What if your ordinary photos could be transformed into surreal, hand-drawn sequences from a Studio Ghibli movie? That’s precisely what’s dominating social media at the moment! Famous people, corporations, and even our Prime Minister are following the Ghibli-art trend!
But why is this trend becoming viral? More importantly, is there a way to freely remake yourself in the Ghibli universe? I’ll explain what Ghibli art is and why it’s popular in this post. The Best Free Ghibli Image Generators will also be found.
You will therefore undoubtedly enjoy reading whether you are a lover of the Ghibli style or simply wish to follow this wild fad! Let’s get started and make a Ghibli-style portrait right away!
What is Ghibli Image / Art?
Ghibli Art is the term used to describe the distinctive visual aesthetic of Studio Ghibli’s cartoons. Founded in 1985 by Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata, and producer Toshio Suzuki, it is a renowned Japanese animation studio.
The craftsmanship, intricate narrative, and profound love of the beauty of the world are what define Studio Ghibli style artwork. Warm lighting, subdued colors, fantastical settings, emotional depth, soft and expressive characters, and distinctive hand-drawn animations are characteristics of Ghibli art.
Spirited Away, Grave of the Fireflies, My Neighbor Totoro, The Tale of Princess Kaguya, and other animated films are among Studio Ghibli’s best-known productions. You must watch these films if you wish to comprehend and enjoy Ghibli Art!
Why is Ghibli-Style Image Trending?
It all began on March 25th, when OpenAI introduced GPT-4o’s integrated picture generating capability. A specific image style began to draw attention as individuals started turning their own photos and well-known images into AI-generated ones!
As its dreamy atmosphere and nostalgic appeal struck a chord with viewers, Ghibli-style imagery began to gain popularity. Even artificial intelligence programs, such as ChatGPT’s DALL-E and X’s Grok chatbot, were able to mimic Studio Ghibli’s distinctive style.
Social media quickly became “Ghiblified” as a result of pictures and well-known memes being re-created in Ghibli-style portraits. Millions of individuals shared their “Ghiblified photos” on social media, which further increased the trend’s appeal.
6 Best Free Ghibli Image Generators:
| Tool Name | Free Plan Details | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Excellent ChatGPT | 3 image creations per day | Excellent |
| Grok AI Superior | 10 photos every two hours | Excellent |
| OpenArt AI | 40 AI credits | Good |
| Leonardo AI | 150 tokens per day | Good |
| Fotor GoArt | 8 complimentary credits | Good |
| Insight | Just one free credit | Good |
| Getimg.ai | 16 photos on average per month | Good |
| Runway ML | 125 one-time credits | Poor |
| Mage Space | Limited pictures with simple models | Poor |
1) ChatGPT (Free)
The most dependable method for recreating the surreal environments of Ghibli-style pictures is ChatGPT. Indeed, you can also use ChatGPT’s free version to accomplish this. Let’s examine how.
Just launch a new ChatGPT chat and use the “+” symbol to add your image. The command “Turn this into Ghibli-style studio” should then be inserted. Due to heavy traffic, it might be a little slow, but in a minute or two, you’ll have your “Ghiblified” photos!
Pros:
- 3 free image generations per day.
- Free image exports.
- High-quality results.
Cons:
- Image generation is time-consuming.
- Occasional errors.
- Restricts some users.
2) Grok AI
xAI created the AI chatbot Grok. You can join up separately on Grok’s website or use your X account to access Grok. Uploading your picture and selecting the option to “Convert this image to Studio Ghibli style art” is all that is required.
Pros:
- Good output quality.
- Swift image creation speeds.
- Allows image editing with prompts.
Cons:
- Limited image generation. (10 images every 2 hours)
3) OpenArt AI
With more than 100 AI models, OpenArt AI is a free AI image generating tool. Click the “Create Image” button and select the “Studio Ghibli Style” model to begin. After that, type your prompt and select “Image to Image” to upload your picture.
Examples: Prompt Used: In the vein of Studio Ghibli, a cheerful young guy sits reflectively at a table with three laptops, his fingers tucked beneath his chin in a reflective position. A YouTube play button and a few ornaments on floating shelves are among the few pieces of minimalistic décor that break up the melancholy, deep-hued backdrop. He looks confident in a casual navy t-shirt with prominent typography.
Prompt Used: In the vein of Studio Ghibli, Donald Trump, clad in a dark coat, gives a confident thumbs-up, radiating optimism. Behind him, soft lights and hazy glows from a cheering audience create a dynamic environment, while his well-groomed hair and the modest confidence engraved on his face suggest a main moment, maybe during a public event or rally. His features are illuminated by warm tones in the rich color scheme, and the bokeh effect of the lights in the backdrop suggests excitement. An eager audience responds favorably to the general tone, which sends a message of encouragement.
Pros:
- Better output than Runway ML.
- Quick image generation.
- Supports different image generation styles.
Cons:
- Limited AI credits. (40 credits)
- Requires a detailed prompt.
- Doesn’t accurately recreate every item in the original image.
4) Leonardo AI
Leonardo is an AI platform that lets you create AI generated image, designs, and artwork using text prompts. To get started, log in to Leonardo AI and click on the “Image Creation” tab. Then navigate to “Style Preference” and upload your image.
Finally, choose the model/preset as “Anime” and write your prompt. Let’s check out the results.
Prompt used: Convert this image into Studio Ghibli style, with a confident expression, Donald Trump wearing a dark coat, flashes a thumbs-up gesture, exuding a sense of positivity. His neatly styled hair and the subtle confidence etched on his face suggest a focal moment, likely during a public event or rally, as soft lights and blurred glows from a cheering crowd create an energetic atmosphere behind him. The color palette is rich, with warm tones illuminating his features, while the background hints at excitement, indicated by the bokeh effect of lights. The overall mood conveys a message of encouragement, resonating with an enthusiastic audience.
Pros:
- Realistic outputs.
- Generates multiple variations in one go.
- Quick image creation.
- 150 daily tokens
Cons:
- Lacks a soft painting-like effect.
- High credit consumption. (12 AI credits per use)
5) Fotor GoArt
Fotor is a popular image editing platform. GoArt is its built-in image generator app, which lets you transform your photos into works of art. To start with Fotor GoArt, you can simply upload your photo from your computer, phone, Fotor cloud, or Dropbox.
Next, you can select a style from the multiple options available in its library. To generate Ghibli-style images, it offers three styles: Ghibli Style 1, Style 2, and Style 3. Choose any one, and your image will be generated within a few minutes.
6) insMind
insMind is an AI-powered photo editing and enhancement tool that’s free to use. To get started, visit insMind’s official site and click on the “AI Photo to Ghibli” option. Then upload your photo and select the Ghibli or Ghibli 2 filter from the Cartoon category.
Finally, click on the ‘Generate’ button, and your image will be generated within a few seconds. The output is not exactly similar to the uploaded image, but it follows the Ghibli art style.
7) Getimg.ai
Getimg is an AI platform for creating images, videos, and training AI models. To start generating Studio Ghibli style image, simply open the Image Generator and choose the AI model “Flux.1 [dev]”.
Next, insert a detailed prompt and upload your image under the ‘Advanced Settings’. Here’s the prompt I used- “Transform this Donald Trump photo into a hand-drawn animated artwork with watercolor effects, soft organic lines, and a warm color palette.”
8) Runway ML
Runway ML is an AI-powered video and image generator. To get started, open the “Image to Image Generator” and upload your image. Then, write your prompt and select the anime style. Here’s the prompt I used – “Transform this photo into Studio Ghibli-inspired characters”.
9) Mage Space
Mage Space is an AI-powered image generation platform that lets you create artistic images. To begin with, go to the ‘Image to Image’ tool on Mage Space’s official website. Upload your photo and select the ‘Studio Ghibli’ concept. Next, enter your prompt, describing the image you want.
Under the parameter customization options, you can add negative prompts, prompt filter, select aspect ratio, generation steps, and guidance scale. If you’re not confident with your prompt, you can also use ‘Prompt Enhance’ for the AI to improve your prompt automatically.
