How to Make Ghibli Style AI Images and Videos of Yourself

People make Studio Ghibli style AI images of themselves by uploading a photo to an image-editing model and asking it to redraw the photo in a soft, hand-painted anime look while keeping their pose and features; for video, they animate that still (or the original photo) with an image-to-video model and a gentle-motion prompt. On VdoBloom a Ghibli-style still costs 5 credits and a 5-second 720p Ghibli video costs 22 credits.

Disclosure: VdoBloom is our platform.

Where the Ghibli trend came from

The trend took off in late March 2025, when OpenAI added native image generation to ChatGPT and people started turning family photos, pets and memes into images that looked like frames from a Studio Ghibli film. It spread because the look is instantly recognizable: watercolor backgrounds, soft pastel light, rounded simple faces and a calm, nostalgic mood.

Since then almost every image model can do a version of it. The difference between a good result and a generic "anime filter" comes down to three things: a clean source photo, a prompt that describes the look rather than just naming the studio, and choosing whether you want a still, a video, or both.

Method 1: turn your photo into a Ghibli-style image

Fastest route: Studio chat

1. Open Studio and type /anime.
2. Upload your photo and choose the Studio Ghibli style (the other options are Modern Anime, Classic 90s and Manhwa / K-pop).
3. Send it. The command asks the model to transform the image into a Ghibli-like aesthetic - soft pastel watercolor tones, dreamy lighting, a whimsical hand-painted feel - while preserving your identity, pose and composition.

It runs on Nano Banana Edit at 5 credits per image as of September 2026, so the 10 free credits for new accounts cover two attempts.

More control: Image Edit with your own prompt

If you want to change the scene as well as the style, use the Image Edit tab and write the prompt yourself. A pattern that works:

"Redraw this photo as a hand-painted anime film still: soft watercolor background, warm afternoon light, gentle pastel palette, simple expressive faces, fine clean linework. Keep the people's poses, hairstyles and clothing from the photo. Place them in a grassy hillside with a small countryside train in the distance and tall summer clouds."

Notes on prompting:

• Describe the look, not just the name. "Watercolor background, soft light, pastel palette, hand-painted" gives more consistent results than a studio name alone, and it works on models that refuse named styles.
• Keep the composition from your photo for recognizable results; the likeness in this style comes from hair, clothing and pose more than from facial detail.
• Add a setting - countryside, seaside town, forest shrine, bakery - to get the storybook mood instead of your living room in pastel.

Model choice and cost in Image Edit: the default Auto option is 7 credits; Nano Banana Edit is 5; GPT Image 2 is 3 credits at 1K; Nano Banana Pro is 18 credits (24 at 4K) if you want a large print.

When the result does not look like you

• Too generic. The model drew "an anime person", not you. Crop closer so your face, hair and outfit fill more of the frame, and keep your real hairstyle and clothing in the prompt.
• Too realistic. The style barely changed. Strengthen the style words: "flat watercolor shading, simple linework, painted background".
• Background still looks like your kitchen. Ask for a new setting explicitly, or crop the photo so less of the real room remains.
• Group photo loses people. Stylizing four or more people at once often merges or drops faces. Try two or three people per image.

Method 2: make a Ghibli-style video of yourself

VdoBloom has a dedicated Ghibli AI Video tab. You upload one photo and pick a template:

• Classic Ghibli - nostalgic watercolor animation with a gentle breeze.
• Ghibli Forest - enchanted forest background with light filtering through trees.
• Ghibli Sky - vast blue sky, fluffy clouds and warm golden light.

You can edit the template prompt. The tab defaults to PixVerse v4.5, and you can switch to other image-to-video models in its model picker. Prices for PixVerse v4.5, as of September 2026:

For a more step-by-step walkthrough of this tab, see how to make an AI Ghibli video.

Photo first, or stylized still first?

You have two workflows:

1. Real photo straight into the video tab. Quickest. The model stylizes and animates in one pass, so the look can vary between frames.
2. Ghibli still first, then animate it. Make the image with /anime or Image Edit (5-7 credits), pick the best one, then upload that still to the video tab. You lock the look before paying for video, and the animation only has to add motion. Total for a 5-second 720p clip: about 27-29 credits.

The second workflow is usually the better one when you care about how your face and outfit look in the final clip.

Motion that suits the style

This style is about calm. Big camera moves and fast action fight it. Prompts that work: hair and grass moving in a breeze, drifting clouds, falling petals, a slow push-in, a character turning to look at the camera and smiling. Avoid running, dancing and complex hand movements.

Other tools people use, and their limits

• ChatGPT started the trend. As of September 2026, OpenAI's published approach has been to refuse images in the style of individual living artists while allowing broader studio styles, and results for named styles can vary from one request to the next. Free accounts have daily image limits.
• Gemini can restyle photos too, with strict rules on real people and daily limits on free use.
• Free "Ghibli AI generator" websites are often a single model behind a watermark and a login wall. Check what happens to your uploaded photos before using one.

If you want a whole story in panels rather than one picture, VdoBloom's Manga tab, which turns a written story into sequential panels, is a better fit than repeated single images.

Copyright and respect for the original artists

Two separate things are often confused:

• A general art style is, in most countries, not protected by copyright on its own. Painting your own photo in a soft watercolor anime look is broadly treated as style imitation.
• Characters, logos and film frames are protected. Totoro, No-Face and other characters belong to their owners. Putting them in your images, or selling products with them, can infringe copyright and trademarks.

Also be honest in how you describe your images. Do not present them as official Studio Ghibli art. Hayao Miyazaki has been openly critical of AI-generated animation, and many artists object to the trend. Describing your pictures as "Ghibli-inspired" or "anime style" and keeping them personal is the respectful route. This is general information, not legal advice.

Consent and safety

• Use your own photos, or photos of people who agreed. Stylized images are still images of real people.
• VdoBloom's photo tools require you to confirm uploads show adults (18+) and block content involving minors, even in cartoon styles. Family photos with children cannot be used.
• No sexual or intimate content of real people, stylized or not.

Frequently asked questions

How do I make a Ghibli AI image of myself for free?

Use a free allowance: ChatGPT and Gemini have daily limits on free image generation, and VdoBloom's 10 signup credits cover two Ghibli-style images with the /anime command at 5 credits each.

How do I make a Ghibli style AI video?

Upload a photo to an image-to-video tool with a Ghibli-style prompt or template. On VdoBloom the Ghibli AI Video tab does this; a 5-second 720p clip on PixVerse v4.5 is 22 credits.

Is there a free Ghibli AI video generator online?

Most video generators give a small free trial. On VdoBloom the free 10 credits are not enough for a video (the cheapest Ghibli clip is 22 credits) but cover two stills to test the look first.

Can ChatGPT still make Ghibli images?

Results vary. OpenAI has said it allows broader studio styles but refuses the styles of individual living artists, so some requests are refused. Describing the look (watercolor, pastel, hand-painted anime) tends to work more consistently.

Is it legal to make Ghibli-style AI art?

Imitating a general style is usually not copyright infringement, but using Ghibli characters or presenting your work as official can be. Keep it personal and label it as inspired by, not from, the studio.