The internet has found a new visual obsession, and it’s adorably small — Chibi-style photos. Riding on the heels of the Studio Ghibli-inspired AI trend, Chibi figures are now taking over social media. These miniature anime-inspired versions of real people, complete with big heads, expressive eyes, and child-like proportions, are turning everyday selfies into collectable-style artworks.
What is the Chibi trend?
Originating from Japanese pop culture, “Chibi” means short or small and is commonly used in anime and manga to describe characters drawn in a super-deformed style. These figures often feature oversized heads, tiny bodies, and exaggerated facial expressions — all tailored to maximise cuteness. The latest AI-powered trend uses this aesthetic to recreate people as if they were anime toys or figurines.
Unlike static anime filters, this trend goes a step further. The Chibi images aren’t just drawings — they are detailed, 3d-style miniatures that resemble real collectable figurines. Often, these characters are placed inside glass-like gashapon capsules, as if ready to be plucked out of a vending machine. The results are whimsical, lifelike, and incredibly shareable.
One of the most popular presentations involves generating a portrait-style image where a person’s Chibi figure sits inside a transparent capsule held between two fingers. The scene is enhanced with soft lighting and a blurred background, creating a highly realistic visual.
How to make your own Chibi photo
To try the trend yourself, you need a clear photo that shows your face and some of your outfit. Once uploaded to an AI tool like ChatGPT-4o, you can apply a specific visual prompt to generate the final image.
Here’s the prompt you can use:
"Create a highly realistic, portrait-oriented close-up image. In the scene, two adult fingers gently pinch and hold a transparent glass gashapon capsule at the center of the frame. Ensure the glass capsule has natural light reflections and slight surface imperfections for authenticity.
Inside the capsule, position a full-body, meticulously detailed 3D Chibi-style figurine of a real person. The Chibi figure should have exaggerated, expressive facial features (large sparkling eyes, small mouth, soft rounded face) while maintaining recognisable likeness to the person.
Dress the figure in casual modern clothing (like jeans, T-shirts, hoodies, sneakers) with attention to texture and fabric folds to enhance realism. Pose the figurine playfully — such as making a peace sign, sitting cross-legged, or waving joyfully.
Ensure the Chibi figure has a polished, lifelike 3D appearance with subtle shading, realistic shadows inside the capsule, and detailed hair strands and accessories if any.
Apply soft, natural daylight for lighting with gentle highlights and shadows. Use a shallow depth of field to produce a delicately blurred, aesthetically pleasing background, such as a pastel indoor setting or a softly lit outdoor scene, to emphasise the sharpness of the capsule and its contents.
Focus should be on realism, emotional warmth, and miniature scale detail to make the image look as if it could be a photo of a real tiny collectable toy."
What to keep in mind
For the best results, ensure the input photo is high resolution, well-lit, and shows your full face. Casual clothing and expressive poses often translate best into Chibi form.
If you’ve had your fun with Ghibli-style art and want to try something equally creative — and a lot cuter — the Chibi photo trend might be your next scroll-stopping AI experiment.
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