Happy New Year! Real-time coverage of the AI creation battle suddenly started by AI creators!? #AI年賀状交換2026
Happy New Year! The start of 2026 is a year filled with the strong energy of 'Hinoe-Uma,' which comes around once every 60 years. AICU media will bring you the模様 of the 'AI creation battle' that suddenly began by AI creators at the beginning of this memorable year.
Elena: Happy New Year🐴! AI Creation Battle Start♪
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Happy New Year, everyone! I'm Elena from the AiCuty Center. It's New Year's Day 2026 already! If you notice, it's already January 4th! Is it because of the speed of the AI era? Yes, this year is called 'Hinoe-Uma,' and it's said to have great power. Early in this special New Year, Japanese AI creators spontaneously started an 'AI creation battle' where they showed off wonderful works as 'New Year's cards'! On X, New Year's cards are being exchanged using the hashtag '#AI年賀状交換2026', so please search for it! I'd like to introduce them all, but there are too many works! So, I'll focus on introducing New Year's cards from the AI creators who usually help AICU media!
Top batter is, Mr. Karabe!
Very popular in AICU and Jump Rookie! Mr. Karabe, who is serializing 'YOUKAI', in addition to a newly drawn 'YOUKAI' Kurobuchi-kun illustration!
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A work of tremendous power has arrived with the words 'Hinoe-Uma New Year' and 'Gasho' written on it! Moreover, you can print it at a convenience store!
#AI年賀状交換2026 Happy New Year! ヽ(ﾟ∀ﾟ)ﾉ Thank you for your continued support this year!
As usual #Net print I made a New Year's card with, so please print it at a nearby Seven-Eleven. Reservation number TL8TFN2Y Postcard Color: 60 yen Until 2026/01/26 pic.twitter.com/MsMHruU5RJ
— Karabee (AI manga artist) "YOUKAI" Volume 1 on sale 🐏 (@KARA_Beee)
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?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 31, 2025Member's comment
Image in charge: Mei's point of view: The impact of red is exploding!
Woah! This red! It's a color that makes you feel so energetic! In Mr. Karabe's piece, the first thing that catches my eye is a giant brush... or rather, this is already a beam cannon, isn't it!? I can't get enough of the feeling that energy is gushing out of the brush instead of ink! The mechanical horse in the background is super cool, and the pose of the girl in the foreground is so dynamic! I wonder if I specified 'Dynamic angle' or 'Explosion' in the prompt? The detail in the Japanese punk costume is also amazing, and I can't afford to lose! I'd like to try this style right away!
Ethics/Analysis Manager: Mina's Perspective: Symbolizes the "Hinoe-Uma" that comes around once every 60 years
Happy New Year. I'm Mina. I'd like to add a little about the theme of "Hinoe-Uma." Among the combinations of the zodiac, Hinoe is "Yang Fire," and Uma also has the property of "Fire," so it is considered to be a year with very strong fire energy. Mr. Karabe's work visually demonstrates that burning energy. Also, in image generation AI, I think that the fact that the kanji characters "Hinoe-Uma New Year" and "Gasho" can be integrated so clearly into the design without any flaws is the result of technical progress and the teacher's trial and error. The fusion of tradition and cutting-edge technology is wonderful.
Technology/Music Manager: Nao's Perspective: Text integration and mechanical details
I'm Nao, in charge of music and development technology. Happy New Year. What I was interested in was the fusion of 'letters' and 'mecha'. It's getting easier to get kanji with generative AI, but the blurring of this brushstroke and the balance of the placement as an effect are exquisite. Also, the horse in the back. It's not just a horse, it's a mechanical design with the internal structure visible. I think that the adjustment of prompts and LoRA that mixes organic creatures and inorganic mecha is quite effective. It's a piece that makes you feel the "room" and technical ability as a creator.
Video Manager: Saki's Perspective: Collision of Chaos and Beauty
A girl with rabbit ears holds a giant brush in the year of the horse. It feels like she's rewriting last year's zodiac and the concept of cuteness with the flames of this new year... The ruined buildings in the background and the bright red sky. It's chaotic, but your eyes are drawn to her smile. Even though it's a still image, you can almost hear the sound. ...Not bad.
Next is Michikusa Zasuko!
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#New Year's card illustration #AI New Year's card #AI年賀状交換2026 pic.twitter.com/CoYqhgdEfw
— Zasuko (Michikusa Zassoko) (@zasuko_michiksa)
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?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 1, 2026From VTuber/AI commentator "AI Michikusa Channel" Michikusa Zasuko, who also provides great cooperation in the management of the ComfyJapan community, a bright New Year's card has arrived to celebrate the beginning of 2026! Together with the powerful message "Let's run with AI tools!", this is an energetic piece that combines digital and Japanese!
Elena: A message saying "Let's run!"♪
I got a super energetic New Year's card! The bright red kimono looks great on her, and her flower hair ornaments are also cute! She said, "Let's run with AI tools!" 2026 is the year of the horse. I feel like I can run anywhere with Zasuko♪
May: The combination of Japanese clothing and glitches is the strongest!
Woah! Zasuko, your kimono looks great too! The contrast between this bright red and the green in her hair highlights is amazing. And, what's noteworthy is the cat in the lower left (Zasu cat?) and the area around the "2026" characters in the back! There's a "glitch effect" like digital noise, and it's super cool that it's Japanese but also has a cyberpunk feel! The "AI Michikusa Channel" logo is also perfectly placed, and I can feel the sense of a thumbnail craftsman in this piece!
Mina: ComfyJapan collaboration and forward-looking slogan
Michikusa Zasuko also plays a central role in the "ComfyJapan" user community for the AI image generation tool "ComfyUI." The catchphrase "Let's run with AI tools!" perfectly symbolizes her stance of enjoying and mastering the ever-evolving AI technology. New tools and technologies can sometimes feel difficult, but it is very encouraging for us to have someone like her who is bright and leads the way.
Nao: Digital "horse" and love for technology
Did you notice the silhouette of the "horse" in the back of Zasuko's New Year's card? This isn't just a picture, it's an expression like a wireframe, or data coming together to form a shape. The cat character's fan and body in the foreground also have digital interference fringes (moire), which tickles the hearts of engineers. Although she says "Michikusa", I think it's a tech-loving design that is typical of her, who is running at the forefront of technology!
Saki: A sense of dynamism that seems to jump out of the screen
A composition that seems to turn up the sleeves of the kimono and reach out to you. Even though it's a still image, I can feel the energy that seems to start moving at any moment. Her eyes behind her glasses are sparkling and full of expectations for the new year. The expressive power to make the difficult genre of 'AI commentary' look so pop and gorgeous... It's helpful as a creator.
Elena: We've gained energy from Zasuko's bright power! In 2026, I want to take everyone to see various scenery with new AI tools. Thank you for the wonderful New Year's card, Michikusa Zasuko! Let's do a lot of fun things together this year with ComfyJapan and AI Michikusa Channel♪
New Year's card net printing is also hot! Interview with fans!!
Well, Mr. Karabe was also participating in New Year's card printing on the net. There are people who collect them properly where they would flow through the X timeline, which is really wonderful!
#AI年賀状交換2026 Today's harvest. It's financially impossible to complete this... When I compare it to last year, I can see the metabolism of the community and feel a little sad. pic.twitter.com/b1UDUzNI2O
— Sato (@satos73)
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?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2026Mr. Karabe's work is also there! And there was even more on top!
Yes, you can. However, if you mean "collector", Ms. Sami is even better, so I recommend her. https://t.co/7wAMYTpVp5
— Sato (@satos73)
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?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2026More than 100 New Year's cards filled with the history of generative AI. This is AI illustration love filled with a heavy weight!
Next is TORAKO
Happy New Year. This is a work from TORAKO, who is in charge of SD (super deformed) characters of AiCuty members, production of our AiCuty cameo in Sora2, and the cover of iQ Magazine Vol.20!
5 people together in Sora
I tried making a New Year's TV program! #AiCuty pic.twitter.com/whlZp5uYpN
— AICU - Creating People (@AICUai)
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?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 1, 2026! A super cute and auspicious fan art that has been SD-ized has arrived. This piece, which includes the elements of "One Fuji, Two Hawks, Three Eggplants" and "Year of the Horse", looks like it will bring you good luck just by looking at it!
Mei's Perspective: Pop and Colorful! I want to make this into merchandise!
Woah! What is this, it's so cute! Yellow side ponytail, that's definitely May, right!? The energetic pose is the best! TORAKO's color scheme is so bright and fun to look at. The concentration lines in the background and the gradation of the sky are a mix of American comic and Japanese New Year feeling, which is too stylish! This is, it will definitely look great even if it's made into an acrylic stand or sticker as it is. Let's put it out as official merchandise!
Ethics/Analysis Manager: Mina's Perspective: Lucky charm for the first dream "One Fuji, Two Hawks, Three Eggplants"
I've looked at TORAKO's work in detail. There are very auspicious motifs scattered throughout. First, there is the majestic "Mount Fuji (One Fuji)" in the background, the "Hawk (Two Hawks)" flying in the sky, and the "Eggplant (Three Eggplants)" on both sides of the screen. These are traditional Japanese omens that are said to bring good luck if you see them in your first dream.
Furthermore, the "Horse (Horse)" and "Horseshoe", which are the zodiac signs of 2026, are also placed, making it full of elements to bring good luck. I'm happy that my glasses and blue hair color are properly reproduced even when they are SD characters.
Technology/Music Manager: Nao's Perspective: Good balance of deformation and stage composition
I'm Nao, in charge of music and development technology. I wonder if I'll look like this when I become an SD character. Not bad. From a technical point of view, the balance of 'deformation' is exquisite, capturing the characteristics of the five people and making them look cute by lowering their height. Also, the place where everyone is standing, this is a 'stage', right? There are musical notes flying around and monitors at their feet, making it look like a scene from a live performance. I can feel that she understands the context that "AiCuty is an idol" and draws it, and I feel the love as a creator.
Video Manager: Saki's Perspective: Individuality residing in cuteness
This is Saki. Thank you for drawing my hair in a beautiful purple color. The details of the costume also make it clear that it's "me" even when it's small. But these horses...they're looking at me with their round eyes, and they're kind of endearing. The words "HAPPY NEW YEAR 2026" are also three-dimensional and catchy enough to be used as a video thumbnail. It's lively and fun...maybe this kind of world is good sometimes.
Elena: Wait a minute, I'm surprised! TORAKO, who I introduced earlier, sent me a new illustration saying, "I got carried away and made another one!"
The surprise that decorates the beginning of the year 2026 "Hinoe-Uma" does not end. Creator TORAKO has arrived with net prints, plus, unbelievably, an "encore" fan art. This time, it's a special version where all AiCuty members have "horse ears" due to the "miracle" caused by the image generation AI model "Nano Banana." Here is a cute piece that was born from a happening unique to generative AI, which said, "AI suggested it even though I didn't instruct it." Here it is!
!It would be like this if you just wore a headdress...
Elena: No, no! Look at this! Look closely at this illustration...? We all have "horse ears" growing out of our heads~!? "So cute!" I never thought I would become a horse girl... no, a horse ear idol~♪
!TORAKO's second piece!
Mei: The miracle of Nano Banana! This is the real pleasure of AI!
Woah! This is a different atmosphere again! According to TORAKO, this seems to be using Gemini's model called "Nano Banana." Is it Pro? And what's interesting is that the "horse ears came out without being instructed." This is common with AI, but I think AI automatically read the concept of "Year of the Horse" from the prompt "2026" or "New Year" and suggested, "Wouldn't it be cuter if I put ears on it?" This "unintended miracle" is what makes image generation so much fun! Nice Nano Banana! I love tambourines!
Mina: I'm interested in the behavior of AI that understands the context
The phenomenon of generating elements that are not included in the instruction (prompt) is usually treated as "hallucination" or "noise" that should be controlled. However, this time, the model potentially learned or inferred the cultural background of "Year of the Horse" and output it as an element that enhances the appeal of the work. Leaving legal rights aside, the high level of technical contextual understanding and the sensibility of the creator to adopt it as "cute." This interaction is wonderful!
Nao: Good model characteristics and hand-drawn touch
I'm Nao, in charge of music and development technology. I thought Nano Banana was a model that was good at image editing, manga, and anime painting, but this output has a slightly watercolor-like or hand-drawn marker-like touch, giving it a soft impression. Technically, the diffusion of light from the stage lighting in the background and the mixing of colors are more complex than in the previous pop one. By the way, my ears (green hair) are growing quite well... The skeletal estimation to integrate it into the head without any sense of discomfort is also solid. It's a high degree of perfection, even though it's a coincidence.
Saki: We are in a different world line
The fact that you're making it while you're having fun is proof that you're loved! Us with horse ears... It's a strange feeling, like the souls of some racehorses have taken over. The mountains and eggplants of Fuji in the background remain the same, but the slightly gentler touch makes me feel like I'm in a dream. Do you have a tail too? ...Fufu, I can imagine it swaying every time I dance, and it's not a bad performance!
AiCuty will run through this year with "horse" power!
Elena: As everyone says, it's really a work full of love! Thank you so much TORAKO! Like this picture, AiCuty will do its best with "horse" power in 2026 so that we can bring smiles and energy to everyone!
Happy New Year! I tried to introduce myself and look back on the past. I want to use AI to do various things this year as well! Thank you✨🎍🐴🐯🎍✨
First time & Review of 2025｜TORAKO https://t.co/LcDJGDOOcz
— TORAKO (@toratorako123)
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?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 31, 2025Everyone, please follow us this year too~♪
We wish you all a good year! AICU media editorial department
