How to Use NovelAI 4.5 (2026 Guide): Generate Manga Characters for Free with NovelAI Diffusion

In 2026, AI creativity has become the new normal. The launch of NovelAI 4.5 update is not just a technical upgrade; it is a revolution in "narrative freedom." Previously, generating manga characters required wrestling with complex tags and weights. However, with V4.5, this struggle has evolved into a natural dialogue with a professional artist. This How to use NovelAi guide will lead you into the latest sanctuary of anime creation. We will reveal how to use Natural Language and the latest Action Tags to transform static portraits into soulful, interactive story moments. We will also introduce a powerful AI tool – GenApe. Much like NovelAI, GenApe offers its own Content Workstation. Beyond editing copy and using its Novel ai image generator capabilities, it can even generate AI videos to bring your illustrations to life, making it a truly versatile all-in-one AI platform.

NovelAI is an AI platform that deeply integrates "digital storytelling" with "visual art." Unlike general-purpose chatbots, it is designed as a virtual co-author, specializing in long-form novel continuation, interactive RPGs, and high-quality anime image generation.

NovelAI AI Writing Features

The core value of the NovelAI Storyteller lies in its literary depth and long-term memory, making it far more coherent for long-form writing than standard AI models.

• Literary-Driven Language Models: Its models (such as the latest Erato and Kayra) are trained on real literary works, capturing narrative rhythm, metaphors, and tonal shifts like a human author.

• Lorebook (Worldbuilding Encyclopedia): One of NovelAI's most powerful features. It acts as an "external brain" for authors to store character settings, geography, and lore. When you mention a character, the AI instantly retrieves background info to ensure plot consistency.

• Storyteller Mode: A collaborative writing experience where the AI learns your style and helps expand your plot.

• Text Adventure: Turns writing into a survival RPG. You input commands, and the AI describes the environment's reactions and consequences.

• AI Modules: Users can select specific "Writing Modules" to simulate genres like fantasy, history, or romance.

Novel ai image generator

NovelAI Diffusion model is currently the leader in the anime (2D) art space. The latest V4.5 model has fundamentally changed how users interact with AI art, transforming the platform into a premier image generation tool.

NovelAI 4.5 is the ultimate evolution in anime AI art, elevating the creator from a "prompt typist" to a "Visual Director." This latest model solves long-standing pain points in complex compositions, particularly excelling in multi-character coordination and precise physical interaction.

Multi-Character Positioning

In earlier models, generating multiple characters in one image often led to messy art styles or blended traits. NovelAI 4.5 introduces robust spatial management:

• Six-Character Limit Breakthrough: V4.5 supports up to 6 unique anime characters in a single scene.

• Precise Composition Guidance: With the character positioning feature, users can specify exactly where each character stands, allowing for "foreground, midground, and background" depth.

• Natural Language Understanding (NLP): Creators no longer rely solely on broken tags; you can use full English sentences like "a silver-haired girl on the left and a warrior with a sword on the right."

Precise Action Control

Addressing the hardest challenge in AI art—character interaction—V4.5 ensures relationships are dynamic rather than static.

• Logical Interaction: Using exclusive action tags like source#, target#, and mutual#, you can precisely define the direction of an interaction.

• Solving "Limb Merging": Previously, AI often fused limbs during "hugs" or "battles." These tags allow the system to identify exactly whose hand is on whose shoulder, improving pose and relationship accuracy.

Focused Inpainting

Even the best models have flaws. The "Focused Inpainting" feature in V4.5 provides a professional safety net for image quality.

• Megapixel Pre-processing: Before repairing, the system upscales the selected area to approximately 1 million pixels.

• High-Precision Redrawing: Working at high resolution allows the AI to add fine textures (like catchlights in eyes or individual hair strands) for a seamless, refined finish.

• Text Integration: Users can use natural language to add specific text or colors into local areas, such as speech bubbles.

NovelAI Diffusion is more than just a generator; it’s a visual laboratory tailored for anime enthusiasts and professional creators.

Anime Style Specialization

Unlike generic AI tools, NovelAI models (like V4 Full and V3 series) are deeply fine-tuned on massive anime datasets.

• Pro-Level Quality: The output rivals human artists in line work, coloring, and anatomy.

• Diverse Models: Offers Anime V3 for classic styles and Furry V3 for anthropomorphic designs with a Pixar-like aesthetic.

Tag-Based Prompting

NovelAI uses a "Tagging" logic that aligns perfectly with how the anime community categorizes art.

• Structured Input: Ideal prompts follow a "Subject + Appearance + Style + Background + Lighting" structure.

• Weight Control: Use curly brackets { } to strengthen traits or square brackets [ ] to weaken them.

• Autocomplete: The UI recommends common tags for hair color, eye details, and specific outfits.

Vibe Transfer

A standout advanced feature that solves "style inconsistency" in AI art.

• Feature Extraction: Upload a reference image, and the AI learns its palette, line quality, and lighting to apply to new tasks.

• Perfect for Series: Ensure visual consistency across manga storyboards or a series of illustrations without the usual randomness of AI.

NovelAI is not completely free; it operates on a "Free Trial + Subscription" model. While new users can start a trial without a credit card, core features like AI image generation and large-scale writing require a monthly subscription.

NovelAi free trial

For those who want to test the waters, NovelAI offers a trial account:

• AI Writing: 50 free text generations to experience Storyteller or Text Adventure.

• Image Generation: 30 free image generations (resolution capped at 1024x1024).

• TTS: 100 free AI Text-to-Speech generations.

• Limitations: The free version lacks custom AI module training and early access to experimental features.

Subscription Plans

NovelAI offers three paid tiers based on Memory (Tokens) and Anlas (Credits):

To start, head to the official website and sign in. From there, select your preferred mode (Storyteller or Image Generation).

NovelAI Prompts (Spells)

For the best results, use the following tag structure:

While NovelAI is a powerhouse for anime art, it has specific technical hurdles and output constraints that professional creators should be aware of.

• Style Narrowness: It is heavily optimized for anime. If you need hyper-realistic photos or classical oil paintings, NovelAI often falls short.

• Tagging Learning Curve: Despite NLP support, "Publishing Grade" art still requires mastering the cryptic Tag and Weight system, which can be frustrating for beginners.

• Resolution Caps: Standard outputs are capped around 1080p. While there are built-in upscalers, reaching 8K or large-format print quality usually requires external software.

• No Refund for Failed Generations: Image generation consumes Anlas (credits). If the AI fails to follow a prompt correctly, credits are not refunded, which can increase the cost of experimentation.

While NovelAI excels in anime, GenApe is the superior choice for creators needing a "Full-Spectrum" tool. GenApe breaks free from the anime-only niche by integrating copywriting, image generation, and video generation into one seamless platform. For e-commerce owners, marketers, and social media creators, GenApe offers an all-in-one efficiency that turns AI into a high-performance production line rather than just a specialized tool. If you need to scale your content beyond fiction, GenApe is the ultimate NovelAI alternative.