Artist Reimagines Studio Ghibli Characters As Real People Thanks To AI

Studio Ghibli has a way of making animated characters feel unforgettable, and that is exactly why fans are so curious to see them reimagined in a more realistic style.

Using ArtBreeder, one artist created human versions of beloved Studio Ghibli characters from films like My Neighbor Totoro, Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, and Howl’s Moving Castle. The results range from surprisingly close to wildly different, which makes the whole project even more fun to compare.

Here are fifteen character recreations, and some of them may look more familiar than you expect.

Castle in the Sky (1986)

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Pazu

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

books_baking_broadway / Via Artbreeder, Studio Ghibli

Sheeta

Sheeta is the other protagonist in Castle in the Sky.

books_baking_broadway / Via Artbreeder, Studio Ghibli

My Neighbor Totoro (1988)

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The Kusakabe Sisters

11-year-old Satsuki and 4-year-old Mei.

books_baking_broadway / Via Artbreeder, Studio Ghibli

Princess Mononoke (1997)

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San

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

books_baking_broadway / Via Artbreeder, Studio Ghibli

Ashitaka

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

books_baking_broadway / Via Artbreeder, Studio Ghibli

Ponyo (2008)

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This also has the same messy stakes as the friend who refused to pay for pet-sitting, after you kept her lost guinea pig.

Ponyo

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

books_baking_broadway / Via Artbreeder, Studio Ghibli

Sōsuke

Ponyo's best friend, Sōsuke!

books_baking_broadway / Via Artbreeder, Studio Ghibli

Kiki's Delivery Service (1989)

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Kiki

Everyone's favorite witch!

books_baking_broadway / Via Artbreeder, Studio Ghibli

Tombo

Tombo is Kiki's friend and love interest.

books_baking_broadway / Via Artbreeder, Studio Ghibli

Spirited Away (2001)

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Chihiro

She looks so adorable.

books_baking_broadway / Via Artbreeder, Studio Ghibli

Haku

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

books_baking_broadway / Via Artbreeder, Studio Ghibli

Howl’s Moving Castle (2004)

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Howl

I'd never stop staring at him.

books_baking_broadway / Via Artbreeder, Studio Ghibli

Sophie Hatter

Sophie pre-curse.

books_baking_broadway / Via Artbreeder, Studio Ghibli

Sophie Hatter

Sophie after her old-age curse.

books_baking_broadway / Via Artbreeder, Studio Ghibli

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)

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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.

books_baking_broadway / Via Artbreeder, Studio Ghibli

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 that the artist 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!

Want more “AI realism” energy? Check out 77 portraits that show the old masters were the original influencers.