The use of Japanese aesthetics in AI

Since the rise of midjourney, nobody could escape the cute Ghibli-fication of their favorite movie franchise. AI image generators have provided a limitless playground for creativity, without the need of possessing the actual graphic skills. Any of the ideas you have can be visualized, as long as you’re able to put it into words. Imagine a world where Star Wars was Hayao Miyazaki’s brainchild, or J.K. Rowling didn’t get canceled because Harry Potter was Osamu Tezuka’s creation.

However cute and astonishing these AI anime versions may be, once lifelike aesthetics enter the room, we see a glimpse of the terrifying resemblance to real life.
Despite coming close to achieving human-like aesthetics, there are often subtle elements that fail to replicate the intricacies of the human form, leaving a lot of us with a feeling of unease.

Dobby as a yakuza member, by @demonflyingfox

Gandalf the Yakuza

AI image creator @demonflyingfox embraced that discomforting feeling and went on a creative streak. If you're not familiar with his AI imagery work, you might know the artist from the viral Harry Potter Balenciaga footage. In the series we explore below, he prompts classic movie franchises, coating them in ‘80s Japanese drama aesthetics as if they were stills from a Nagisa Oushima production.

Eleven as an 80s Japanese horror series by @demonflyingfox

Both his full scale timeline transformations as well as the subtle cultural adaptations are intriguing. Take Stranger Things for example. We stay in the same era, the 80s, but @demonflyingfox changes the cultural setting. What if Eleven was a little girl abducted by scientists from a rural town in Shikoku, and Mike spent his childhood in the Chiba suburbs.

Mike as an 80s Japanese horror series by @demonflyingfox

Giving the cast of The Lord of The Rings a cultural makeover creates an intriguing backdrop for a nostalgic Asian drama set in the underworld of Tokyo's Kabukichou district during the 1980s. Smeagol’s role has yet to be determined, but the thought of a heated discussion between Gandalf and Saruman as two stylish Yakuza overlords already piques our interest.

Gandalf as a yakuza by @demonflyingfox

Saruman as a yakuza by @demonflyingfox

The options are limitless, from Batman set in ‘90s Tokyo to a samurai Boba Fett concept. Be sure to check out @demonflyingfox’s Instagram and lose yourself in the AI rabbit hole.

Let’s almost ruin Ghibli

So far, we've witnessed Harry Potter being reimagined as a Ghibli character, and Gandalf draped in an 80s-style Yakuza ensemble, which was equally fulfilling as unsettling. This leaves us with just one remaining metamorphosis to explore: the transition from anime to reality.

Princess Mononoke by Yokogao

No imaginary world is better suited for this makeover than the one shaped by Hayao Miyazaki. Presenting Totoro and Mononoke as human-like characters out of an 80s movie directed by Ridley Scott in collaboration with Akira Kurosawa strips Ghibli from its signature comfort factor. By the click of a button, Totoro’s beloved cuteness is transformed into the unnerving appearance of a schizophrenic cat standing on two legs.

Totoro and Mei by Yokogao

Totoro & Mei by Yokogao

From anime to real life and in reverse. The possibilities for AI imagery are limitless, and with advances in rendering technology, the level of detail will only improve. Which can make these images even more realistic. Don’t hesitate to experiment with creating your own AI imagery using the midjourney. Simply sign up for a Discord account, and you can generate your first 20 prompts for free. After that, you probably get yourself hooked and get an impulsive subscription.

Pro tip: anything Ghibli related makes for a great prompt.

Tetsuo from Akira by Yokogao