My Journey of Turning Memories into Magical vive always been fascinated by the idea of capturing moments—those fleeting, special seconds that mean something more than what meets the eye. Whether it’s a blurry photo I took years ago that became my Facebook DP for three years, or a candid shot of my niece playing with my Xbox controller for the first time.
I’ve always wanted to hold onto these memories in a way that feels personal and timeless. So, when I stumbled upon the viral trend of ChatGPT turning photos into Studio Ghibli-style art, I knew I had to jump in. What started as a fun experiment quickly turned into a journey of rediscovering my memories through a magical, nostalgic lens. Here’s how it all unfolded.
The Viral Wave of Ghibli Art: How It All Began
Studio Ghibli has always been a name that evokes wonder. Founded in 1985 by Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata, and Toshio Suzuki, the Japanese animation studio became a global phenomenon with films like Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, and Princess Mononoke. Their art style—hand-drawn, detailed backgrounds, a deep connection to nature, and soft, pastel colors—has a dreamlike quality that makes you feel like you’re stepping into a world where magic is real.
I hadn’t watched their films myself, but I’d seen enough online to recognize their signature style: lush greenery, whimsical characters, and a sense of innocence that feels almost otherworldly.Fast forward to 2025, and Ghibli art suddenly exploded on social media, thanks to ChatGPT. OpenAI’s GPT-4o model, which launched its image generation feature in March 2025, allowed users to transform their photos into Ghibli-style illustrations in seconds. The internet went wild. People started “Ghibli-fying” everything—their selfies, their pets, even their food.
X was flooded with these dreamy transformations, and even OpenAI’s CEO, Sam Altman, joined the trend by changing his profile picture to a Ghibli-style version of himself. He posted a cheeky comment about waking up to hundreds of messages saying, “Look, I made you into a twink Ghibli style haha.” I couldn’t help but laugh at how even a tech giant like him was having fun with this trend.
At first, I thought it might just be a clever marketing move by OpenAI. After all, Sam changing his profile picture got everyone talking, and it definitely boosted the visibility of ChatGPT’s new feature. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized it was probably a mix of both—a smart strategy to promote the tool and a genuine moment of fun for Sam. Either way, it worked. The trend took off, and I found myself itching to try it out with my own photos.Why Ghibli Art?
The Magic of Hand-Drawn vs. AI
Before diving into my own creations, I wanted to understand what made Ghibli art so special. I learned that Studio Ghibli’s art was traditionally hand-drawn, a process that took immense time and effort. For example, in The Wind Rises, a four-second scene of a crowd took an animator 15 months to complete. Every frame was sketched and painted with watercolors, reflecting the team’s belief that only human hands could capture true emotion and life.
Hayao Miyazaki himself was famously against AI-generated art. In a 2016 documentary, he called it “an insult to life itself” when shown an AI animation. He believed that the soul of art lies in the labor and love poured into it.
But here I was, in 2025, using ChatGPT to create Ghibli-style art in seconds. It felt a bit ironic. On one hand, I could see Miyazaki’s point—there’s something irreplaceable about hand-drawn art. I have a portrait of myself at home, drawn by a friend, based on a blurry photo I took years ago. That photo, which I used as my Facebook DP for three years, was special to me despite its imperfections.
I’d set my phone to take pictures every second while I posed, and out of 300-400 shots, I picked that one. My friend turned it into a colored portrait, and when I saw the final result after a month, I was blown away. It was “worthy,” as I like to call it. No printed or AI-generated image could match the warmth and effort of that hand-drawn piece.
On the other hand, AI made Ghibli art accessible to someone like me, who can’t draw to save their life. I didn’t have to spend months learning to sketch—I could just upload a photo and let ChatGPT work its magic. But I couldn’t help but wonder: was I losing the “soul” of Ghibli art by doing this? Or was I simply finding a new way to celebrate my memories?
My First Ghibli Art: A Niece’s Joyful Moment
I decided to start with a photo that meant a lot to me. It was a picture of my niece, taken after she won a dance competition and received a bouquet of flowers. She was wearing a blue saree with a red blouse, holding a purple-wrapped bouquet of white and red flowers, standing in a sunlit park. I hadn’t taken the photo with Ghibli art in mind—I just wanted to keep it as a memory. But when the Ghibli trend went viral, I thought, why not?
It was one of the photos I had on hand, so I uploaded it to ChatGPT and waited for the result.The output was stunning. The soft, pastel colors, the detailed background with trees and sunlight filtering through—it looked like a scene straight out of a Ghibli film. My niece’s saree and the bouquet were beautifully rendered, and the whole image had that dreamy, nostalgic vibe that Ghibli is known for. I loved how the background complemented the moment, making it feel even more magical.
What made it even more interesting was that my niece had also Ghibli-fied the same photo and used it as her WhatsApp DP. Surprisingly, both outputs were identical, despite AI usually giving different results even with the same prompt. It felt like a fun little connection between us, like we were sharing the same magic.
Experimenting Further: Tattoos and Nature
Encouraged by my first attempt, I decided to experiment more. The next photo I chose was one of myself, sitting on a chair with tattoos on my arms and neck. I was wearing a sleeveless shirt that said, “LOVE IS NOT REAL GREEN,” [though it's not the actual quote] with “GREEN” highlighted in green. The original background wasn’t anything special, but when I Ghibli-fied it, the AI transformed it into a breathtaking landscape—rolling hills, green fields, and a soft sky with fluffy clouds.
The tattoos were changed into a more floral, detailed design, all in green tones, which matched the Ghibli aesthetic perfectly. I loved how the background made the whole image feel alive, like I was sitting in the middle of a Ghibli world, lost in thought. The contrast between my modern, edgy look and the innocent, natural vibe of the Ghibli style was what made it so interesting to me.
A Modern Moment in a Ghibli World
My third experiment was another photo of myself. I was wearing a black shirt with red, white, and blue stripes on the sleeves, a gray cap and holding a phone and a remote. My arms had tattoos, and I was wearing a watch. The original photo was low resolution, so I had to upscale it after the AI conversion. The result was amazing—the AI kept my watch, shirt, and cap the same but changed the tattoos into a more intricate, Ghibli-esque design. The background was transformed into a quaint village scene with wooden houses, trees, and a soft, sunlit path. It looked like I was standing in a Ghibli film, casually checking my phone in a world that felt so much simpler and more innocent.
I loved how the Ghibli style added a layer of innocence to the image, despite my tattoos and modern vibe. The background, as always, was the most interesting part—it made the whole scene feel like a story waiting to be told.
Capturing Excitement
My Niece’s Gaming MomentThe last photo I Ghibli-fied was one of my other niece. I had taken this photo myself using her phone while she was playing GTA V with my Xbox controller. It was a special moment for me because it was the first time someone other than me had used my controller to play a game.
She was so excited, completely immersed in the game, and I wanted to capture that joy. I took the photo to preserve the memory, then transferred it to my phone and converted it into Ghibli style.The result was heartwarming. My niece was sitting on a couch, wearing a black shirt that said “DONUT,” holding the Xbox controller with a big smile on her face.
The AI added a soft, natural background with trees, mountains, and a bright sky visible through a window. The whole image had that Ghibli magic—innocent, joyful, and nostalgic. Seeing her excitement captured in this dreamy style made the moment feel even more special. It was like I had turned a modern, tech-filled moment into something timeless, something that could belong in a Ghibli film.
Reflections: AI, Art, and Memories
Looking back at my Ghibli art journey, I realize that what started as a random experiment turned into something much more meaningful. Each photo I chose might have seemed random at the time, but they were all special to me in their own way. The dance competition win, my own moments of modernity, and my niece’s first gaming experience—they all held memories I wanted to cherish.
ChatGPT’s Ghibli-fication gave these memories a new life, wrapping them in a layer of magic and nostalgia that only Ghibli’s style can provide.But I can’t help but think about the debate between hand-drawn art and AI. My friend’s hand-drawn portrait of me, based on that blurry photo, will always hold a special place in my heart. No AI-generated image can match the warmth and effort of that piece. Yet, AI allowed me to experiment with art in a way I never could have on my own.
It made Ghibli’s style accessible to me, letting me reimagine my memories in a way that felt both fun and meaningful.I think the Ghibli art trend will fade eventually, as all trends do. It’s been a few months since it went viral, and while it’s still going strong on X, I can see people’s interest slowly shifting to the next big thing. But for me, this experience has been more than just a trend. It’s been a way to preserve my memories, to turn fleeting moments into something magical. I might not have the skills to draw like Miyazaki, but with ChatGPT, I’ve found a new way to tell my stories. And that, to me, is what art is all about.
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