Google’s Gemini 2.5 Pro vs ChatGPT: Which AI creates better Ghibli-style images?

Google has made its latest AI model, Gemini 2.5 Pro (experimental), available to free users, despite previously stating that it would be exclusive to Gemini Advanced subscribers. This sudden change comes as competition in the AI space heats up, with OpenAI's ChatGPT and Anthropic's Claude leading in language and coding tasks.

One of the major ongoing AI trends is the Studio Ghibli-style image generation, which has taken social media by storm thanks to ChatGPT's new native image creation capabilities. However, a big question remains—can Google's Gemini 2.5 Pro generate Ghibli-style AI images?

Can Gemini 2.5 Pro Create Ghibli-Style AI Images?
Google’s official blog does not mention whether Gemini 2.5 Pro can create images directly or which model it uses for image generation. It only states that the model can understand various data types like text, audio, images, video, and code.

Through testing, it has been observed that Gemini 2.5 Pro uses Google’s Imagen 3 model for image generation. This makes it different from ChatGPT’s GPT-4o, which has powerful built-in image-generation abilities.

Unfortunately, turning real-life images into Studio Ghibli-inspired artworks isn’t straightforward with Gemini 2.5 Pro. When users try to apply the Ghibli style by typing "Ghiblify this," the AI responds with an error message:

"I'm sorry, I cannot fulfill this request. The tool needed to apply the 'Ghibli' style to your image is currently unavailable."

Even when using detailed prompts generated by ChatGPT to trick Gemini into applying the Ghibli style, the results were disappointing. In some cases, the AI produced a generic Japanese anime-style image that looked nothing like the original photo. In other cases, it simply failed to generate any image at all.

What is Studio Ghibli and Why is It Trending?
Studio Ghibli is a legendary Japanese animation studio founded in 1985 by Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata, and Toshio Suzuki. It is famous for creating beautifully hand-drawn animated films with deep storytelling. Some of its most popular movies include:

My Neighbor Totoro

Spirited Away

Howl's Moving Castle

Kiki's Delivery Service

Princess Mononoke

Recently, Studio Ghibli has become a major trend on social media after users discovered ChatGPT’s new image-generation tool. People started transforming their photos into different art styles like Lego, The Simpsons, South Park, Pixar, and more. However, the Studio Ghibli aesthetic became the most popular among users, as many admired its warm colors, soft lighting, and dreamy visuals.

With AI-generated art gaining momentum, users are now comparing ChatGPT's image abilities with Google's Gemini 2.5 Pro. While ChatGPT can create Ghibli-style images, Google’s model struggles, making it clear that not all AI image tools are created equal.