What is “niji・journey”? Image Generation AI

What is “niji・journey”?

“niji・journey” is an AI-based program that generates images from text, based on a program called Midjourney.

In addition to Midjourney, other image generation AIs include Stable Diffusion and DALL-E 3, each of which has its own specialty, and “niji・journey” is particularly good at anime/game patterns.

Also, at this time, “niji・journey” requires a subscription starting at 8$ per month, but Midjourney will also be available when you register.
(Midjourney is an image generation AI that leans more toward realism.)

Moreover, they have also released an app, so the situation is such that you can easily generate images anywhere by simply typing text on your smartphone.

For your reference, I will post the images I have generated so far.
I also post my work on Instagram, if you would like to take a look!

They come up with a lot of high quality images like this (I sometimes draw pictures, but I wonder how long it would take me to draw this one from scratch…).
Subscribers can generate an unlimited number of them, so we can keep looking for the one we want as long as we have time.

However, the AI is not yet perfect, so some nuances are not conveyed, and some concepts just do not understand.
(For example, it did not successfully generate the action “swim.)

Also, when I tried to add poses or objects other than the standing picture, the illustration would instantly have more arms and legs or become a mysterious illustration, so it is still under development.

However, it is very nice for those who want to use illustrations in something to come up with an unlimited number of illustrations of such high quality without any complaints.

How to start?

You must register via Discord to get started.

Click on “Start Now!” on the official website.

Then “Join the Discord!” to join the Discord.

You will then receive a Discord invitation, which you should accept.

How to subscribe

There used to be a free trial, but now you need to register to generate images.
(*It seems that the smartphone app version is currently available for a few free trials.)

To register, open any of the image-generated chat rooms from the tabs on the left and type “/subscribe” to be taken to the registration screen.

Here are the prices for each plan (as of January 2024)

There are four plans in total, and I am currently subscribed to the Standard Plan. If my usage increases, I am considering moving to a higher plan (you can change at any time).

The major differences would be the time of Fast Hours (fast and priority generation), with or without unlimited Relax mode, and with or without stealth mode (no listing in the common gallery).

The Basic Plan, the cheapest plan, allows the generation of images for commercial use, but with a limit of 200 times per month.
Starting with the Standard Plan, there is a “Relax Mode Unlimited Generation” option, which allows unlimited generation in a slightly slower mode that takes longer than Fast Hours, which is the priority generation mode.
Even though it takes a little time, once you enter a prompt, it will work even if you close the application, so I personally do not feel so stressed. The time will vary depending on the input and the model used.
Midjourney, which generates photo-realistic images, takes more than twice as long.

Therefore, I hope you will consider the plan that best suits your usage.

About Commercial Use

Regarding commercial use, which may be of concern to many,”niji・journey” and Midjourney allow commercial use.
The following statement is included in the official Frequently Asked Questions section.

“If you have subscribed at any point, you are free to use your images in just about any way you want.”

However, the rights of generative AI are exclusively the subject of much debate, and it is recommended that you check with them on a case-by-case basis.

Summary and supplemental information on other generative AIs

Currently, “”niji・journey”” seems to be the best image generator for anime illustration type images.
Also, if you subscribe, you can use Midjourney at the same time, so it seems like this is all you need.
(Midjourney is also one of the best AI programs compared to others.)

The other Stable Diffusion has the advantage of being able to generate adult type images, but there is the hassle of building a PC environment, etc.
DALL-E is a ChatGPT service, which is available for free via Bing, Microsoft’s AI service, but I feel that Midjourney’s quality is higher (as far as the images and patterns I am looking for are concerned).
There is also Adobe Firefly AI, which is famous for using only commercially available materials as its source data, but I feel that Midjourney’s quality is better than Adobe’s.

I will update you again on the generative AI-related issues.

Thank you.