern parable for anyone who has ever chased numbers and achievements and wondered, “What am I even working for?”
Visually, the team drew inspiration from the delicate scenic beauty associated with the works of Makoto Shinkai, recreating the landscapes of Kumamoto and Aso through carefully crafted prompts.
Director: AI as a “Creative Partner,” Not a Cost-Cutting Tool
Director Yuino commented on the philosophy behind the project:
“This work is also a record of refining prompt techniques for scene-making — treating AI not as a ‘cost-efficient tool’ or a means of ‘stealing technique,’ but as a partner that expands creativity.”
He emphasised that no existing anime titles were directly incorporated into the film’s prompts or references, and that every line of dialogue, lyric, screenplay passage, and prompt was written by hand, guided by the conviction that “only humans can create what moves humans.”
Production costs came to roughly one-tenth of a typical anime feature, and the team expects further reductions as workflows become more clearly defined. The film will continue to be available for free, as the project’s goal is the sharing of technical knowledge rather than profit generation.
Looking ahead, Yuino expressed ambition to “advance anime across a wide range of genres — action, romance, children’s content, and original commissions — and to play a part in bringing Japanese culture to the world stage.”
Cast
- Shinomiya Rei (adult): Sakurai Hayato
- Shinomiya Rei (child): Rio
- Shinomiya Rei (elderly): Yajima Tomokazu
- Grandpa: Yuino Hirotaka
- Kazuki: Tanaka Undobu
- Nishimura: Yuino Hirotaka
- Miyamori Sayaka: Takamoto Iori
- Tanaka: Ryuichi
- Ishihara Mai: Hina
- Yoshioka: Hina
- Hikari (young): Kurumi
- Hikari (adult): Takamoto Iori
- Sora: Sakurai Hayato
- Naruga: Kurumi
- Yamakawa: Iwase Daichi
- Seoritsuhime: Risako
- Yakuza (50s): Dechan
- Professor Takeuchi: Yajima Tomokazu
- Kazuki’s mother: Fukada Asa
Film Details
- Title: 星の唄が聞こえる (Hoshi no Uta ga Kikoeru)
- Runtime: 117 minutes
- Release date: October 22, 2026
- Platform: YouTube (free)
- Production: DELINE PRIME (SPEED EFFECT Co., Ltd.)
- Genre: Human Drama / Animation
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