For anime fans who love collecting and want to try something new, a Japanese tech company YUIMEX introduced AniPic!, a platform that distributes collectible digital art from popular anime series (starting with Great Pretender) using blockchain technology.
Users will be able to purchase a set of random art (bromides) from a particular anime series (which seems to mostly stills from the show). Users will have digital ownership of the picture under AniPic Ownership Rights as each bromide is attached to a non-fungible token (NFT) which helps to keep track of who owns the bromide. Other well-known examples that use this technology include CryptoKitties.
The creators of the series will receive a portion of each sale. Currently, each NFT can only be owned through the AniPic! platform and cannot be currently traded. We have been told by YUIMEX they are working on a trading model and considering linking with other platforms in the future.
When we strip away all the technical lingo and summarize, customers are purchasing HD stills from anime shows that only exist and reside on the AniPic platform. From the latest FAQs as of this article:
"What can I do if I purchase an AniPic?
(1) You can own AniPics.
(2) You can view your AniPics in your AniPic Album.
(3) You can add your username to the names of the creators on the backs of your AniPics."
AniPic's first collaboration is with Wit Studio's 2020 Great Pretender series with 50 collectible artworks (46 stills from the show and 4 character design sheets.)To promote the release of AniPic, collectors can enter to win physical prizes such as signed jigsaw puzzles and shikishi illustrations by the production team of Great Pretender (illustration drawn by Key Animation Supervisor Hirotaka Katou). I think the possibility of obtaining physical goods is the most exciting aspect of AniPic. YUIMEX has told us there may be exclusive physical goods in the future that can only be ordered by AniPic users.
In addition to Great Pretender, YUIMEX has also shared with us that they have partnered up with several other popular anime titles and will be announcing them soon.
While AniPic at the moment is fairly barebones, they seem to have a number of new features and ideas planned. They are also open to feedback as several concerns we've brought up ended up being addressed on their website or in their FAQs.
To learn more about AniPic, please visit:
https://anipic.io/en/greatpretender-case1-3
https://anipic.io/en/greatpretender-case4
https://www.notion.so/AniPic-FAQ-eng-54e5db0111a049b4a714139aae3b3192