The anime filter on TikTok has become one of the platform’s most popular effects. It uses artificial intelligence to transform videos into an animated anime style. The filter tracks a person’s facial movements and transforms their appearance into that of a female anime character with large eyes, colorful hair, and smooth skin. It essentially cartoon-ifies real people into anime girls straight out of popular shows and manga.
Since debuting in 2022, the anime filter has gone hugely viral across TikTok. Millions of videos have been created using the effect, with the #animefilter hashtag garnering over 13 billion views. The filter’s popularity stems from allowing people to transform themselves into idealized anime characters. It provides a form of animated escapism for TikTok users.
What is the Anime Filter?
The Anime Filter on TikTok is an effect that uses artificial intelligence to transform videos into an animated anime style. It detects faces in the video and renders them with stylized large eyes, colorful hair, smoothed skin, and an animated aesthetic reminiscent of Japanese anime cartoons.
The filter leverages deep learning and neural networks to analyze facial features and convert them in real-time. It indentifies key landmarks on the face such as the eyes, nose, and mouth, then applies an anime-inspired rendering to those features. Things like skin tone, hair color, and accessories like glasses are also detected and get the anime treatment.
This creates an effect where subjects gain an exaggerated, idealized anime appearance with bright colors, wide expressive eyes, and fluid animations. It smooths details and adds stylistic touches like blushes on the cheeks or floral effects in the eyes to complete the transformation into an anime character.
The technology powering the filter demonstrates the rapid advancements in AI-enabled effects and computer vision. Where older filters could only apply static overlays, the Anime Filter can intelligently adapt in real-time to any face or video.
History of the Filter
The anime filter on TikTok, known as the “animegan” filter, first appeared in June 2020. It was developed by researchers at Snap Inc. using deep learning techniques and generative adversarial networks (GANs) [1]. They published a research paper detailing how they created realistic animations using only a single facial image [2]. This technology was then licensed by ByteDance, the company that owns TikTok, and implemented as a filter in the TikTok app.
The anime filter went viral shortly after being introduced on TikTok. Users were amazed at how well it could turn static selfies into animated avatars reminiscent of anime and manga art styles. The filter uses deep learning and neural networks to transform facial features while still retaining one’s identity and expressions. It quickly became one of the most popular AR effects on TikTok, with over 2 billion views for posts using #animefilter within the first few months [3].
Popularity and Viral Spread
The anime filter exploded in popularity on TikTok in mid-2022, quickly becoming one of the platform’s most viral effects.
There are several reasons the filter took off so rapidly:
- Novelty – The filter provided a fresh, unique way for users to transform themselves into stylized anime characters. This sparked interest and creativity.
- Aesthetic appeal – The filter’s output meshes well with anime aesthetic trends popular among Gen Z users. The cute, cartoonish results align with kawaii culture.
- Transformation factor – Seeing yourself transformed into an anime character proved intriguing for many. The jarring change resonated widely.
- Shareability – Results were highly sharable, fueling viral spread. People wanted to see friends transformed and share their own anime versions.
- Influencer adoption – Early promotion from high-profile TikTokers like @pokepika23 and @loppa00 further drove uptake.
As more people tried the filter, shared examples, and created anime-inspired content, the effect snowballed in popularity. This was further amplified by coverage across social media and entertainment press.
According to Dexerto, the anime filter spawned over 4 billion views within just a few weeks of going viral in mid-2022.
Notable Uses and Trends
The anime filter has been used in many popular and viral TikTok videos. Some notable examples include:
– In August 2020, TikTok user @rxselix posted a video using the anime filter that went viral with over 2.5 million likes. In the video, she transforms into an anime girl and dances along to the song “Oh No” by Capone. Her eye-catching pink hair and makeup in the filter especially captivated viewers.
– TikTok creator @mackenyu_desu often posts cosplay and anime content. In one video with over 530,000 likes, he uses the anime filter while dressed up as anime character Shoto Todoroki. His costume and the filter’s effects make him look just like the real cartoon character.
– @mxbad featured the filter in a trending dance video in September 2020. In the clip, which gained over 4.6 million likes, he performs cool dance moves before transforming into a hoodie-wearing anime girl. His smooth transition between real life and anime aesthetics contributed to the video’s popularity.
– Singer @itsjojosiwa incorporated the filter into one of her signature dance performances. In the video, she starts off dancing normally, but then uses the filter to become a dancing anime magical girl. The filter’s sparkles and shining eyes fit the upbeat, fun-loving vibe of her content.
These videos demonstrate the anime filter’s appeal in showcasing creators’ talents through dance, cosplay, and entertainment. The filter’s ability to turn people into vivid anime characters in a matter of seconds helped fuel its rise in popularity on TikTok.
Criticism and Controversies
The anime filter has faced some criticism and controversy since it became widely popular on TikTok. Some of the main concerns raised include:
Plagiarism of existing anime art styles and characters: There are accusations that the filter copies or imitates the unique art styles and designs of existing anime movies, shows, and characters without permission or credit. For example, some argue the large eyes and colorful hair produced by the filter resemble iconic anime styles like those seen in Studio Ghibli films.[1]
Dehumanizing or objectifying effects: Critics say turning people into anime characters can be dehumanizing or promote the sexual objectification of women in particular. The unrealistic body shapes and large doe eyes created by the filter reinforce issues around unrealistic beauty standards.[2]
Trivializing Japanese culture: Some argue the filter reduces Japanese anime to a mere novelty or trend, rather than appreciating the cultural history and artistry behind real anime productions.
Privacy concerns: There are worries about the risks of feeding personal photos into artificial intelligence systems, given recent controversies around how tech companies handle user data and facial recognition.
Impact on Anime Culture
The Anime filter on TikTok has had a significant impact on anime fandoms and culture. By allowing users to easily transform themselves into anime characters, the filter has helped spread interest in anime to a broader audience. According to one analysis, “TikTok and other forms of social media has proven to have a drastic (and mostly positive) effect on the anime industry” (source).
In particular, the Anime filter has introduced anime aesthetics and tropes to many young users who may not have previously been familiar with anime. As more users embrace the cute, stylized look of anime characters through the filter, it drives interest in exploring actual anime shows and movies. The Anime filter provides a “gateway” into anime fandoms in a simple, playful way through TikTok.
Additionally, the filter has inspired trends of users dressing up and posing as their favorite anime characters. By sparking anime roleplaying and cosplay, the filter strengthens the sense of community among anime fans on TikTok. Overall, while some critics have accused the filter of appropriating anime style for superficial purposes, most analysts agree it has ultimately contributed to the rising popularity and dissemination of anime in mainstream culture.
Other Versions and Variations
While the original anime filter on TikTok has exploded in popularity, there are also modified or different versions that have emerged:
The anime guy filter similarly turns videos into an anime style, but with a male character as opposed to the default female character of the original filter. This provides more options for users to transform themselves into anime protagonists.
Some users have created parody versions of the filter for comedic effect, like intentionally glitching it or combining it with other filters to make the anime avatars dance or sing.
There are also anime filters on Instagram and Snapchat that allow users on those platforms to get an animated makeover. While they work differently than the TikTok filter, they provide an anime aesthetic too.
Third-party apps like Wombo Dream have introduced AI manga filters that convert photos into manga-style drawings as opposed to anime. This caters to manga fans specifically.
As new filters and effects are continuously added to platforms like TikTok, there will likely be more variations and iterations on the anime filter in the future to keep the trend fresh and engaging.
Overall, the anime filter has inspired creativity in adapting the effect and concept for comedic, artistic, and expanded applications throughout social media and app culture.
How to Use the Filter
Using the viral anime filter on TikTok is easy and only takes a few steps. Here is a step-by-step guide:
- Open the TikTok app on your mobile device and go to the upload screen to create a new video.
- Tap on the “Effects” tab at the bottom and search for “anime”. This will bring up the Anime Filter effect.
- Tap on the Anime Filter option to add it to your video.
- With the filter enabled, record your video as normal. The filter will automatically animate your face/features in a stylized anime aesthetic.
- You can adjust the filter strength and other settings like eyes, hair, skin, etc. to customize the look.
- Add any other effects or edits you want, then post your anime-style TikTok video!
The Anime filter effect is very customizable so you can create a range of looks with it. Try applying it to videos of you talking, dancing, singing, or doing other trends to join in on the viral anime filter videos.
Source: https://www.tiktok.com/discover/how-to-get-the-anime-filter?lang=en
Conclusion
In conclusion, the anime filter on TikTok has had a significant cultural impact. This AR filter allows users to transform themselves and other objects into an anime aesthetic. While some have criticized it as appropriating anime culture, the filter has also helped to spread anime to a wider mainstream audience. The anime filter encourages creativity and self-expression, allowing users to envision themselves in an idealized animated form.
This filter demonstrates the power of TikTok and AR technology to shape beauty standards and pop culture. Anime’s signature stylized aesthetic has essentially gone viral thanks to the anime filter. It has reinforced anime’s influence on wider media and aesthetics. The filter’s popularity reveals a desire for animated fantasy personas that let people imagine themselves in a different reality.
Though it originated as just one fun effect among many on TikTok, the anime filter has taken on a life of its own. It reflects our human need for play, imagination, and escapism. The technology may continue to advance, but the creativity and joy of seeing oneself animated will endure. The anime filter has become emblematic of TikTok culture and the postmodern blurring of reality and fiction in the digital age.
