The Upscaled Anime Boy

    By Justis Burnett

    The Upscaled Anime Boy cover image

    14 Jun, 2024

    a man sitting in a room with a computer and a lot of books on the floor and shelves full of books, Asaf Hanuka, art station, computer graphics, computer art

    Kazuki, an introverted teenager, found solace in the animated world of shoujo anime. His room was a testament to his obsession.

    a man sitting at a desk with a computer and a keyboard in front of him with a lot of comics on the wall behind him, Aguri Uchida, anime key visual, computer graphics, computer art

    Every night, he would illegally download his favorite shoujo anime and upscale them to 6800px. This was his ritual.

    a man in uniform sitting at a desk with a lot of papers and computers on it, in front of a bunch of people, Eizan Kikukawa, official art, concept art, sots art

    Officer Tanaka was given the task to investigate the recent spike in copyright infringements related to shoujo anime.

    a group of people in uniform standing in a hallway with a man in a headset and a woman in a dress shirt, Ai-Mitsu, official art, a poster, serial art

    His investigation led him to Kazuki, who was arrested. His world of anime came crashing down as he was taken away.

    a judge in a courtroom with a pair of headphones on his ears and a judge in a robe, Awataguchi Takamitsu, official art, a comic book panel, serial art

    Judge Yamada presided over Kazuki's case. The courtroom was silent as Kazuki's actions were laid bare.

    a man with headphones in front of a class of people in a courtroom with a microphone in his ear, Awataguchi Takamitsu, official art, an album cover, serial art

    The judge declared Kazuki guilty but offered him a chance to redeem himself by contributing to the anime industry.

    a man with headphones on looking at a piece of paper in a room with many monitors and a backpack, Ai-Mitsu, official art, a character portrait, serial art

    Kazuki started his redemption journey by joining an animation studio. He was determined to make things right.

    a man in glasses is standing in front of a desk with a computer and a monitor and a pen, artist, official art, a character portrait, visual art

    He worked hard, learning the ropes, and eventually started contributing his own ideas to the anime productions.

    a man with headphones standing in front of a crowd of people in front of a screen with anime characters, Ai-Mitsu, official art, poster art, sots art

    A year later, Kazuki was invited to an anime convention to talk about his journey and the importance of copyright laws.

    a man with headphones standing in front of a crowd of people in a mall with lights on the ceiling, Ai-Mitsu, anime key visual, poster art, shock art

    He shared his story, regretting his past actions and encouraging others to support the anime industry legally.

    a man standing in front of a desk with a book case on it and a book case full of books, artist, official art, a character portrait, visual art

    Kazuki's life had taken a turn. His room was no longer a hub of illegal activities but a sanctuary of creativity.

    a man sitting at a desk with headphones on and a computer in front of him, with bookshelves behind him, artist, official art, computer graphics, computer art

    His love for shoujo anime remained, but he now expressed it within the law, contributing to the industry he once exploited.

    The Upscaled Anime Boy