{"rewrite":{"id":"r_da0824d657a71f07de0c9e33","clusterId":"c_2ca62f4fba55b502f8920644","slug":"rakuten-viki-sets-october-21-debut-for-ai-assisted-the-painted-soul","model":"deepseek-v4-1-flash","headline":"Rakuten Viki Sets October 21 Debut for AI-Assisted The Painted Soul","summary":"Rakuten Viki will premiere The Painted Soul, a 10-episode animated series co-produced with South Korean company Imaginus, on October 21 in select international markets. Directed by Junbae Choi, the fantasy romance follows Yun Hwa, an apprentice spirit painter who frees Seol Jin, a man sealed inside a painting. Viki said Imaginus creatives used AI and other technologies to develop the concept and storytelling.","whyItMatters":"Viki is putting a co-produced Korean animated series behind its own paywall across six regions, and it is describing AI as part of the creative process rather than a technical footnote.","webCardHtml":"\u003cp\u003eThe series runs 10 episodes and is directed by Junbae Choi, whose credits include Mouse and Stealer: The Treasure Keeper. The story centers on Yun Hwa, an apprentice spirit painter, and Seol Jin, a man sealed inside a painting for decades; legend holds that anyone who meets his gaze is doomed.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eViki\u0026#39;s chief content officer, Jaehee Hong, said the company plans to bring more animated content to the platform. Distribution covers the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Oceania, India, and Southeast Asia. Imaginus chief creative officer Hyunjung Lee said the team used new technologies to strengthen the series\u0026#39; storytelling.\u003c/p\u003e","blueskyPost":"Viki credits Imaginus with using AI to develop The Painted Soul's concept and storytelling, so the disclosure sits ahead of the October 21 premiere rather than after reviews land.","twitterPost":"Viki credits Imaginus with using AI to develop The Painted Soul's concept and storytelling, disclosed before the October 21 premiere.","threadsPost":"Viki credits Imaginus with using AI to develop The Painted Soul's concept and storytelling, and the disclosure arrives before the October 21 premiere rather than after reviews. Ten episodes, directed by Junbae Choi, means the question of how much the AI touched is answerable per episode.","newsletterBlurb":"Rakuten Viki will premiere The Painted Soul, a 10-episode animated fantasy romance co-produced with South Korean company Imaginus, on October 21 across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Oceania, India, and Southeast Asia. Viki said Imaginus creatives used AI and other technologies to develop the concept and storytelling. Junbae Choi directs.","attributionJson":"[{\"source\":\"Anime News Network\",\"url\":\"https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2026-10-19/rakuten-viki-imaginus-to-debut-ai-assisted-korean-animated-series-the-painted-soul-on-october-21/.242971\",\"title\":\"Rakuten Viki, Imaginus to Debut AI-Assisted Korean-Animated Series The Painted Soul on October 21\"}]","lintFlagsJson":null,"lintHits":0,"costUsd":0,"inputTokens":4219,"outputTokens":639,"status":"published","repairAttempts":0,"nextRepairAt":null,"factsAttemptedAt":1792425129,"createdAt":"2026-10-19T15:46:18.000Z","publishedAt":"2026-10-19T15:51:05.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-10-19T15:51:05.000Z"},"cluster":{"id":"c_2ca62f4fba55b502f8920644","canonicalTitle":"News\nRakuten Viki, Imaginus to Debut AI-Assisted Korean-Animated Series The Painted Soul on October 21","representativeArticleId":"a_517017c11a919c43f4ddf11b","sourceCount":1,"writtenSourceCount":1,"writeAttempts":0,"isSolo":true,"entitiesJson":"{\"anime_titles\":[\"The Painted Soul\"],\"manga_titles\":[],\"work_titles\":[],\"studios\":[\"Imaginus\",\"Rakuten Viki\"],\"people\":[],\"type\":\"announcement\",\"domain\":\"anime\",\"is_roundup\":false}","contentType":"news","status":"published","firstSeenAt":"2026-10-19T14:15:00.000Z","lastSeenAt":"2026-10-19T14:15:00.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-10-19T15:51:06.000Z"},"attribution":[{"source":"Anime News Network","url":"https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2026-10-19/rakuten-viki-imaginus-to-debut-ai-assisted-korean-animated-series-the-painted-soul-on-october-21/.242971","title":"News\nRakuten Viki, Imaginus to Debut AI-Assisted Korean-Animated Series The Painted Soul on October 21"}],"entities":{"anime_titles":["The Painted Soul"],"manga_titles":[],"work_titles":[],"studios":["Imaginus","Rakuten Viki"],"people":[],"type":"announcement","domain":"anime","is_roundup":false},"keyFacts":null}