Building Anime Prompts

Anime/Manga Prompt Builder Skill

This skill helps users create authentic anime and manga art using Midjourney's Niji mode. It features comprehensive knowledge of 30+ manga artists, 14 anime studios, multiple genres, and technical Niji parameters.

When to Activate This Skill

Use this skill when users:

1. Request anime or manga art - "Create anime art of...", "Draw a manga character..."
2. Mention anime artists - "Ghibli style", "like Berserk", "Dragon Ball look"
3. Ask about Niji mode - "How do I use Niji?", "Anime settings in Midjourney"
4. Want specific anime styles - "magical girl", "shonen action", "cyberpunk anime"
5. Reference anime studios - "MAPPA style", "Kyoto Animation look", "Trigger aesthetic"
6. Describe anime genres - "seinen dark fantasy", "shoujo romance", "isekai adventure"
7. Ask about SREF codes - "What SREF code for Ghibli?", "Anime style reference codes"
8. Want consistent styling - "Make it look like...", "Same style as...", "Visual consistency"
9. Need character consistency - "Same character in different poses", "Keep my character consistent"
10. Want reference sheets - "Create a character sheet", "Multiple views of character"
11. Ask about --cref - "How do I use character reference?", "What is --cref?"
12. Want to animate images - "Animate my image", "Make it move", "Create video"
13. Ask about video/animation - "How do I animate?", "What is --video?", "Motion prompts"

When NOT to Activate

Do not use this skill when:

• Users want photorealistic or non-anime images
• Users are working on code unrelated to image generation
• Users are asking about other AI tools (DALL-E, Stable Diffusion)
• The request is for Western cartoon styles (not anime)

Core Capabilities

Supported Artists (30+)

Foundational: Osamu Tezuka, Leiji Matsumoto, Go Nagai

Shonen: Akira Toriyama, Eiichiro Oda, Masashi Kishimoto, Tatsuki Fujimoto, Hajime Isayama, Gege Akutami, Kohei Horikoshi

Seinen: Kentaro Miura, Katsuhiro Otomo, Naoki Urasawa, Junji Ito, Tsutomu Nihei, Takehiko Inoue

Shoujo/Josei: Naoko Takeuchi, CLAMP, Rumiko Takahashi, Ai Yazawa

Directors: Hayao Miyazaki, Makoto Shinkai, Hideaki Anno, Satoshi Kon, Mamoru Hosoda, Hiroyuki Imaishi

Modern: Hirohiko Araki, ONE, Yusuke Murata, Sui Ishida, Yoshitoshi Abe

Supported Studios (14)

Studio Ghibli, Kyoto Animation, MAPPA, Ufotable, WIT Studio, Bones, Madhouse, Trigger, Shaft, Production I.G, Sunrise, Toei Animation, A-1 Pictures, CloverWorks

Genres

• Shonen - Action, adventure, battles
• Seinen - Mature, dark, psychological
• Shoujo - Romance, magical girl
• Slice of Life - Everyday, school, heartwarming
• Mecha - Robots, sci-fi
• Horror - Dark, disturbing
• Isekai - Fantasy worlds
• Cyberpunk - Dystopian, neon

Model & Parameters

• --niji 6 (default, recommended for traditional anime)
• --v 7 (alternative, works well with SREF + anime keywords)
• --style raw (optional, less stylized output)
• --ar (aspect ratio)
• --s (stylize 0-1000)
• --sref (style reference)
• --sw (style weight 0-1000)
• --cref (character reference)
• --cw (character weight 0-100)
• --oref (omni reference, V7)
• --motion low / --motion high (video motion intensity)
• --loop (seamless video loop)
• --raw (precise motion control)

Character Consistency Support

Reference Sheet Types:

• Multi-view sheets (front, side, 3/4, back)
• Expression sheets (happy, sad, angry, surprised, neutral)
• Outfit variation sheets (same character, different clothes)
• Turntable/360 views

Character Weight Guide:

• --cw 100: Full character (face + hair + clothes)
• --cw 50: Moderate similarity (different outfit, same character)
• --cw 0: Face only (complete costume change)

Video/Animation Support

Note: Video generation requires Midjourney web app (not Discord bot).

Motion Styles:

• Action (dynamic movement, speed effects)
• Slice-of-life (gentle breeze, subtle movement)
• Dramatic (slow zoom, emotional moments)
• Combat (fast motion, impact frames)

Camera Motion:

• Pan (left/right/up/down tracking)
• Zoom (push in, pull out)
• Orbit (circular movement around subject)
• Static (subtle character animation only)

Motion Parameters:

• --motion low: Subtle, peaceful, cinemagraph-style (default)
• --motion high: Dynamic, energetic, action-focused
• --loop: Seamless looping animation
• --raw: Precise motion control

SREF Code Library (40+ Curated Codes)

Categories:

• Ghibli/Soft: Warm, nostalgic (codes: 3408846050, 918084796, 3161604773...)
• Shonen/Dynamic: Bold, action-oriented (codes: 3730983883, 910384726...)
• Seinen/Dark: Moody, atmospheric (codes: 416523183, 229704573...)
• Shoujo/Elegant: Sparkles, soft lighting (codes: 2178024008...)
• Retro: 80s/90s aesthetic (codes: 16809792746, 4292182277...)
• Modern/Clean: Contemporary look (codes: 65, 20...)

Full library: See docs/sref-library.md for complete reference.

Interaction Pattern

Step 1: Identify Genre

Determine if the request is shonen, seinen, shoujo, slice of life, mecha, or horror.

Step 2: Match Artist/Studio

Suggest relevant artists or studios based on the genre and description.

Step 3: Gather Details

Ask about character, scene, action, and atmosphere.

Step 4: Aesthetic & Technical Options

Ask about desired aesthetic vibe:

• Cute/Kawaii (adorable, soft, whimsical)
• Dramatic/Expressive (intense, bold, dynamic)
• Scenic/Atmospheric (cinematic, environmental)
• Classic/Retro (80s/90s anime look)
• Let the artist style guide it (skip)

Then ask about aspect ratio. Based on aesthetic selection, automatically inject appropriate keywords (see Internal Reference at end of file).

Step 5: Style Reference (Auto-Matched)

Automatically suggest a matching SREF code based on user's genre, artist, and aesthetic selections. Don't ask users to browse or choose - offer a pre-matched code:

• "I can add a style reference that matches your [genre/aesthetic]. Add it?"
• If yes, ask about intensity (Light/Medium/Strong/Very Strong)
• Reference the Internal Reference: SREF Auto-Matching section for matching logic

Step 6: Character Reference (Optional)

Ask if user needs character consistency:

• Create new character → offer reference sheet templates
• Use existing reference → get URL and suggest --cw weight
• Skip for single images

Step 7: Animation (Optional)

Ask if user wants to animate their image:

• Yes → guide through motion style, camera motion, intensity
• No → skip to final output
• Note: Web app only (not Discord)

Step 7.5: Output Structure

Ask user about prompt structure level:

• Standard (6 sections - easy to modify key elements)
• Granular (8 sections - more control over details)
• Maximum (10 sections - full element-by-element control)

Step 8: Build Prompt

Construct and output the structured Niji prompt using selected level.

Example Outputs (Standard Structure)

Ghibli Style

[Character] young adventurer | [Action] discovering hidden forest spirit | [Scene] lush vegetation, enchanting forest | [Style] Studio Ghibli, Hayao Miyazaki | [Genre] magical realism, whimsical | [Mood] soft natural lighting --niji 6 --ar 16:9 --s 500

Dark Fantasy

[Character] lone warrior, intense expression | [Action] facing demon, battle stance | [Scene] gothic cathedral, atmospheric | [Style] Berserk, Kentaro Miura | [Genre] dark fantasy, seinen | [Mood] hyper-detailed linework, dramatic shadows --niji 6 --ar 2:3 --s 800

Magical Girl (Cute Aesthetic)

[Character] magical girl, adorable expression, big sparkling eyes | [Action] mid-transformation, dynamic graceful pose | [Scene] cosmic starry background, sparkles and ribbons | [Style] Sailor Moon, Naoko Takeuchi | [Genre] magical girl, shoujo, kawaii | [Mood] soft pastel colors, pink and lavender, soft glowing lighting --niji 6 --ar 9:16 --s 600

Cyberpunk (Expressive Aesthetic)

[Character] courier, intense expression | [Action] racing on futuristic motorcycle, dynamic motion blur | [Scene] neon-lit Neo Tokyo streets, rain reflections on wet asphalt | [Style] Akira, Katsuhiro Otomo | [Genre] cyberpunk dystopia, seinen | [Mood] bold high-contrast colors, dramatic lighting, intricate machinery --niji 6 --ar 21:9 --s 750

With SREF Code (Scenic)

[Character] young girl | [Action] walking through meadow | [Scene] sunlit meadow, wildflowers swaying | [Style] Studio Ghibli | [Genre] magical realism, cinematic | [Mood] soft golden hour lighting, atmospheric haze, peaceful --niji 6 --ar 16:9 --sref 3408846050 --sw 300

With SREF Code (Dark)

[Character] knight | [Action] standing before demon gate | [Scene] ancient ruins, gothic architecture | [Style] dark fantasy | [Genre] seinen, horror | [Mood] atmospheric shadows, ominous --niji 6 --ar 2:3 --sref 416523183 --sw 400

Character Reference Sheet

[Character] young female sorcerer, long silver hair, purple eyes, dark cloak | [Action] multiple views, front, side, three-quarter, back | [Scene] clean white background | [Style] anime | [Genre] character reference sheet | [Mood] full body, clear details --niji 6 --ar 16:9

Using Character Reference

[Character] young sorcerer | [Action] casting spell, energy swirling | [Scene] magical forest | [Style] fantasy anime | [Genre] magical | [Mood] purple energy, dramatic lighting --niji 6 --ar 16:9 --cref [URL] --cw 100

Animation - Action (Maximum structure)

When animating, output TWO prompts - Image Prompt + Animation Prompt:

Image Prompt:

[Character] cyberpunk hacker, unsettling gaze | [Expression] hollow eyes | [Pose] crouched over terminal | [Action] typing frantically | [Props] holographic displays, glitching screens | [Setting] neon-lit alley | [Background] dystopian cityscape | [Artist] Junji Ito | [Genre] cyberpunk horror | [Visual] bold high-contrast colors --niji 6 --ar 2:3 --s 800 --sref 416523183 --sw 500

Animation Prompt (in web app, select the image you want to animate. In the "Animate Image" section choose "Animate Manually"):

[Character] cyberpunk hacker, unsettling gaze | [Expression] hollow eyes | [Pose] crouched over terminal | [Action] typing frantically | [Props] holographic displays, glitching screens | [Setting] neon-lit alley | [Background] dystopian cityscape | [Artist] Junji Ito | [Genre] cyberpunk horror | [Visual] bold high-contrast colors | [Animation] neon flickering, holographic glitches, cables swaying | [Camera] static --motion low --loop --raw

Animation - Peaceful Loop (Standard structure)

Image Prompt:

[Character] young girl | [Action] walking through meadow | [Scene] sunlit meadow, wildflowers | [Style] Studio Ghibli | [Genre] magical realism | [Mood] soft lighting, peaceful --niji 6 --ar 16:9 --sref 3408846050 --sw 300

Animation Prompt (in web app, select the image you want to animate. In the "Animate Image" section choose "Animate Manually"):

[Character] young girl | [Action] walking through meadow | [Scene] sunlit meadow, wildflowers | [Style] Studio Ghibli | [Genre] magical realism | [Mood] soft lighting, peaceful | [Animation] hair gently swaying, wildflowers dancing in breeze, soft breathing | [Camera] static --motion low --loop --raw

Animation - Dramatic Orbit (Standard structure)

Image Prompt:

[Character] magical girl, sparkling eyes | [Action] mid-transformation | [Scene] cosmic starry background | [Style] Sailor Moon | [Genre] magical girl, shoujo | [Mood] pastel colors, glowing --niji 6 --ar 9:16 --s 600

Animation Prompt (in web app, select the image you want to animate. In the "Animate Image" section choose "Animate Manually"):

[Character] magical girl, sparkling eyes | [Action] mid-transformation | [Scene] cosmic starry background | [Style] Sailor Moon | [Genre] magical girl, shoujo | [Mood] pastel colors, glowing | [Animation] sparkles swirling, ribbons flowing, celestial glow pulsing | [Camera] camera orbits around --motion high --loop

Key Principles

1. Default to --niji 6 for anime generation (V7 native is also effective with SREF codes)
2. Front-load artist names - they strongly influence output
3. Inject aesthetic keywords automatically - based on user's aesthetic selection in Step 4
4. User picks simple options, you build rich prompts - the plugin handles complexity

Model Note: All examples use --niji 6 (Niji mode). For V7 native, simply omit --niji 6 or replace with --v 7.

Internal Reference: Aesthetic Keywords

Note: This section is for the AI to reference when building prompts. Do not show this table to users.

When the user selects an aesthetic vibe, include these keywords in the generated prompt:

How to use:

1. User picks aesthetic → you inject keywords seamlessly
2. User never needs to know these keywords exist
3. If user skips, infer from genre/artist (Sailor Moon → cute, Berserk → dramatic)

Internal Reference: SREF Code Selection

Note: Reference docs/sref-library.md for SREF codes. Do not show lookup tables to users.

Match by:

1. Tags - Match user's genre/aesthetic to tag keywords in the library
2. Best For - Match user's subject/scene description
3. Category - Ghibli/Soft, Shonen/Dynamic, Seinen/Dark, Shoujo/Elegant, Retro, Modern
4. Default - Use 918084796 (Anime Serenity) for general anime

Style weights: Light=100, Medium=300, Strong=500, Very Strong=750