Why the Studio Ghibli Trend is Harmful
It takes decades to build a style.
Seconds to steal it.
*AI image generation
This AI image of my brother and me in Hallstatt, Austria is BEYOND adorable.
It’s nostalgic. Dreamy. Ghibli-esque in the best way.
I get it. I really do.
But here’s the thing:
They’re not illustrations.
They’re not fan art.
They’re not even made by artists.
They’re AI.
What is this new AI art trend that mimics Studio Ghibli’s signature style?
You’ve probably seen it by now. People have been uploading their real travel photos into AI apps, and then posting the transformed Studio Ghibli-inspired images throughout social media.
There’s soft lighting, the cutest little cottages, and beautiful, calming colors.
It’s designed to tug at your heart and spark childhood memories.
These images are so beautiful!
But it’s also a huge problem.
Let’s talk about AI art and the growing issue of style theft in the digital age.
Artists spend months, years, and decades creating a unique style.
Studio Ghibli’s visual style came to be through extensive crafting by Hayao Miyazaki and his team of animators. It’s deeply personal, emotionally rich, and instantly recognizable.
This isn’t something that just happens overnight.
And it’s not something that’s just a lucky aesthetic choice.
It was years of building and creating.
AI models replicate that style without permission, without credit, and without understanding. They were trained on the works of real artists… without those artists ever agreeing to it.
What’s being celebrated isn’t a tribute to his style — it’s imitation.
And imitation, in this context, is theft.
Is it also safe to say that many of the people using these AI designs may not even know what Studio Ghibli is?
Effortless clout vs real creation
The AI Ghibli trend takes a few seconds and a few prompts.
No drawing skills. No storytelling. No emotional labor.
And yet, those posts go viral.
Meanwhile, real artists — people who travel, sketch, animate, and paint — often struggle for reach, recognition, or even a decent living.
It’s time to pick up a pencil, a paintbrush, a stylus, or even some clay and create our own artwork to be proud of.
Part of the artist experience is the process… not just the end result.
When we reward speed and surface over substance, what message are we sending?
Aesthetic ≠ Authentic
AI art might look magical…
But it doesn’t carry the feeling that real art does.
In my AI image I generated for example:
It wasn’t made by someone who actually stood in that town. It wasn’t made by someone who remembers the smell of the lake, the heat from that summer day, or the pure joy from exploring a new location.
It doesn’t mean anything.
Art made by humans holds emotions.
AI holds data.
So what should we do?
You don’t have to hate AI to care about artists.
You also don’t have to hate AI at all!
Everyone uses it, and if you don’t, I personally recommend it.
It’s great for generating ideas, creating outlines, and writing assistance such as formatting and proofreading.
Using AI as a tool is beautiful! Using it to create your own unique artwork can be fun!
Using it to steal a style is theft.
Here is what helps back away from this AI trend:
Support artists who build their own style, even if it’s imperfect!
Share the work of illustrators, animators, and creatives with heart.
Think twice before reposting AI art that mimics someone else’s legacy.
And most of all:
Celebrate real work made by real people with real souls behind it.
Let’s give credit where it’s due. And start asking harder questions about the trends we support.