Whether it’s Instagram or X, our social media feeds, at large, are in anime mode! Studio Ghibli portraits have taken the internet by storm in the last 48 hours, with people turning everything – from classic Bollywood stills to viral memes – into Japanese anime-inspired art. 

The sudden rise in trend comes after OpenAI’s ChatGPT-4o rolled out a new feature that lets users not just generate images but also transform their pictures into Japanese anime style. 

But the feature is available exclusively to ChatGPT Plus, Pro, Team, and Select subscription tiers.

ChatGPT only allows a maximum of three animated images to free users. 

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to create unlimited Ghibli-style images for free:

Ghibli-style images via Gemini for a new image

1. Go to the Gemini AI platform and login.
2. In a chat box, give a brief description of the image you want to create.
3. Submit your prompt.
4. AI will generate an image and you can post it online.

Ghibli-style images via Grok to convert your image

1. Visit the Grok website or app.
2. Upload your image by clicking on the paper clip icon.
3. Ask the AI to ‘Ghiblify’ the image.
4. A Ghibli-style image will be generated, and if unsatisfied, you can also edit the image.

Other than these two, people can also look for third-party platforms such as DeepAI, Craiyon, and Playground AI. Just upload a picture with a detailed prompt of what you’ve envisioned or insert your own picture and ask them to convert it into Studio Ghibli style.

What is Studio Ghibli?

Studio Ghibli is a Japanese animation company known for its high-quality animation and powerful storytelling. Founded by Hayao Miyazaki, the studio is known for its acclaimed animated films such as Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro and Kiki’s Delivery Service among others.