Anime fans have begun to explode following the sale of popular fansite My Anime List to Gaudiy, a company with some high-tech aspirations and big plans for the site's big data. However, these methods are often controversial as of late, and that has fans worried for the site's future.

My Anime List is one of the largest hubs for non-Japanese anime and manga fans. It allows s to document, rate, and review series that they've watched, helping to make recommendations and give general impressions of how the anime and manga fandom at large have reacted to certain series. The site was acquired by Gaudiy using backing from Sony and Bandai Namco as part of a partnership, with the three companies hoping to change the landscape around fans and how they connect with their favorite anime and manga series, as well as develop new anime and manga.

The My Anime List Gaudiy Controversy Explained

My Anime List's New Owner is a Tech Company Using Cutting Edge Developments

Gaudiy is a company which makes extensive use of new technologies, such as the blockchain, generative AI, and Large Language Models (LLMs, like ChatGPT). However, these technologies have made a bad name for themselves in recent years, with plagiarism controversies (like the Studio Ghibli AI art that was everywhere recently) and questionable data harvesting policies afflicting LLMs and generative AI. Many s seem to be concerned about their data being used to develop these technologies, while others just dislike the technology in general and fear its implementation on the site.

In the announcement made on My Anime List's forums, the quoted Gaudiy's CEO, Mr. Ishikawa, as saying, "As you understand, what we're aiming to build is a space where fans can come together and enjoy content with one another. Using technology in a way that goes against that goal, or doing anything that would upset or disappoint fans, is not what we—or the Gaudiy team—ever intend." Gaudiy has as its stated goal the development of "fan nations," large social groups where fans can truly be themselves which can be easily connected with franchises and IPs they adore.

Will Gaudiy's Plans for My Anime List Risk Ruining the Site?

The Tech Company's Goals Aren't At Odds With Desires

The announcement makes it clear that My Anime List has been through a variety of owners throughout the years, so it's not the first time that site ownership has changed. However, previous owners didn't have extensive plans to utilize the data generated by the site the way Gaudiy does, so fans have good reason to be concerned. The hope seems to be that many key features on My Anime List which have had stalled development in recent years will finally get back on track, providing s with new capabilities that help the site do what it does better.

Ultimately, one's feelings about this buyout are going to largely be shaped by how they feel about these technologies. Those who the new technologies are excited at the possibilities, while those who feel these technologies are inherently nefarious are as skeptical as ever. Hopefully, My Anime List doesn't change too substantially as a result of this new ownership, and fans can continue to use this resource as they have for years.