Not too long ago, the internet was swept up in a Ghibli-inspired AI craze. Dogs, families, and even selfies were instantly transformed into dreamy, hand-painted portraits that looked like they belonged in a Studio Ghibli film. Everyone wanted in on the magic.
But just as quickly as that wave rose, a new one has taken over the Philippines, and it feels even more surreal. This time, it’s you as a hyper-realistic 3-D collectible figure.
And yes, it looks so real, even celebrities are falling for it. Andrea Brillantes recently reposted her own figurine version from a fan, quipping, “fell for it,” because honestly, who wouldn’t?
Like a collectible, but you’re the toy
For anyone who grew up collecting action figures of their favorite heroes, this trend feels like the ultimate full-circle moment. Instead of holding a figurine of your idol, you are the figurine.
The AI doesn’t just spit out a flat image. It stages your mini version on a desk, with a glowing monitor behind you, textured as if sculpted in ZBrush. The outcome is a visual so believable it tricks the eye into thinking you could actually reach out and hold it.
The platform behind
When OpenAI’s ChatGPT-4o stormed the internet in March 2025 with its Ghibli-inspired portraits, SunStar Lifestyle followed up in an April 2025 story by revisiting what Ghibli co-founder and director Hayao Miyazaki had said about AI a decade ago in light of this new trend. But this new wave isn’t riding on the same engine.
Instead, the figurine phenomenon is powered by Gemini 2.5 Flash Image. Unlike many tools that hide their best features behind paywalls, this one is free, making it all the more irresistible for curious creators and casual users alike.
Google describes Gemini 2.5 as its smartest AI yet, with the Pro version excelling at coding and complex prompts. But for this trend, it’s the Flash Image interface that’s stealing the spotlight, offering state-of-the-art tricks like multi-image fusion, style consistency, and conversational editing.
Beyond the trend
But behind the fun of seeing yourself as a toy lies a bigger conversation, what does this mean for 3-D art as a whole?
Vasilis Koutlis of RebusFarm (a rendering service platform) presents a nuanced view, acknowledging the power and pitfalls of AI.
On one hand, “AI-generated art is already here, and it definitely comes to stay,” he wrote in an April 2024 story, praising its improvements in speed and workflow efficiency. On the other hand, he warned that “creativity, in terms of an artist’s skills, is dying as it tends to be replaced by machines,” a sobering reminder that the human imagination remains irreplaceable. He also pointed out that smaller studios and freelancers may face tougher markets and that AI still produces flaws that require human correction.
Michael Tanzillo, a 3-D artist and educator, echoes this balance in his March 2025 newsletter on The 3D Artist. He highlighted AI’s strengths, explaining that “AI generates adaptable scenes, while the 3-D model ensures the product remains true to its real-world counterpart.”
Yet, he was quick to call out its weaknesses: “Generative AI simply cannot maintain the level of consistency required” across angles or lighting conditions. To him, the hype has already slowed, as the industry has entered the “final 20 percent” of refinement, where accuracy and reliability are the real challenges. Most importantly, Tanzillo stressed: “Companies will need experienced professionals to integrate these technologies effectively.”
Bringing their perspectives together, both Koutlis and Tanzillo agree that while generative AI is transforming creative industries, it is not a replacement for human expertise. As Koutlis concluded, “AI is unlikely to completely replace 3-D artists, 3-D modelers, photographers, or architects in the near future,” but it is undeniably changing how they work. And as Tanzillo emphasized, the technology “cannot stand alone,” and skilled artists remain vital to making AI’s promise usable in the real world.
The figurine craze may just be the latest playful chapter in AI’s rapid evolution, but its implications run deeper. It shows us how quickly AI can capture our imagination, while reminding us that the heart of 3-D artistry still belongs to human creators. S