Amazon’s latest experiment with AI in the content sector appears to have backfired massively, forcing the media giant to reevaluate its approach. Having introduced AI-generated voiceovers for its hit anime series Banana Fish recently, Prime Video was forced to roll back the dub after immense backlash from fans regarding the decision.
Banana Fish no longer features an English audio option on Amazon
Amazon Prime Video has officially removed its AI-generated English dub from the Banana Fish anime after fans complained of a lack of effort from the company’s part.
The controversy around the series started when eagle-eyed viewers pointed out on Bluesky that the ‘Audio Languages’ section of Banana Fish had an ‘English [AI beta]’ option. Expanding the option also showcased the list of ‘AI talents’ that Amazon used to produce the English dub.
Hey just so you know Amazon decided to give us an AI ENGLISH DUB of Banana Fish instead of actually hiring real voice actors it is fucking hot garbage #bananafish #anime
— Joce (@jgryph0n.bsky.social) 2025-11-28T11:56:13.136Z
However, Amazon’s decision to use AI for Banana Fish’s English dub instead of recruiting real-life voice actors quickly garnered criticism from the audience, with anime fans emphasizing a drop in quality in the artificially-generated voiceover.
Moreover, popular Twitch streamer DansGaming even shared their verdict on the AI dub via an X (formerly Twitter) post, describing it as “quite terrible,” before adding that it “shows how important real actors are.”
Following the retaliation, Amazon has effectively removed the AI offering from Banana Fish, leaving the fan-favorite anime series with no English language option at the time of writing.
While Amazon’s unsuccessful venture of bringing AI to the anime world may have set a precedent for other streaming platforms, Crunchyroll has already confirmed its intention to keep art and artificial intelligence separate.
In an earlier interview with Forbes, CEO Rahul Purini confirmed that the streaming service has no plans to use AI in the “creative process” of developing a series, which includes voiceovers.
“We consider them to be creators because they are contributing to the story and plot with their voice,” the long-term Crunchyroll executive noted.
