Amazon’s attempt to quietly roll out new AI generated English dubs for several major anime franchises has now blown up into one of the biggest anime controversies of 2025. After days of ridicule, condemnation from fans, and public outrage from professional voice actors, Amazon has officially removed multiple AI dubs from Prime Video including No Game No Life: Zero, Vinland Saga, and Banana Fish.
This follows a previous removal reported earlier for Banana Fish, but now it appears Amazon’s AI experiment involved multiple high-profile anime, all of which were given synthetic text to speech voice tracks instead of professionally recorded dubs.
The reaction from the industry and fans was immediate, fierce, and overwhelming.
All three versions were created using generative AI voice technology and were uploaded to Prime Video with minimal announcement. It was pretty obvious when fans immediately noticed the stiff, monotone, robotic delivery and criticized the decision as disrespectful to voice actors and the anime industry.
The dubs sounded emotionless, poorly mixed, and tonally wrong, especially in series known for dramatic intensity or emotionally charged storytelling. Social media quickly filled with clips exposing how strange and lifeless the AI performances were.
One of the biggest voices speaking out was Daman Mills, known for major roles in Evangelion, Dragon Ball Super, One Piece, and many other beloved series. Mills slammed Amazon’s decision in a viral statement:
"After years of fans hoping for an English dub of Banana Fish, you give it to us as AI generated garbage? It’s disrespectful as hell."
Mills ended his statements with a blunt threat:
"Fix this, or I personally will not work with you as an actor EVER AGAIN on any of your dubs."
He wasn’t alone in this either. Dozens of voice actors, sound engineers, localization professionals, and anime fans echoed his criticism. Many argued that Amazon’s decision undermined the years long fight for fair pay and recognition in the voice acting community, especially after the recent industry wide conversations about AI replacement.
Amazon’s attempt to use AI for major franchises failed on multiple levels:
1. The Performances Were Terrible
The AI dubs were described as:
- Flat
- Emotionless
- Poorly synced
- Low volume and inconsistent
- Robotic in dramatic scenes
- Fans called them soulless, lazy, and an insult to the material.
2. These Shows Depend Heavily on Emotional Performance
All three anime rely heavily on vocal acting to carry their emotional weight:
- Banana Fish is a gritty, trauma centered crime story
- No Game No Life: Zero is a tragic, emotional prequel film
- Vinland Saga deals with revenge, grief, and moral conflict
These are not shows where monotone AI voice lines can carry the story.
3. It Looked Like an Attempt to Cut Costs
Fans saw this as a test run: an attempt by Amazon to see if AI could replace human actors in order to reduce production costs, despite the company being one of the wealthiest in the world.
Here is a little bit more information about the anime shows that were effected, for those who are not familiar with them.
Banana Fish
Based on Akimi Yoshida’s 1985 manga, Banana Fish became a cult classic after its 2018 MAPPA adaptation. Despite dealing with heavy themes of abuse, trauma, queer relationships it remains critically acclaimed. It holds a 94% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.
No Game No Life: Zero
The 2017 film adapts Volume 6 of Yuu Kamiya’s hit light novel series. Animated by Madhouse, the movie expands the lore of the franchise but received mixed reviews despite a strong box-office opening week.
Vinland Saga
One of the most celebrated modern anime, known for its brutal storytelling and deep philosophical themes. Giving it an AI dub was widely seen as a baffling and disrespectful decision.
The Big Question: What Happens Now?
Amazon has removed the AI-generated English tracks, but:
Will Amazon release proper, human-acted English dubs?
Will other AI dubs quietly appear in the future?
Will the company make a public statement addressing the backlash?
So far, Amazon has remained silent on the issue.
But the message from fans and professionals could not be clearer:
AI cannot replace the skill, emotion, or artistry of real voice actors.
If Amazon hoped to cut corners by experimenting with AI dubs, this backlash shows the anime community won’t allow it especially not with beloved titles like No Game No Life, Vinland Saga, and Banana Fish.
What are your thoughts on the article? Do you think Amazon or any other companies will try to pull another stunt like this? Let us know what you thought of the dubs in the comments below!