Mobile phone operator au collaborated with Studio Ponoc to make the movie, The Imaginary, an initiative sponsored by KDDI and released in Japan at the end of 2023. The movie, based on a 2014 British children’s novel written by A.F. Harrold, opened in theaters last year, and is currently streaming worldwide on NETFLIX. As an experiential initiative, the Japanese collaborators co-created MY Imaginary Maker, experiential content that uses generative AI.
At a time when the internet and cutting-edge technologies make it easy to look anything up instantly, there is growing concern about an emerging imagination gap. With that in mind, this initiative aims to help people experience how human imagination might be expanded through the use of AI technology.
MY Imaginary Maker uses generative AI that has learned from Studio Ponoc’s works to create original characters based on the studio’s productions. By simply entering a description of what an imaginary friend looks like, and selecting personalities and things one would like to do together, anyone—adult or child—can generate an original character like those in the movie The Imaginary.
A collaborative commercial, My Imaginary, has been airing in Japan since last December. The ad’s characters were created using generative AI. Also appearing in the commercial are original au Imaginaries, drawn by Yoshiyuki Momose, the director of The Imaginary. The au images are based on results generated by MY Imaginary Maker.
The Movie The Imaginary
Studio Ponoc’s latest movie has been released in 150 countries and regions. It follows the studio’s first motion picture, Mary and the Witch's Flower. The main character in The Imaginary is a boy named Rudger, born from the imagination of a young girl, Amanda.
Awaiting him is the fate of the Imaginaries, who disappear when forgotten by humans. In dire straits, Rudger finds his way to Imaginary Town, a sanctuary for forgotten Imaginaries. An encounter between Rudger and his new friends marks the beginning of a monumental voyage and a family miracle transcending reality and imagination.
