Style-first video generation
Hailuo 2.3 SD, released October 2025, is MiniMax’s stylization-focused upgrade to the Hailuo generation. Where Hailuo 02 focused on physics realism for naturalistic footage, Hailuo 2.3 expands the stylization palette — anime, illustration, ink-wash painting, and game-CG art styles all produce high-quality results with strong visual consistency. Facial micro-expression modeling is a notable improvement: subtle emotional cues — raised eyebrows, slight lip curls, eye movements — are captured with greater detail, making character animation more expressive and lifelike.Capabilities
Enhanced stylization
Strong results across anime, illustration, ink-wash painting, and game-CG art styles — one of the most versatile stylization models in the lineup.
Facial micro-expression detail
Improved micro-expression modeling — subtle emotional cues like brow movements, eye direction, and lip nuances are captured with higher fidelity.
Enhanced body movement
Improved accuracy for human body movement — natural gait, gesture flow, and posture transitions versus Hailuo 2.0.
Physical realism
Improved physics rendering over Hailuo 2.0 — better handling of gravity, material interactions, and environmental physics.
Standard and fast variants
Available in standard quality and a fast variant that reduces generation cost by 50% — choose based on quality vs. throughput needs.
Text and image input
Supports text-to-video and image-to-video with consistent style and subject rendering.
Hailuo 2.3 tier comparison
| Feature | Hailuo 2.3 SD | Hailuo 2.3 Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Style support | Anime, illustration, ink-wash, game-CG | Same + more options |
| Physics quality | High | Higher |
| Expression detail | Enhanced | Enhanced |
| Cost tier | Standard | Pro |
| Fast variant available | Yes (50% cost reduction) | Yes |
Specifications
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Developer | MiniMax |
| Released | October 2025 |
| Resolution | 768p (6 or 10s) or 1080p (6s only) |
| Duration | 6 or 10 seconds |
| Audio | No native audio |
| Styles | Anime, illustration, ink-wash, game-CG, photorealistic |
| Input modes | Text-to-video, image-to-video |
| Fast variant | Yes (50% lower cost) |
How to use
Specify your art style
Include the art style explicitly in your prompt: “anime style,” “ink-wash painting,” “game-CG render,” or “illustration style” to activate the model’s stylization system.
Set duration and resolution
Choose 6 or 10 seconds at 768p (or 6 seconds at 1080p for the highest quality).
Prompting tips
- Name the art style explicitly — “Anime-style,” “traditional Chinese ink-wash painting style,” or “JRPG game-CG cinematic style” activate significantly different visual rendering.
- Describe expressions in detail — For character-focused content, “a subtle smile forming slowly, eyes crinkling slightly at the corners” will be rendered with the improved micro-expression system.
- Anime prompt tips — Include “cel-shading,” “vibrant saturated colors,” or “hand-drawn animation aesthetic” for the most authentic anime output.
- Ink-wash tips — “Black ink on white paper, minimalist brush strokes, traditional Chinese landscape” works well for the ink-wash style.
Example prompts
Anime-style heroine sits beneath a cherry blossom tree. Petals drift in the breeze. Close-up on her face — a gentle smile, eyes reflecting the falling blossoms. Vibrant colors, cel-shaded. 6 seconds.
Traditional Chinese ink-wash painting: a lone crane wades in still water at dawn. Minimal brush strokes, misty mountains in the background. Slow, contemplative movement. 10 seconds.
Compare models
| Model | Stylization | Physics | Expression | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hailuo 2.3 SD | Excellent | High | Enhanced | Stylized content, cost-efficient |
| Hailuo 2.3 Pro | Excellent | Higher | Enhanced | Stylized + maximum physics |
| Hailuo 02 SD | Standard | High | Standard | Physics realism |
| PixVerse v5 | Good | Standard | Standard | Character animation, anime |