Hatchet News

Hey HN,

I recently built Totogram, an AI-powered web app that transforms ordinary photos into illustrations inspired by the visual style of Studio Ghibli films.

It started as a side project—I wanted a way to turn personal photos into something more magical and nostalgic, like a scene out of Spirited Away or My Neighbor Totoro. The result is a tool that applies a custom-trained AI model to give photos a soft, hand-drawn, Ghibli-inspired aesthetic.

Right now, it's in pre-launch with early access open (no login needed, just a waitlist). Key features:

-Authentic Ghibli-style transformations (custom model)

-Before/after viewer with slider

-High-res output for printing or gifting

-No subscriptions—one-time access

The goal is to offer a meaningful way to preserve memories with an emotional/artistic twist. Would love feedback on:

#The concept in general—too niche or just right?

#The user experience and clarity of the landing page

#Any ideas for other use cases (prints? social sharing? etc.)

Thanks for checking it out!

https://totogram.io