By Xross Road team

HANASEE, the AI-agent service that transforms novels into commercial-quality vertical manga, will officially launch on December 25!

In this post, we’re giving you an exclusive early look at parts of the interface currently in development!

If you’re new to HANASEE, check out this blog first.

Even if you don’t know how to make manga… you can make it.

HANASEE enables anyone who loves storytelling to create manga — even without prior drawing skills or specialized manga knowledge.

Traditionally, manga production assumes you can already draw and that you understand techniques such as:

• Planning panel layouts
• Creating storyboards (name)
• Mastering manga-specific tools
• Understanding composition, perspective, anatomy, background structure, and countless micro-skills

In short: manga requires both technical skill and knowledge of the production workflow before you can even begin.

HANASEE changes that.

Through its AI agent system and built-in manga production flow, HANASEE allows anyone to create manga by following guided steps. Even users with zero experience can produce coherent, visually consistent manga simply by progressing through the prompts.

As you look through the screens below, try imagining your future self creating your own manga!

Screen Preview №1: Manga Creation Page

Worldbuilding & Character Creation

Let’s begin with the creation screen for two of the most important elements of any story: world-building and character design.

Based on your novel’s content — and the direction you set — the following elements (example items) are automatically generated:

World Settings / Rules

• Era, location, atmosphere
• Core worldbuilding structure
• Behavioral principles for major characters

Character Design

• Facial features
• Clothing
• Weapons or key items

During the first generation, HANASEE establishes the overall story direction and visual tone of the manga. All items can be edited afterward, allowing you to refine details based on AI suggestions while injecting your own creative taste.

One of the biggest highlights here is Character Design. The finalized designs are reflected directly in the manga panels, ensuring visual consistency across all chapters. Every major character can be custom-designed, enabling a unified art direction and a higher overall work quality.

Manga Panel Generation

Here is the actual manga creation screen.

In traditional manga production, a single panel requires combining layers such as background, characters, speech balloons, and effects. HANASEE follows this same layer-based philosophy, allowing you to edit each component independently — just like a professional workflow.

Editable elements include:

• Text prompt (panel prompt)
• Background
• Characters
• Effects
• Speech balloons
• Dialogue text

Each element can be modified individually, and regenerated repeatedly until it matches your vision. This gives creators maximum precision and creative freedom.

Screen Preview №2: Reading Page

Library View

In this section, you can read both the manga you’ve created and the original novels they are based on.

You can enjoy the novel itself, then turn it into a manga — an experience unique to HANASEE.

Work Page

Each manga and novel has its own detailed page. After launch, many novel works and their manga adaptations will be uploaded steadily, offering a growing library to read and explore.

Summary

Could you imagine your future self creating manga as you read through this preview?

Please note that the screens shown today are from the development version. We are continuing to refine the UI and experience so that creators can express their ideas and personal style with even greater accuracy.

If you want to enjoy HANASEE from day one, we highly recommend pre-registering!

▼ Preregister here: https://lp.hanasee.com/en

The first 1,000 users will receive credits worth approximately 25 USD!

HANASEE — Where stories bloom into worlds.

See you in the next update!

Early registrants will receive exclusive rewards ahead of the official release of Xross Road’s new AI-powered manga creation service.

[Tokyo, Japan — December 5, 2025] — Xross Road Inc. has launched a pre-registration campaign for HANASEE, a new AI-agent manga creation service scheduled to be released through Xross Road, a Web3 platform focused on IP content.

As part of this campaign, users who complete pre-registration ahead of the official launch will receive access to a total of 80000 USD worth of credits, which can be used to experience the new workflow of turning novels into manga.

About HANASEE

HANASEE is a content creation platform that allows users to generate commercial-grade manga from novels using an AI agent tool.

Novelists can upload their works, and creators can adapt them into manga (secondary works) and publish them on the platform — enabling stories to reach audiences in new formats and across new communities.

The service is planned for global release on December 25, launching in both Japanese and English.

The initial release will include:

• Upload tool with automatic translation for novel text
• AI-based scene segmentation and plot generation
• AI-generated character design drafts with editing tools
• Page-by-page AI image generation and replacement
• Publishing & viewing features for completed works

Campaign Details

To allow early users to explore and enjoy the HANASEE experience, special benefits will be offered to those who complete pre-registration before launch. Anyone interested in manga creation, AI tools, or novel-to-manga adaptation is welcome to participate.

• Campaign Name: HANASEE Pre-Registration Campaign
• Period: December 5, 2025 — December 24, 2025
• Eligibility: AI creators, manga creators, novelists, and anyone interested in manga production
• Benefit: HANASEE credits (usable for manga creation features)

Credit rewards will vary based on registration order:

• Registration Order 1–1,000: 2,000 credits (approx. 26 USD value)
• Registration Order 1,001–2,000 1,500 credits (approx. 18 USD value)
• Registration Order 2,001–3,000 1,000 credits (approx. 12 USD value)
• Registration Order 3,001–4,000 750 credits (approx. 9 USD value)
• Registration Order 4,001–5,000 500 credits (approx. 6 USD value)

How to Join the Campaign

1. Visit the HANASEE official site.
2. Enter the required information and submit the form.
3. Before launch, we’ll send your coupon code via email.
4. Enter the coupon code at login to receive your credits.

Future Outlook

Through HANASEE, Xross Road aims to build an ecosystem where novelists, creators, and readers can all engage with stories in their own way.

Beginning with this pre-registration campaign, we plan to collaborate with more creators and communities to shape the next era of content creation. Upcoming initiatives include creator contests, corporate partnerships, and multimedia expansion of published works.

About Xross Road

Xross Road is a co-growth platform backed by TV Asahi Group, a major Japanese TV network, reimagining the anime production ecosystem through decentralized technologies and community-driven models. By combining Web3 infrastructure, AI-powered content tools, and fan-first incentives, Xross Road empowers creators and communities to co-own and co-develop the next generation of anime IPs — making the creative process more transparent, inclusive, and globally scalable.

Official website: https://xross-road.com

Xross Road Official X (formerly Twitter) Account: @xross__road

In the world of generative AI — image generation, AI-made manga, and more— creative communities are sharply divided. Some are excited about the possibilities; others are deeply critical.

So why, in a space where there are still no clear answers, are we choosing now to build a service focused on AI × Manga?

In this article, we’d like to share our perspective and one possible answer to that question.

※ This article assumes basic familiarity with HANASEE, our AI-powered manga creation platform that enables professional-level manga production from novels. If you haven’t read the introduction yet, we recommend starting here.

1. Why Is AI Being Criticized?

First, let’s layout the structural reasons why AI-generated illustrations and manga have sparked so many controversies. The main issues can broadly be grouped into three themes:

1–1. Concerns Around Rights and Legality

Generative AI models have been trained on massive amounts of images and works available on the internet. Based on that training, they generate new content. However, the speed of technological progress has far outpaced legal frameworks.

Questions like:

• Are the works used for training — and the methods of using them — truly legal?
• Is it acceptable that AI can generate images that closely resemble a specific artist’s style?

remain in a large gray area.

For many existing artists, that lack of transparency leads to very real anxiety and anger —

“Is my work being used as training data without my knowledge?”

1–2. Ethical Concerns

Manga artists and illustrators spend years — often decades — developing their skills: drawing ability, visual storytelling, composition, staging, and more. Their career is built on effort and craft.

Generative AI, meanwhile, can produce a large number of “decent- looking” images with a single click. And many of those outputs are only possible because the models were trained on the accumulated work of human creators.

• Human creation assumes time, effort, and practice.
• AI can “create” at overwhelming speed.

Because of this imbalance, it’s understandable that many creators see AI as:

• an insult to their professional craft
• a force that could potentially take their jobs

1–3. The Flood of Low-Quality Content

AI excels at one thing in particular: increasing volume without increasing cost (both time and money).

As a result, several concerns arise:

• Huge volumes of similar-looking images, compositions, and expressions
• Shorter and shorter lifespans for each piece of content — works created to be “consumed and forgotten”
• Overall devaluation of creative work due to the sheer volume of low-quality content

This creates a negative spiral where the signal-to-noise ratio worsens across the entire ecosystem.

2. And Yet, Change Is Inevitable

2–1. Technological Progress Doesn’t Stop

All of the criticisms above are legitimate and should not be dismissed. At the same time, the reality is that technology keeps evolving.

Across industries — not just in creative fields — when new methods are:

• more convenient, and
• capable of high quality

they are eventually adopted in some form.

In creative work, we’ve already seen this pattern through:

• photography
• printing technologies
• digital drawing and painting

Each time, the creative field has had to renegotiate:

• What should remain the work of humans?
• What parts can we streamline or automate?

This constant updating of boundaries can also be seen as a form of integrity in creation: using tools and technology wisely to deliver more compelling works to fans.

2–2. “AI Is Not Just Another Camera or Digital Tool”

Of course, there are strong objections to simply equating AI with past tools like cameras or digital pens. And that criticism is fair.

Generative AI still faces unresolved issues — especially around rights and attribution. One major example was the joint statement on AI and creative rights issued by the Japan Cartoonists Association and a coalition of major manga publishers, which received significant attention.

We do not intend to justify AI use with a simple “technology always faces pushback at first” narrative.

From here on, we’ll share our actual reasoning:

From here on, we’ll share our actual reasoning:

Why now, and why are we choosing to work in the “AI × Manga” space?

This is our hypothesis and our answer.

3. There Is Always Demand for “Truly Interesting” Work

3–1. Looking From the Audience’s Perspective

Up to this point, we’ve been focusing mainly on the supply side: the creators and the structural issues they face.

But content as an industry cannot exist without the demand side — the fans who consume, support, and love the works.

To explain why we’re entering this space, we want to shift briefly to that perspective: What does the future of content look like from the audience’s side?

3–2. People Choose What Moves Them

At the most basic level: People naturally choose to spend time on things that move them, entertain them, or resonate with them.

Beyond individual preferences, there’s a simple rule: If something is truly interesting, it will attract fans. That insight doesn’t change — even when tools and formats do.

3–3. AI Content Will Reach a Point Where You Can’t Tell It’s AI

Right now, a lot of AI-generated content is consumed as “AI-like content” — people enjoy the odd distortions, the surreal outputs, and the novelty itself.

By contrast, there aren’t yet many AI-driven works that are evaluated on the same level as manga or anime for their story and narrative quality. In many cases, AI-generated work still falls short of human- created work in terms of storytelling and cohesion.

However, the quality improvements in just the past few months have been dramatic.

For example, there was a case where a work suspected of using AI was awarded an honorable mention and a monthly best prize in a Young Jump newcomer manga competition.

The point here isn’t to judge that particular work, but:

• It was deemed good enough to win as a manga
• For some people, it was simply “interesting”

The fact that the piece sparked debate — “Did it use AI?” — is in itself proof of how far AI-generated work has already come.

(To be clear: we are not asserting that this work definitively used AI. It is cited only as an example of a work where AI usage was suspected.)

3–4. A Future Where Non-Artists Make Manga

The quality of AI outputs continues to improve week by week — sometimes day by day. At the same time, the skill of those who use AI is also evolving.

We believe the near future will look like this:

• Even those who “can’t draw” will be able to create manga that’s nearly indistinguishable, technically, from works drawn by professional manga artists.

In other words, people who previously had no access to the manga medium — because they couldn’t draw — will be able to participate in that form of expression.

That also means:

• Competition will intensify.
• Regardless of AI use, readers will more strictly demand “real quality” and “true entertainment value” from manga.

Simply being able to draw will no longer be enough. The bar for interest and storytelling will rise.

5. So Why Are We Releasing HANASEE?

5–1. The Current State of AI-Generated Manga

Let’s summarize the key points so far:

• There are still many unresolved issues between generative AI and creative content (especially rights).
• With continued technical progress and user skill development, people who can’t draw will soon be able to create works at a professional level.
• Ultimately, audiences will choose what they feel is “interesting, ” regardless of how it was made.

We see these as unavoidable realities for the future of the content industry.

The day when global AI creators catch up to the traditionally high standards of Japanese content is not far off.

In that sense, it is not overly pessimistic to say that Japan’s content industry is facing a kind of crossroads — or even a crisis.

HANASEE was born from a sense of urgency about this future and a desire to proactively address it.

5–2. The Future We Want to Build

We believe this wave of change is something that Japan — one of the world’s leading content powerhouses — should help lead, not merely react to.

Someone will eventually build the next generation of content using AI creators at scale.

We simply want that “someone” to be here in Japan. We want:

• Japanese content
• Japanese creators
• and Japanese storytelling tradition

to continue inspiring the world.

And we believe “now” — before AI tech is fully commoditized and the industry structure is completely fixed — is one of the last meaningful windows to take that leadership.

Rather than looking away from the unresolved issues, we want to:

• face the challenges honestly
• and still work toward a future where more works and more creators can find their audience

As one step in that direction, we are launching HANASEE.

6. In Closing

We, the HANASEE operations team at Xross Road, hope to walk this path together with as many authors and creators as possible, bringing emotion and inspiration from Japan to the world through content.

We welcome:

• feedback and opinions from novelists and creators
• questions and concerns
• and voices saying, “I’d like to participate. ”

If you’re interested in submitting your novel or joining as a creator, please feel free to contact us at: 📩 hanasee_info@extramile.jp

We’re truly looking forward to seeing what you create.

AI Manga Contest — Presented by HANASEE

Bring your story to life with your creativity and AI tools!

We’re looking for the next generation of manga creators.

HANASEE, our new AI-assisted manga creation platform, will officially launch on December 25.

Learn more here:

https://medium.com/@xross_road/introducing-hanasee-where-stories-become-worlds-ad53e3b01bd1

🎯 1. Contest Overview

• Theme: Completely free — any genre, setting, or style
• AI usage required (even partially)
• Recommended length: 10–30 pages (longer works also welcome)
• Prize pool: ¥100,000 + HANASEE Studio credits for top creators

🏅 2. Awards & Prizes

• 🥇 Gold Prize (1 winner) ¥50,000 in Amazon gift card + 100,000 HANASEE Studio credits
• 🥈 Silver Prize (2 winners) ¥25,000 each in Amazon gift card + 50,000 HANASEE Studio credits
• 🌼 Honorable Mention (10 winners) 10,000 HANASEE Studio credits
• 🎁 All Participants 500 HANASEE Studio credits

💡 Credits can be used inside HANASEE Studio for manga generation features.

(Usable features will follow the final release specifications.)

📑 3. How to Enter

Entry is completed entirely through X (Twitter).

1. Follow the official HANASEE X account 👉 @HANASEE_EN
2. Make sure your account is public and DMs are open
3. Post your manga entry with the required information

💡 Please check the detailed submission guide below:

👉 Iris Award Submission Guide

📅 4. Schedule

• 📝 Submission Period: Dec 3 — Dec 20
• ⏰ Deadline: Dec 20, 23:59 (JST)
• 🔍 Judging: Through Dec 23
• 🌟 Results Announced: Dec 24 on the official X account
• 📺 Publication: Winning works will be showcased on HANASEE after launch

👤 5. Eligibility

• No manga experience required — beginners welcome
• Individuals or teams may apply
• No limit on the number of entries
• Any tools may be used (e.g., Midjourney, Stable Diffusion, NovelAI, Sora, Clip Studio, Photoshop, etc.)

⚠️ AI must be used in at least part of the creation process.

(Not required for 100% of the work.)

🖼️ 6. Submission Requirements

• Must be an original and newly created work
• Genre: Free
• Page count: Minimum 10 pages, recommended 20–40
• Vertical or horizontal format accepted
• Color or monochrome accepted

⚠️ Extremely low resolution, incomplete works, or submissions that cannot be viewed properly may be disqualified.

🔍 7. Judging Criteria

AI is a tool — the focus is on the quality of the manga as a whole.

Judges will evaluate:

🧩 Story

• Originality in setting, characters, and development

🎬 Manga Expression

• Paneling, composition, flow, pacing, and use of negative space

🤖 AI Utilization

• Effective use of AI as a creative aid
• Works that form a coherent manga rather than random image outputs

⚖️ 8. Rights & Usage

📌 Please read carefully before submitting. Entry constitutes agreement.

Rights

1. Copyright remains with the creator.
2. For winning works, HANASEE receives an exclusive license to publish, transmit, and use the work for secondary purposes. (This does not guarantee commercial development; separate agreements will be made if so.)
3. For all submissions, HANASEE may use the work for:

• Display within the HANASEE platform
• Contest announcements and archives
• Promotion on official social media and related marketing materials

Usage Notes

• The same work may not be submitted to other contests during this contest period.
• Creators may still freely post their work on their own SNS accounts.

❓ 9. FAQ

Q. Can I submit multiple works?

→ Yes! You may submit as many as you’d like.

Q. Are there restrictions on the tools I can use?

→ No restrictions. Please follow each tool’s terms of service.

📮 10. Contact

For contest-related questions:

Official X account: https://x.com/HANASEE_EN

Email: hanasee_info@extramile.jp

We look forward to your submissions!

— The HANASEE Operations / Xross Road Team

More stories deserve to be seen. More creators deserve the chance to shine.
From Japan — a country that has produced countless beloved stories and talents — we want to help bring even more emotion, creativity, and inspiration to the world.

With HANASEE, we aim to make that future possible.

This article introduces HANASEE, a new manga-creation platform for authors, manga artists, creators, and everyone who wants to give their stories a chance to bloom.

Who We Are

We are Xross Road, a Japan-born global content project dedicated to bringing stories to the world through the power of fans and community.

Our operating company, Extra Mile Inc., has spent over a decade developing and running entertainment content as part of the TV Asahi Group, especially in social game production.

In 2025, we launched Xross Road as a new global initiative centered on novels, manga, anime, and other creative IP.
HANASEE is the first service to debut under this project.

What Is HANASEE?

HANASEE is an AI-powered manga creation platform that enables professional-level manga production from novels.

Our mission is to create a world where:

• more stories can reach more people
• more creators can express themselves
• more hidden talents can rise to the surface

We believe that storytelling should be accessible — not limited by technical skills, time, or resources.

Why We Created HANASEE

Stories come in many forms: novels, manga, anime, games, and more.
But culturally, manga and anime adaptations are often the key triggers that propel a story into mainstream recognition.

For a story to succeed, we need:

• more discovery
• more visibility
• more opportunities for raw talent to be found

At the same time, in today’s fast-paced content world, novels — where most stories are born — are becoming harder for fans to discover. Many incredible stories remain unseen simply because they never reach the format audiences interact with most.

HANASEE was created to shine a light on those hidden gems.

HANASEE’s Core Concept

Our concept is simple:

“Enable fans and creators to transform novels into professional-quality manga, using AI as a creative partner.”

To reach that vision, we asked ourselves:

Who brings stories to new audiences?

→ Fans, who passionately share the works they love

How can stories reach more people?

→ Through manga, one of the most accessible and universal storytelling formats

The result is a platform where:

• Fans can create manga based on novels they love
• Those manga help introduce the story to new audiences
• Original authors gain visibility while creators gain opportunities

A new ecosystem where stories spread from fan to fan.

Three Key Features of HANASEE

1. Create Even If You Can’t Write a Story

HANASEE allows creators to use novels uploaded by authors.
Find a story you love and express your favorite parts in manga form.
(Of course, you can also create manga using your own original story.)

2. Create Even Without Manga Experience

Manga typically requires specialized skills like paneling, pacing, composition, and visual direction.
HANASEE’s AI agents assist with these elements so creators can focus on their ideas and storytelling.

You bring the vision.
The tool supports the structure.

3. Fine-Tune Every Detail With Precision

HANASEE lets you individually edit:

• worldbuilding
• character designs
• story outlines
• panel layouts
• art style consistency

This avoids unwanted automatic changes and ensures your creative intentions carry through to the final work.

For Creators

HANASEE turns “I can’t draw” into “I can create.”
Your desire to make something will bring light to the stories written by countless authors.

We welcome all next-generation creators who love manga and want to challenge themselves with new methods of storytelling.

For Authors

If you’ve ever thought:

• “I want more people to read my work.”
• “I want to know how readers react.”

HANASEE is built for you.

Fans who understand the heart of your story can adapt it into manga and bring it to readers who may have never discovered it otherwise.

You can also choose to create your own manga adaptation using HANASEE.
(Guidelines for novel submissions will be shared in a separate post.)

In Closing

HANASEE is scheduled to launch in December.
We will continue sharing updates, feature details, and development progress here on Note.

If you have any questions about HANASEE, please contact:
📩 hanasee_info@extramile.jp

We look forward to seeing your stories come to life with HANASEE.

Today, we’re excited to introduce HANASEE — a new platform that reimagines how stories evolve, how creators collaborate, and how fans discover new worlds.

HANASEE comes from the idea of “花 (hana) + 話 (hanashi) + see” —

stories blooming into new forms, and being seen by the world.

In a landscape where creators everywhere are exploring new ways to build manga, animation, and IP, we asked ourselves a simple question:

What if every great novel could become the seed of an entire universe?

And what if creators around the world could grow it together?

That is what HANASEE aims to make possible.

Why We’re Building HANASEE

The global appetite for Japanese manga and anime continues to grow exponentially. Yet the pipeline from story idea → manga → anime remains complex, slow, and inaccessible to most creators.

At the same time, AI tools are empowering a new wave of manga creators who can produce visual content faster than ever — but often lack compelling stories to build from.

Meanwhile, talented novelists struggle to find ways to expand their works, monetize their ideas, or collaborate with visual creators legally and sustainably.

HANASEE bridges these gaps.

We believe the next generation of IP will be:

• originated by novelists
• expanded by AI-powered creators
• validated by fans
• supported by transparent monetization
• and grown collaboratively

This is why HANASEE exists.

What Is HANASEE?

HANASEE is a platform where novelists and AI creators work together to bring stories to life.

For Novelists: Upload Your Story

Writers can upload their original novels to HANASEE.

These stories become the origin that creators can grow into manga, illustrations, and visual content.

Novelists can:

• Upload novels to HANASEE
• Approve derivative manga as official
• Earn revenue from derivative works
• License exclusive rights to creators
• Watch their story expand globally

HANASEE gives novelists a path to visibility, collaboration, and monetization.

For AI Manga Creators: Build & Monetize From Great Stories

Many creators want to produce manga — but:

• writing original stories takes time
• worldbuilding is difficult
• legal gray zones exist around derivative content

HANASEE solves this.

Creators on the platform can:

• Choose novels they love
• Create manga, illustrations, or visual scenes from them
• Set viewing fees
• Earn income from their creations
• Collaborate with writers
• Even purchase exclusive monetization rights for certain stories

This is the first platform designed specifically for AI-assisted manga creators to work safely, and creatively with existing stories.

Why HANASEE Matters Now

We’re in a moment of rapid transformation:

• AI tools are empowering new forms of expression
• Novelists are seeking better ways to get discovered
• Japanese stories are resonating more deeply than ever
• YouTube and online communities now drive global IP discovery
• Fans want to participate earlier in the IP lifecycle

But until now, there hasn’t been a place where:

• Stories can evolve organically
• Collaborative creation is encouraged
• Revenue is shared fairly
• Derivative works can become official
• Creators don’t need to start from scratch

HANASEE brings all of this together in one ecosystem.

Our Vision:

HANASEE is more than a manga generator.

It is the IP Launch OS we wish existed:

1. Manga Platform

Creators freely produce manga from uploaded novels.

2. Token-Based Funding (coming later)

Fans can help fund the transition from manga to anime.

3. End-to-End IP Launch OS

From a single novel seed → to manga → to anime production.

We want to discover stories the world has not seen yet,

and give every creator — writer or visual artist — a way to grow those ideas into full worlds.

Who HANASEE Is For

Novelists / Storytellers

You write the stories.

HANASEE helps them grow into manga, visual content, and eventually anime — while letting you earn from every step.

AI Manga Creators

You turn stories into art.

HANASEE gives you legal clarity, monetization tools, and a constant supply of high-quality narratives to work from.

Fans

You support the stories you love.

Your engagement may eventually influence which worlds get expanded into larger IP projects.

A New Beginning for Collaborative IP Creation

HANASEE is the next step in our mission to unlock global creativity.

By connecting novelists, visual creators, and fans in one ecosystem, we hope to open the door to stories that could never have existed before.

Every story starts as a seed.

With HANASEE, we want to help those seeds bloom — into manga, into worlds, into communities.

And, eventually, into anime.

Stay tuned for more updates.

The first HANASEE contest and creator initiatives are coming very soon.

Over the past few years, these three letters — NFT — exploded into headlines. From multimillion-dollar art auctions to profile picture projects, it even became the buzzword in 2021. Everyone was talking about JPEGs selling for the price of houses.

But once the dust settled, many creators, artists — especially in anime, art, music — were left asking a fair question:

“How does this actually help me?”

Because at the end of the day, creators don’t need more buzzwords. They need stability, freedom, and a fair share of value they generate.

And that’s where the real story begins. Decentralization offers something deeper than NFTs — a way to rethink ownership, access, and opportunity for creators and the communities that support them.

The Problem Creators Face Today

If you’re an independent creator today, your reality could look something like this:

• You rely on centralized platforms like Pixiv, YouTube, Patreon, or TikTok. They take fees, control distribution, and can demonetize or take everything away from you overnight.
• Even with a global fanbase, you often see only a fraction of the revenue. Ad money goes to the platform, publishers take their cut, and what trickles down is rarely enough.
• In the anime/manga industry, for example, production committees and publishers decide what gets made. Fans and indie creators may be bursting with ideas, but without access to those gates, their visions rarely see the light.

It’s a system that works for the few at the top — but leaves the other 99% struggling.

So, What is Decentralization?

Putting all the jargon aside, it simply means: ownership isn’t held by one company or authority — it’s shared by everyone, across a network.

But for creators, this could mean:

• Your work isn’t locked to one platform.
• Revenue shares can flow directly to you (as it should).
• Fans can support and even co-own the growth of your project.

Decentralization isn’t just a “tech term”, it’s a way of distributing power and opportunity back to the people.

Beyond the NFTs

NFTs showed us one simple use case: digital ownership of art. But the potential goes much further.

• Crowdfunding + co-production: imagine fans helping fund anime or manga projects directly — becoming part of the production journey instead of waiting on big committees.
• Transparent royalty systems: smart contracts take care of things. No more chasing payments or wondering if you’ll be credited.
• Community-driven growth: fans don’t just consume — they can vote, promote, and share in the upside.

This isn’t abstract. Musicians on decentralized platforms already release tracks where every stream instantly distributes payment to all collaborators — songwriter, producer, singer. No middlemen; and more importantly, no delays.

Now, imagine that for anime or manga.

Why This Matters for Creators, for Fans

For creators, it could mean direct monetization without losing half of it. Or resilience against censorship or platform shutdowns.

For fans, it could mean you can have more influence over what gets made, closer relationships with the creators you love, and the chance to get on a project you are so passionate about.

Simply put, this could mean more freedom.

Together, this builds a system where art and stories are no longer limited by traditional structures. Instead, they can grow from the ground up, supported directly by the people who care about them most.

Final Thoughts

Decentralization isn’t about buzzwords or quick flips. It’s about reshaping the relationship between creators, fans, and platforms. NFTs were just the spark. The real opportunity is in building sustainable, community-driven ecosystems where both sides thrive.

The future of creativity isn’t about who owns the platform. It’s about giving power back to the people who create — and the people who believe in them.

Join us. Join the movement.

Follow Xross Road on X and join our Discord for the latest updates.

The Platform Creators Have Been Waiting For — Now in Open Beta

Imagine if your fanart, OC, or headcanon could actually become part of the story. What if your creation could be discovered, credited, and supported by a global community?

That’s the vision behind the XR App, now live in Open Beta. It isn’t just another place to post your art — it’s a new space for creative ownership and community recognition. This is built for anyone who is passionate for making, remixing, or reimagining anime worlds — whether you’re an illustrator, fan-writer, designer, or just someone with ideas too good to keep to yourself.

With the XR App, you can post, remix, get credited, and gain visibility — all within one creator-first ecosystem.

What is the XR App? A Quick Primer

At its core, the XR App is the creative content layer of the Xross Road protocol — a new platform for global anime collaboration. It’s designed for:

• Fan creators who want their art, comics, or stories to reach new audiences (and maybe even become canon)
• Original artists building a portfolio, testing new ideas, or seeking recognition
• IP holders who want to energize their worlds with new voices and safe, trackable remixing

Our platform is all about UGC (user-generated content) — fanart, stories, remixes, and more. It’s where you can participate in campaigns, get your work discovered, and join a new kind of creative community.

The Creator Flow: From Post to Protocol

Here’s how easy it is to join and create on XR:

1. Create an Account

Use social login or connect your wallet to get started. Build a profile that reflects your creative identity.

2. Post Your Content

Upload art, stories, or remixes. Tag it by series or character, and add a description to bring it to life.

3. Engage With the Community

React, comment, follow. Language tools help cross borders and connect creators globally.

4. Get Recognition & Rewards

• Participate in campaigns (like the Michi-chan fanart contest) and get featured
• Your creations are always credited to you, discoverable by the community
• We’re exploring future features like creator launchpads and limited-edition collectibles to help creators deepen fan engagement

Why It Matters: What Creators Get Out of This

Let’s answer the big questions:

• “What’s in it for me?”
• XR offers creator recognition, campaign visibility, and an expanding ecosystem that values your work.
• “Is my content safe?”
• Your posts belong to you, and are credited to you — no more stolen art or lost credit.
• “How is this better than Pixiv or Twitter or Instagram?”
• XR is built for creators. It’s about ownership, recognition, and real rewards — not just fleeting likes.

As a creator, you’ll gain:

• Recognition — Every post is tied to your creator profile
• Visibility — Campaigns and contests highlight new creators and fresh talent
• Collaboration — Co-create with fans and even IP holders; shape the next generation of anime worlds

What’s Next: Coming Features and Contests

This is just the beginning. Coming up on the roadmap:

• Campaign Features — Tools to help IP partners and creators launch themed content events
• Remix Collaboration — Explore new ways to co-create with other users or brands
• Creative Tools — Stay tuned for ways to better showcase, track, and expand your projects

Plus, keep an eye out for new contests, campaigns, and surprise events — all designed to get your work seen and celebrated.

Last Thoughts

The XR App is for every anime-inspired creator who wants to be part of something bigger. Whether you’re drawing, writing, designing, or dreaming — this is your canvas.

We’re currently in Open Beta, which means this is just the beginning. Everyone is welcome to jump in, experiment, and help us shape what XR becomes. Your feedback — big or small — is more than welcome as we continue building with the community.

Set up your profile, post what you create and connect with others who love building worlds as much as you do.

Let’s create together.

Join the Movement!

Follow us on X and joining the our Discord. We can’t wait to see what you’ll make!

Executive Summary

Xross Road is a co-growth platform backed by TV Asahi, a major Japanese broadcaster known for titles such as Doraemon and Crayon Shin-Chan, that reimagines the anime production ecosystem using decentralized technologies and community-driven innovation

The anime industry stands at a crossroads. Global demand has never been higher, yet creators remain locked into outdated production structures. IP rights are fragmented, financial upside is limited, and fans are relegated to passive consumption with no path to meaningful participation or ownership.

Xross Road changes this.

Built by veterans of anime, Web3, and game development, the platform enables fans and creators to collaboratively launch, fund, and scale original Japanese IP in a transparent, inclusive, and globally connected way.

Our Dual-Solution Approach:

1. Empowered Production Committees (PCs):
   Tokenized participation and DeIP Tokens (“Decentralized IP Tokens”) to modernize legacy pipelines.
2. Web3-Native IP Incubation:
   Tools for early community traction, content creation, and fair monetization.

With DeIP Vault/Xross Boost funding system, UGC utilization on XR App and Strong ties with contents studios, anyone, whether they are fans, studios, or indie creators, can now co-create, co-own, and grow the anime IPs they believe in.

Problem Statement

The global anime market is expanding rapidly, yet the fans and creators driving its success remain largely cut off from any input or upside.

Under the traditional production committee (PC) model, IP rights are fragmented across stakeholders such as broadcasters, publishers, toy firms, and ad agencies. This structure favors risk mitigation over innovation, leading to slowed decision-making, restrictions on creative freedom, and limited long-term revenue for creators.

At the same time, fan involvement is limited to post-launch IPs. Despite massive engagement on streaming platforms and social media, fans have little influence during the early stages of development. They can’t easily support the stories they believe in, nor the art direction, and creators are also removed, being unable to validate concepts through their fans or grow their communities ahead of time.

This disconnect creates several structural challenges:

• Fans create cultural momentum, but receive no stake or recognition
• Creators build the IP, but remain financially constrained with limited global insights
• Studios operate within outdated systems misaligned with today’s global, digital-first audience

The revenue shift highlights this disconnect. In 2000, Domestic production represented a dominant share of industry revenue. By 2025, that share is shrinking, replaced by international streaming, licensing, and fan-driven demand to the point that it has replaced nearly half of all Anime IP-related revenue. Yet the production model hasn’t evolved.

The traditional system can’t keep up with how anime is made, monetized, or consumed today.

Our Solution is Xross Road

Xross Road is a collaborative platform that reimagines anime IP creation, monetization, and ownership — uniting fans, creators, and studios through Web3 infrastructure and AI-powered content tools.

Core Strategies and Components

1. IP Growth via Production Committees

Xross Road participates in the initial formation of anime production committees (PCs), securing rights for various derivative products, including but not limited to:

• Game development
• Webtoon serialization
• Contents Crowdfunding & UGC campaigns

2. These rights are brought on-chain into the XR ecosystem, where creators and fans contribute to their development and monetization.

3. Licensing Top-Tier IP

The platform also works with licensed anime IPs — animes that have already been produced and distributed — enabling Xross Road to:

• Development of content using licensed IP, such as games, webtoons, and social media stickers
• Investment in content businesses through tokenization of profit-sharing rights
• Two-tier fund management combining RWA(Real-World Asset) revenue and on-chain revenue

4. Combined with Web3 infrastructure, this unlocks script-to-stream-to-token pipelines for IP.

DeIP (“Decentralized IP”) Vaults: Collaborative IP Ownership

At the heart of Xross Road are the DeIP Vaults, essentially on-chain microfunds built around various anime IPs. Key holders, creators, and fans all contribute to IP growth through:

• Treasury-backed product creation and marketing
• Smart contract-based revenue and royalty sharing
• Transparent XRT token flows tied to real-world business revenue

Each Vault aligns incentives across contributors through a shared ownership structure, distributing earnings from anime derivatives, games, merchandise, and more. This fosters a sustainable co-ownership ecosystem where all stakeholders benefit from the IP’s success.

Webtoon & Mini DApp Monetization

Through partnerships with International Platforms, DeIP Vaults can quickly commercialize IP rights by:

• Outsourcing content production to partners
• Managing approvals via the production committee
• Publishing at scale with built-in revenue redistribution

This structure ensures global scalability with minimal operational burden for creators.

Xross Road Stakeholders

Fans

Xross Road empowers fans to go beyond passive viewership and become active participants in anime development. This includes:

• Anime enthusiasts are passionate about supporting creators
• DeIP Vault Key holders are participating in voting, funding, and distribution
• XR Crypto users are engaging with token mechanics
• UGC creators contributing through campaigns and collaborative content
• Retail investors seeking exposure to early-stage IP development

Creators

Independent creators are at the core of Xross Road’s mission. The platform supports:

• Manga artists, writers, and animators
• Indie studios
• Digital remixers/ product creators

Production Committee

Xross Road collaborates with production committees, including established anime studios and IP holders, to bring Web3 integration into traditional anime development pipelines.

Through licensing agreements, Xross Road supports these partners in activating global fan bases, enhancing visibility, and leveraging DeIP Vaults and XR’s infrastructure to test creative directions through community feedback and campaign-based engagement.

Investors

Xross Road offers a structured, scalable entry point for larger investors interested in:

• Backing early-stage IP with measurable traction
• Participating in node operations and revenue sharing
• Supporting a next-gen content platform with cross-media growth potential

XR Ecosystem Partners

Our broader ecosystem includes companies that enhance content development and distribution. These include:

• Game studios producing adaptations of XR IP
• Webtoon and manga platforms for serialized publishing
• Mini DApp providers for lightweight content experiences
• Streaming or retail platforms for monetization and outreach

Platform Architecture

The Xross Road platform is designed to support a creator-powered content economy by delivering a seamless, Web3-native experience through four integrated components: the XR App, XR Portal, Xross Boost and Xross Port. Together, they form the foundational infrastructure of the Xross Road ecosystem, supporting user engagement, community incentives, DeIP Vault operations, and governance.

XR App: Fan & Creator Engagement Layer

The XR App is the user-facing content hub, designed to enable user-generated content, community discovery, and creator recognition.

Core features

• Content Submission & Browsing
• Engagement Mechanics(likes, comments, fav, etc.)
• Points & Rewards System
• Discoverability

XR Portal: Governance & Ownership Interface

The XR Portal provides an access point for contributors, token holders, and investors to track point activity and engage with XR DeIP Vault sales and IP-related offerings.

Core Features

• Point System
• DeIP Vault Key Sale
• DeIP Vault Access
• XRT Claim

Xross Boost: A token launchpad designed to fund and launch new IP content

The Xross Boost is a token launchpad designed to help creators grow new IPs through the power of on-chain capital.

Core Features

• Token issuance with purpose-specific tokenomics defined by prefixes
• Gradual token reserve sales to execute content investments
• Revenue distribution through token buybacks funded by content business earnings

Xross Port: A platform for content localization and global delivery

The Xross Port translates webtoons, manga, and anime, and distributes them to content platforms around the world, making content accessible across languages and regions.

Core Feature

• Content Translation & Localization
• Global Platform Distribution
• Content Analytics

Tokenomics

Xross Road’s token architecture is designed to align incentives, reward contributions, and ensure long-term sustainability across the platform. The tokens under consideration are structured as follows:

Xross Road Roadmap

Xross Road follows a builder-first approach: launch the infrastructure, prove the IP pipeline, and scale user participation over time. The platform is structured for long-term sustainability, with technical and creative milestones supporting each stage of growth.

Phase 1 — Launch Foundation

June — September 2025

• Securing Pre-seed Round
• Launch of Node License Sale
• Rebrand and release of the XR App MVP
• Onboarding of 4 IPs:
• 2 IPs from TV Asahi Animation
• 2 IPs from well-known Japanese studios
• Release of Studio Rombo manga series

Phase 2 — DeIP Vault Activation

October — December 2025

• Launch of the first DeIP Vault for acquired IPs
• Initiation of RWA (“Real World Asset”) tokenization tied to each DeIP Vault
• Release of the Omniverse comic series through a famous Japanese IP Studio
• Launch of UGC (“User Generated Content”) tokenization features and Sticker NFTs

Phase 3 — Token Launch & Broadcast Expansion

March — June 2026

• TGE (Token Generation Event) and listing on centralized exchanges (CEX)
• Node License Sale (2nd round)
• Launch of AAA-title IPs within our Ecosystem
• First anime title broadcast on Netflix and Crunchyroll

Phase 4 — Ecosystem Scaling

By the End of 2027

• Japan-based IEO (Initial Exchange Offering)
• Launch of on-chain IP analytics and monetization tooling

Join the movement.

Follow Xross Road on X and join our Discord for the latest updates.

Imagine contributing to the next Demon Slayer — not just by watching or cosplaying it, but by shaping its world, backing it early, and owning a piece of its legacy.

That’s not just a fantasy. It’s a shift that’s already happening — and it’s putting fans at the center of anime’s next era.

For decades, anime has been built behind studio doors. It has always been production committees greenlighting what gets made. IP is locked up in licensing deals. Fans? Passionate as ever, but stuck on the sidelines — streaming, collecting, supporting, but not included.

But what if that changed?

What if anime fans didn’t just consume stories — they co-created them? What if your AMV, doujin art, or early support wasn’t just appreciated — but rewarded?

That’s the promise of on-chain anime IP. And it’s closer than you think.

The Problem: Fans Are Global, But the System Isn’t

Anime fandom is one of the most active and creative in the world.

Fan art, UGC, remixes, cosplay, translations — fans build with love.

But the traditional IP system wasn’t build to recognize or reward that creativity. Production committees are conservative, licensing is rigid, and fans remain consumers in a one-way value chain.

Meanwhile, anime has gone global. International fans drive much of the revenue of the industry — yet have little say in how IPs grow or what gets made.

It’s not just a missed opportunity. It’s an outdated system.

What Web3 Actually Offers (For Fans)

Forget the crypto jargon. At its core, Web3 is about ownership and participation — two things fans have always craved.

In the anime world, that looks like:

• Backing early-stage IPs and earning from their growth
• Remix rights embedded in tokens — so your doujin or spinoff art can be legit
• Governance tools that let fans vote on collaborations, expansions, and lore
• Fan-licensed merch, IRL events, and digital rewards that scale with engagement
• Permanent provenance — so your contributions live on-chain and can be recognized

You’re no longer just a fan. You get to be a co-creator, a curator, and a stakeholder. Be one!

The Shift: From Closed Worlds to Open Canons

Imagine a world where the next Demon Slayer starts not in a studio boardroom — but in a Discord server.

• Artists post early concepts
• Fans vote on characters and arcs
• Token holders help fund production
• Remixers build side stories or game mods
• The entire IP grows like a living organism — with the community as its heartbeat

This is the future of open IP: collaborative, inclusive, and on-chain.

And anime fandom is uniquely suited for it.

Why Now?

Because the outdated system is cracking.

• COVID accelerated global demand, but left studios overextended
• Streaming gave fans more access, but not more say
• AI and creator tools are making indie animation more possible than ever
• Web3 finally gives us the rails to share value and credit transparently

Fandom isn’t passive anymore. It’s participatory by nature — and the tools are finally catching up.

Where You Fit in

You don’t need to know how to code.

You don’t need to “ape in.”

You just need to care.

• Join a UGC campaign
• Collect remixable content
• Contribute to world-building
• Support IPs early
• Help surface undiscovered creators
• Vote, share, remix, build — and get recognized for it

You’re already doing the work. Web3 is just making it official.

Last Thought

Somewhere out there, the next beloved anime universe is taking shape. Not in a studio. Not in a boardroom.

But in a network, on-chain.

And you’re already part of it.

Join the movement.

Follow Xross Road on X and join our Discord for the latest updates.