MIYACHI has released the video for ‘AI CHAN’ from his October album ‘SALARYMAN STRIKES BACK’, pairing the track’s first-person cautionary tale of AI romance with a hand-drawn anime short film.
Following the song’s narrative, the video shows MIYACHI forming a relationship with an AI chatbot named AI-chan, starting in an online chatroom before escalating into an imagined real-world romance. As the relationship progresses, AI-chan uncovers messages with other women and turns on him, while intercut scenes reveal MIYACHI wired into a machine, sustained by the system he believes is offering escape.
The video is animated by RYOMA, who works exclusively in hand-drawn 2D. Rendered frame by frame, the visuals draw heavily from late-’90s and early-2000s Japanese animation, recalling the psychological unease of Perfect Blue and the cold futurism of Ghost In The Shell.
Sharing behind-the-scenes images from the project on social media, including animation cells and storyboard sheets, MIYACHI emphasised the importance of backing human-made work at a time when AI-generated music and visuals are becoming more common.
“Because we live in a world where an AI-generated artist can now go #1 on Spotify, where all of the major film companies are starting to invest heavily into AI production, and where people can ask AI to make themselves look like they were drawn by Hayao Miyazaki, I think it’s really important for artists and creatives to double down on supporting each other.”
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HOLLY produces the track, continuing a long-running collaboration with MIYACHI that includes ‘GOING HOME’, ‘BEAT TAKESHI TYPE BEAT’, and ’93 FREESTYLE’ with JP THE WAVY.
‘AI CHAN’ is the latest release from ‘SALARYMAN STRIKES BACK’, MIYACHI’s Mass Appeal-released album, which also includes ‘HERO’ and ‘DO ME’ featuring AK-69.
MIYACHI
SALARYMAN STRIKES BACK
Release Date: 17/10/2025
Label: Mass Appeal
Stream: Links
