The internet went wild this week as people discovered they could make Studio Ghibli style AI generated art, leading to a lot of memes and fun on X, though some artists are reacting with outrage to the memes being posted.
Studio Ghibli is one of the most celebrated animation studios in the world, headed by famed director Hayao Miyazaki, who created some of the greatest movies of all time including My Neighbor Totoro (1988), Spirited Away (2001), and Princess Mononoke (1997), blending rich narratives with themes of environmentalism, pacifism, and human resilience.
His work earned global acclaim, with Spirited Away becoming the first non-English-language film to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in 2003, and his final film, The Boy and the Heron (2023), also securing an Oscar. Miyazaki’s meticulous hand-drawn animation style and ability to craft emotionally resonant, fantastical worlds have not only elevated anime as an art form but also inspired generations of filmmakers and artists worldwide.
This week, OpenAI released a new image generator that the internet quickly discovered could make Studio Ghibli-style art, which devolved into memes rather quickly.
Classic memes like the man who’s turning away from his girlfriend to look at another were made.
Mike Tyson even posted one of himself in the style with a dove in hand.
Iconic movie scenes like Star Wars, The Godfather, and The Lord Of The Rings were made.
Naturally, the internet devolved into political humor, including an edgy meme with George Floyd.
And of course, one with Donald Trump featuring a cute anime girl at his side.
Even El Salvador President Nayib Bukele got in on the action.
Artists though, began to protest against the use of AI like this. Robbie Shilstone said, “Miyazaki spent his entire life building one of the most expansive and imaginative bodies of work, all so you could rip it off and use it as a filter for your vacation photos. Not into this one bit. Protect artists.”
He continued, “I can't think of a worse artist to do it to as well. He is notorious for his attention to detail, his painstaking revisions, his uncompromising dedication to his craft. Now it's just viewed as content... it's a real shame”
Another account said the AI art is not near the quality of Ghibli, saying, “You will never be able to replicate Ghibli, no matter how "good" you think your AI generated trash looks, for it fundamentally lacks all that makes a shot great; emotion, depth, the heart and soul only visible in the labour of an artist who wanted to create *this* specific frame.”
Zelda Williams, daughter of actor Robin Williams, had a very angry statement about it on Instagram, saying, “People are gleefully sharing ‘Studio Ghibli style’ AI memes and photos, as though the man himself wouldn’t absolutely despise the technological piracy and negative effects on our environment. Anyway, go watch Princess Mononoke in theatres tonight and f*** AI.”
Princess Mononoke recently had a special in-theaters screening on March 26th, leading to many to remember Studio Ghibli which may have prompted a lot of these memes to be made.
Miyazaki was opposed to AI, having been quoted saying, ‘I am utterly disgusted. I would never wish to incorporate this technology into my work at all. I strongly feel that this is an insult to life itself. I feel like we are nearing the end of times. We humans are losing faith in ourselves.”
While his reaction may be over the top, it’s clear that the topic of AI is polarizing. While it’s fun for some, others have violent reactions to it. What do you think of the Studio Ghibli AI memes becoming an internet sensation? Leave a comment and let us know.
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Losers are always going to whine and cry. Email was tough on postmen too. Literally everyone who parrots that same stupid line about AI lacking soul and life simply underlines their techno-retardery.
Music and visual art are nothing but numbers. There is no life or soul in anything that can be perfectly reduced to numbers.
What AI does is force-multiply the talented, eliminate the hacks, and democratize the art.
Old man yells at digital cloud.