China Literature launches its first AI-made anime: from Cyber Hero Legend to Monster Museum

On October 16, during the 2026 Creation Conference in Hangzhou, China Literature (阅文) presented its first batch of high-quality anime produced with artificial intelligence. The list includes Cyber Hero Legend, Unscientific Beast Taming, Judgment and Monster Suppression Museum, a range that goes from science fiction to Chinese folk horror, Western fantasy and beast taming.

The announcement was made by Hou Xiaonan, CEO and president of the company, before some 400 creators and industry partners gathered on the banks of the Qiantang River. The bet is clear: accelerate the visual adaptation of its web novel catalog using AI without giving up, as they insist, the work of professional animation teams.

Presentation of China Literature's first AI animation projects at the 2026 Creation Conference.m.sohu.com

The project does not come from nowhere. A pilot of Cyber Hero Legend —produced together with studio Yihua Kaitian— already generated buzz inside and outside China when it premiered in the second half of the year. That was the starting point for what is now presented as a premium AI video matrix, the first three-way collaboration between web novel IP, artificial intelligence technology and professional animation teams.

From short series to anime: the leap after 660 hits

The decision to make the leap to quality animation is backed by concrete numbers. In the first half of the year, China Literature's revenue from short series and manju (vertical animated comics) exceeded 430 million yuan, a year-on-year growth of 230%. Of its catalog, more than 660 titles surpass ten million views and 107 already pass one hundred million.

Details of the OPC platform, the evolution of the DramaBuddy assistant for manju creators.m.sohu.com

The international market also weighs in the equation. ToonScroll, the manju platform abroad, has 50 works above ten million views, 11 above 50 million and three that already broke the one hundred million barrier, with presence in more than ten languages. The company estimates that the global AI manju market will surpass 4 billion dollars in 2026.

OPC: the platform for one creator to do it all

The other big announcement was the evolution of DramaBuddy, its assistant for manju, into an all-in-one platform named OPC. The idea is to offer individual creators and small studios a complete chain: from original intellectual property to AI production and distribution across all platforms.

Huang Yan, senior vice president of the company, explained that DramaBuddy will be the single entry point for those who want to enter China Literature's manju ecosystem. Just register to become a creator or associated provider. The company already has more than 5,000 individual creators and personal studios signed, and the top ten OPC creators by revenue each surpass one million yuan per year.

Conference stage where the OPC platform and AI animations were announced.m.sohu.com

Hou summed it up with a phrase that sounds like a manifesto: "One creator, plus one IP and AI tools, can complete the entire manju creation flow. That is how the OPC one-person company is being born."

The support strategy is also changing. The focus will no longer be only on the most successful titles, but on mid-range works with potential, and adaptation may begin while the novel is still being published, not only when it ends. The case of Three Thousand Protections serves as an example: its manju has 35 seasons, more than 4 billion views across all platforms, and pushed the original novel I Build a Shelter in Eternal Night to fifth place on the sales list.

A committee to decide the future of each IP

China Literature also presented the "IP Committee" model, a structure designed to end case-by-case negotiations in licensing. The first project under this scheme will be Defend Nanshan Park, developed together with Three-Body Universe, and will cover animation, live action and derivative products in a coordinated way.

Hou Xiaonan presents the new platform's statistics to event attendees.m.sohu.com

And there is more on the way: Star Card Universe, a digital collectible card game developed with Qiji Games, will soon open pre-orders on all platforms. It will be the first title of its kind in China with multiple IPs, starting with Soul Land, Swallowed Star and Fox Spirit Matchmaker. Its launch is scheduled for 2027.

Hou closed with a warning worth noting: "Literary adaptation can use AI, but literature itself cannot be AI." The company has long maintained a cleanup policy against AI-generated texts on its Qidian platform, with ranking and daily word restrictions to prioritize real authors. Yang Chen, vice president and editor-in-chief, said it bluntly: if the content is good, it will have traffic and guaranteed payment, even if it does not chase market trends.

The conference also left an agreement with Shangcheng District in Hangzhou to build an IP transformation center focused on traditional Chinese culture, plus an AIGC audiovisual industrial base in the same area. Everything points to China Literature wanting to close the circle between web novels, AI and commercial exploitation without letting go of creative control.