Best AI Anime Upscaler 2022

Best anime upscaler, super-resolution, enhancer or 4k, you name it, in 2022.
This video includes reviewing Real-ESRGAN, Real-CUGAN, ESRGAN, Topaz, and Waifu2x.

All-in-one Installation Tutorial (Real-ESRGAN + ESRGAN + Real-CUGAN)

Real-CUGAN: Real Cascade U-Nets for Anime Image Super Resolution

Real-ESRGAN: Training Real-World Blind Super-Resolution with Pure Synthetic Data

ESRGAN: Enhanced Super-Resolution Generative Adversarial Networks

Waifu2x

Topaz

special thanks to:
Bubblemint
Tsubajashi
styler00dollar
NMKD

This video is supported by the kind Patrons & YouTube Members:
🙏Andrew Lescelius, Panther Modern, 正毅 水野, Jake Disco, Demilson Quintao, Tony Jimenez, dicefist, Shuhong Chen, Hongbo Men, happi nyuu nyaa, Carol Lo, Deagan, Mose Sakashita, Miguel, Bandera

[Music 1] Zeeky - Spring Time
[Music 2] Zeeky - Land of Dreams
[Music 3] Zeeky - Summer Visit

Individual Results (Some has no audio, Cowboy Bebop OP copyright too tight)
Real-CUGAN

Real-ESRGAN

ESRGAN

Waifu2x

Topaz

Original

0:00 Intro
1:32 Criteria 1
2:53 Criteria 2
4:32 Criteria 3
6:14 Discussion
8:36 Sponsor
9:48 Outro

[bycloudAI]

This video is in 4K, view in 4K for the best quality.
And feel free to comment down what you think!

[matthewpublikum]

The criteria chapter names should be listed and render times as well

[Krystalmyth]

You should do this on fuzzier but clean anime like Ninja Scroll, and 80s anime like Bubblegum Crisis with its mechanical lines. Cowboy Bebops intro is already pretty damn clean.

[LeBeautiful]

Holy I was not expecting this. ESRGAN def numba 1️⃣ 🏆

[gusfringles]

it's really hard to upscale anime because right now there are a lot of different art styles and fx in anime. great vid!

[EddieBurke]

Topaz is way better for when it comes to footage since that’s what it’s made for, god I love that software.

[jub]

so now i can watch my old realmedia k-on episodes in 4k?

[senritsujumpsuit]

I mainly wanna use these to cheat on my animating someday
being able to higher or lower stuff at will

[MangaGamified]

The only thing I can suggest these developers are like a google Colab environment

[scotthammond]

Im looking into better alternatives to Topaz for upscaling clean results for 80s western cartoons going from 480 to 4k.

[EVOR]

Is there a model that can eliminate bloom? Or a video editing technique?

[TuTAH_]

Pity you didn't test "Anime4K" filter. I really wondering how much does it worse than not-realtime implementations

[kamikazilucas]

i think waifu2x is still the best, yes its not as sharp but it still looks the most consistently good to me

[jovannydiazabad]

Have you tried AI Image Enlarger which has 2 types of upscaling at 2x and 4x with one being up to 8x and the "anime version" up to 4x

[Aman_Mondal]

So basically I have to use the one which doesn't cause issues with Bokeh first then use the one which doesn't produce artifacts and then use the one which can actually damn upscale the footage and then probably have to colour correct everything to the original since god know how it might turn out after three processes

[ryu.dev]

i have 8gbRAM, 512gbSSD with AMD graphics
can i use it ?

[shizukanasora]

Anime4k can upscale in realtime, but I don't know how to export its video from MPV. Can you make a guide for that?

[gabrilapin]

I'm looking to upscale Kaiji anime from 720p to 1080p without affecting bokey, rounding sharp edges or introducious to much artefacts
If someone can suggest me a model to work with thats suits the art style

[oAmado]

is there a website (library) for upscaleded animes? or way to search for it?

[floatyseagull]

Which is the best for real life movies?