Artist Reimagines Studio Ghibli Characters As Real People Thanks To AI

This artist decided to try and bring beloved Studio Ghibli characters to life

Kylin

• Published in Interesting
• October 10, 2022

Studio Ghibli, co-founded by the famous animator and director Hayao Miyazaki, is a beloved animation studio that has created over twenty films over the last thirty years. Audiences of all ages can’t help but love the stories and animation from Studio Ghibli.

Even those who may not be typical anime fans are likely to have enjoyed at least one Studio Ghibli film. Titles like My Neighbor Totoro, Howl’s Moving Castle, Princess Mononoke, and Spirited Away have had such far-reaching success that they’ve even been widely popularized in Western culture.

The breathtaking art and detail put into every bit of a Studio Ghibli feature, along with the wholesome and entertaining stories are an easy draw for all viewers. And the signature animation style of Ghibli's characters is unmistakable.

Recently, an artist decided to see what some of the most popular Studio Ghibli characters would look like as real people. Working with the program ArtBreeder, user books_baking_broadway recreated some of the fan-favorite (people) characters from all of Studio Ghibli's international hits.

We collected fifteen character recreations designed by books_baking_broadway to share with you today. Continue scrolling to see who made the list and if they matched up well with their animated inspiration.

Castle in the Sky (1986)

Pazu

Pazu was a protagonist of Studio Ghibli's first official film, Castle in the Sky.

Sheeta

Sheeta is the other protagonist in Castle in the Sky.

My Neighbor Totoro (1988)

The Kusakabe Sisters

11-year-old Satsuki and four-year-old Mei.

Princess Mononoke (1997)

San

It's easy to forget that San's only a teenager, and the artist seems to have captured some of her intensity.

Ashitaka

Ashitaka's tribe, the Emishi was thought to be heavily inspired by the indigenous Ainu people of Japan.

Ponyo (2008)

Ponyo

I love how they recreated Ponyo's wavy ginger hair.

Sōsuke

 Ponyo's best friend, Sōsuke!

Kiki's Delivery Service (1989)

Kiki

Everyone's favorite witch!

Tombo

Tombo was Kiki's friend and love interest.

Spirited Away (2001)

Chihiro

She looks so adorable.

Haku

They definitely captured his intensity and other-worldliness, but I wonder if they could have made him look closer to 12 as depicted in the film.

Howl’s Moving Castle (2004)

Howl

I'd never stop staring at him.

Sophie Hatter

Sophie pre-curse.

Sophie Hatter

Sophie after her old-age curse.

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)

Nausicaä

Ghibli's (unofficial) first heroine, 16-year-old Nausicaä. While Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind was created prior to the founding of Studio Ghibli, the film is often considered to be the beginning of the studio because of the involvement of Studio Ghibli's Hayao Miyazaki.

Before any concerned comments about some of the Japanese-based Studio Ghibli animation characters looking non-Asian, the artist did their best to stay true to each story. For example, Howl’s Moving Castle is based on a book of the same name by British author Diana Wynne Jones and is set in a fantasy version of England.

Otherwise, what did you think of each character's transformation? Do you feel like the artist books_baking_broadway captured the look of each character well?

Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below! And be sure to share this with another Studio Ghibli fan!

Kylin