Kodansha Co., Ltd. Announcement of the release of Kaoru Hayami’s “Phantom Thief Queen” and the “RD (Art Dee) Development Project”

[Kodansha Ltd.] Announcement of the release of the “RD (Artificial Developing) Project” for Kaoru Hayami’s “Phantom Thief Queen” ​
Kodansha Ltd. Press Release: September 10, 2025 Announcement of the release of the “RD (Art Deed) Development Project” for Kaoru Hayami’s “Kaitou Queen”
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Thank you very much for your continued understanding and cooperation in our publishing activities. Kodansha Children’s Book Publishing Co., Ltd. will launch the “RD (Research Development) Development Project” at 12:00 PM on September 17, 2025, under the supervision of Assistant Professor Reina Akama of Tohoku University. This project is an initiative within “Akai Yume Gakuen” (from September 2024), the official fan club site of popular children’s literature author Kaoru Hayami. We analyzed the content of Hayamine’s popular series “Kaito Queen” (Kodansha Aoitori Bunko) and will release “RD,” an artificial intelligence character that appears in the work, as an AI that can actually converse with you in chat format. Furthermore, as readers converse with RD and provide feedback, RD will learn and evolve. The purpose of this project is to cultivate “RDs that are as close to the real thing as possible” with the power of fans. And to provide readers with new ways to enjoy the works beyond just reading them. This project is supervised by Assistant Professor Reina Akama, who conducts AI research at Tohoku University. She first became aware of and interested in artificial intelligence through her favorite series, “Kaitou Queen” by Kaoru Hayami. She is involved in the project as a researcher in artificial intelligence and natural language processing, and as an avid reader of the manga. ◆Project Structure 1. Readers of the “Kaitou Queen” series will post questions to RD via chat. 2. The RD answers based on existing knowledge and inferences. 3. If necessary, the reader provides feedback, such as, “This is how the RD would have answered.” 4. The RD learns from the feedback and incorporates it into future answers. 5. Once a year, readers will conduct an “evolution diagnosis.” Fans themselves will assess “how close they have come to RD.” The project will be published in the “Kuraki Laboratory” section of Hayami Kaoru’s official fan club site, “Akai Yume Gakuen,” and anyone can participate (though there are restrictions on the number of conversations, etc., for non-paid members). ◆Related Links Kuraki Laboratory (Participation Page) on the Akai Yume Gakuen Site:
https://cocreco.kodansha.co.jp/akaiyume/laboratory ◆About “Kaitou Queen” and “RD” This is one of the hit series by popular children’s literature author Hayamine Kaoru, who is celebrating his 36th year since his debut. This is a full-fledged mystery and adventure series for children. Kodansha’s Aoitori Bunko in 2002, new works are still being published. With a total circulation of over 1.3 million copies, it’s a long-selling series with a wide fan base, from elementary and junior high school students to adults. “RD,” which appears in the series, is the “world’s best artificial intelligence” developed at the Kuraki Laboratory. Originally intended for military use, it was stolen by Queen and now works as her partner. Its tsundere personality is also a factor in its popularity. ◆Message Kaoru Hayami (Author of the “Kaitou Queen” series)
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/1719/7617/1719-7617-a25c3e69636bf0883335db14b12b336e-1920×1280.jpg “I immediately asked the AI ​​RD a few questions. There were still a few mistakes, so I was a little relieved that RD still had a long way to go. But with the help of everyone at Akai Yume Gakuen, I think we’ll get closer to RD. I’m half excited and half a little scared.” Reina Akama (Assistant Professor, Language and AI Research Center, Tohoku University)
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/1719/7617/1719-7617-8b881cdaaf3572f36361b4dac9e8db69-576×383.png “I am honored to be able to participate in such an exciting project. The first thing I was approached about was the development of an AI system that can converse with RDs. As a researcher in natural language processing, I felt this was a timely project, given the recent high level of social interest in generative AI. On the other hand, as a reader of the series, I would not want to use “RD” to refer to something created by someone other than Professor Hayamine (even if I were involved in the development). I was hesitant to call it that. To begin with, is it even possible with current generative AI technology to create conversations that are as knowledgeable, playful, politely rude, and witty as “that RD”? This project aims to test this question first. How close can reality come to fiction? I’m truly looking forward to seeing how this challenging endeavor turns out. Ryo Shiomi (Kodansha Children’s Book Publishing Department Director / Akai Yume Gakuen Representative) “The RD Development Project is a first for the fan club. Readers will not only receive Hayamine-sensei’s work, but will also be able to directly participate in the development of the characters, which should be a new and special experience.” ◆About Hayami Kaoru’s official fan club, “Akai Yume Gakuen”
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/1719/7617/1719-7617-fa996bb821b1a594e67707697adf81d7-2942×1496.png https://cocreco.kodansha.co.jp/akaiyume Akai Yume Gakuen is the official fan club for author Hayami Kaoru, established in 2024. Fans of his popular series, which have sold over 6 million copies, including “Detective Yumemizu Seishiro,” “Tom Sawyer in the City,” and “Phantom Thief Queen,” gather together and interact across
generations. Membership is diverse, with paid and free memberships available, ranging from current children to fans who continue to read his works into adulthood. ◆Contact for inquiries regarding this release Kodansha Children’s Book Publishing Department Hayamine Kaoru Official Fan Club “Akai Yume Gakuen” support_akaiyume@kodansha.co.jp