Midjourney's Niji・Journey model, specifically tailored for anime and Eastern illustration styles, officially launched its latest version Niji7 on January 9, 2026! This is a major update after one and a half years since the previous main version. The core highlight is a significant leap in "visual coherence," allowing anime enthusiasts to finally enjoy an experience where "eyes have reflections and facial details are consistently clear."

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Major breakthrough: A qualitative leap in coherence and detail

Niji7 has pushed the overall coherence of anime images to a new level. Especially the facial features of characters — the highlights, reflections, and structure of the pupils — show unprecedented clarity and consistency. The official emphasized that this is a deep optimization in the line language and spatial blanking of the model, resulting in cleaner, flatter outputs that perfectly highlight the delicate sketch aesthetic. Many users have commented: "Previously, the eyes of AI-generated waifus always felt out of place, but now I can finally look directly at them!"

Significantly enhanced prompt response capability, achieving even the finest details perfectly

Compared to the previous version, Niji7 understands and executes prompts more accurately and literally. No matter how complex the description — color positions, specific hairstyles, body movements, multi-arm setups, etc. — the model can reproduce them logically and meticulously.

In the official example, a highly complex request such as "a girl with short green hair, a single bun, blue eyes, buckteeth, four arms, and each hand holding an ice cream" can be easily handled, without logical breakdowns or misplaced elements. It should be noted that the new model is more "literal," so overly atmospheric or vague "vibe" prompts may not work as well as before. The official will soon release a dedicated Niji7 prompt tutorial.

New sref function enhanced: More stable and powerful style transfer

Niji7 significantly improves the performance of --sref (Style Reference), allowing users to upload or reference existing images or character styles to achieve more consistent and high-quality style transfers. Community tests show that sref performs far better in Niji7 than in previous versions, with a significant reduction in style drift issues, making it a powerful tool for repeated character design and IP creation.

Usage methods and notes  

In Discord: Add --niji7 after the prompt to switch.

Web interface: Directly select "Niji7" from the "Version" dropdown menu.

Currently, --cref (Character Reference) is not supported, but the team has hinted that a "more powerful secret surprise" alternative is being developed. Personalization, Moodboards, and other tools will also be released in the coming days. AIbase's view: The arrival of Niji7 once again proves Midjourney's (in collaboration with Spellbrush) leading position in the anime-specific model market. It is no longer just about "generating anime images," but truly understanding the language of anime art and pursuing extreme details and consistency. For artists, Vtubers, and light novel illustrators seeking high-quality anime creation, this is almost the most essential update to adopt immediately in early 2026. The golden age of anime AI seems to have just begun!