Ao Miyata, who was serving as an artist for Muv-Luv, has been fired from his position at animation production start-up “Ixtl” after having been caught tracing in two separate occasions – only a single day apart.
An official press release from Ixtl, a studio whose first major work will be “Muv-Luv Alternative: Total Eclipse”, has formally dismissed Ao Miyata – found guilty of the ever-shameful crime of copying original content and calling it his own, on not one, but several different instances.
A magazine illustration featuring Muv-Luv’s girls was found to be composed completely of blatantly exact forgeries of other, actually unique illustrations – and then a dakimakura of a heroine from Muv-Luv, suspected to feature a copied image from another series, Polyphonica, turned out to indeed have been a total reproduction. The most recent of these incidents gained traction with those of the past, and it seems he’s simply traced one artwork too many in his career – marking the cut of Ao Miyata.
It’s quite saddening to see that someone would steal the original content of others, particularly in a fashion so obvious – yet the other members of staff behind Muv-Luv apparently wanted nothing to do with such a petty scheme, which does well to restore faith in their product. As for this artist of confidence, he should simply hope he doesn’t receive any lawsuits – yet worse than that, it’s certainly going to be painful for anyone to have to live with their name recognized for such a lowly deed, although he brought that upon himself unfortunately.
While it’s splendid to see justice served, it would have been best if the situation never came to this – no one enjoys having to expend time, resources, and effort into the paltry actions of a single individual.
Jun 11, 2012 @ 14:07 CDT
HÁ! That’s what you get for using Ctrl-C and V!
Jun 11, 2012 @ 14:08 CDT
a) He’s called Miyata Sou.
b) ixtl is no “animation studio”.
c) The dakimakura thing was known for a while. A few months ago he had to apology in a public stream for tracing an ero CG for Kimi ga Ita Kisetsu’s 2011 remake too.
But seriously, good riddance.
Jun 11, 2012 @ 14:37 CDT
As far as I know, he’s known by several names.
I never said Ixtl is an “animation studio”.
The dakimakura gains relevance when combined with his other recent affairs.
Jun 11, 2012 @ 14:12 CDT
I really feel sad for this artist.
Jun 12, 2012 @ 0:28 CDT
Yea, but he kinda had this coming…so ambivalence is all he’ll get from me.
Still…too bad…he draws pretty well…such a waste.
Jun 12, 2012 @ 0:33 CDT
“he draws pretty well”
I was thinking that if this fellow chose to simply illustrate his own original works, he could have made some very fantastic stuff. The character designs he had to work with are splendid already – and he clearly has some skill, he simply used it in the wrong way.
Jun 11, 2012 @ 17:04 CDT
I know that copying work is a terrible thing to do, but even so, to get fired so quickly over it is quite something. If he were to be more wise, he should have picked more obscure anime to copy, but Infinite Stratos is exceptionally popular, it were as it he was waving flag to his own antics.
A good deed has been done, but with employment these days, nobody wasn’t to hire an artist, who has record of such bad habits. Hope he at least manages to retain a living of some sort.
Jun 11, 2012 @ 17:06 CDT
I think it’s always justified to fire someone for copying, especially in this case – you’re working as a professional, you’ve been hired to contribute creatively to a series which will be engaged by thousands, if not millions, and instead you’re plagiarizing.
Jun 11, 2012 @ 17:17 CDT
It is most certainly true that standards must be upheld. Though it makes me wonder, was this lad just lazy, thus copying work of others – or could there have been something more to why he did what he done. However with having a record of this incident, it sounds like he comeuppance.
Jun 11, 2012 @ 17:18 CDT
*he got his comeuppance
Jun 11, 2012 @ 20:09 CDT
Copy-pasta is only going to get you so far until you realise that you can’t “Bring food to the table” with it….I’m just getting progressively worse at these puns…T___T
Jun 11, 2012 @ 20:30 CDT
I wonder if Miyata can afford pasta on his new salary.
Jun 11, 2012 @ 23:22 CDT
How many poses can one realistically come up with?
Jun 11, 2012 @ 23:28 CDT
More than enough to justify not tracing other people’s illustrations.
Jun 12, 2012 @ 4:56 CDT
but come on he just copied the poses but the character designs looks so different, he should not have been fired
Jun 12, 2012 @ 12:01 CDT
Do you think if you copied the Mona Lisa and replaced the face of a woman with a man that it makes it an original artwork?
Jun 14, 2012 @ 1:39 CDT
For crying out loud, even if its just the poses or tracing its still art theft either way.
Jun 14, 2012 @ 6:37 CDT
This.