Monday, August 22, 2011

Conflicting styles in the same anime

Anime itself is a very unique medium. There's really no other style of animation out there like it. We certainly don't see this kind of content or look comes from American animation houses. As I said before, I think anime creators take a bit more pride in their work when putting a show together, and that includes all aspects of it. I can really appreciate the time and effort put into anime, since it' so clear to see in my eyes.

One thing that has to be tough for those that work in anime is style switching within a show. As you very well know, there are tons of anime features that switch visual styles while an episode plays out. These style switches are usually accompanied by a certain line of dialog that showcases a different feeling that a character is having.

For example, if someone is really angry in an anime, they might be drawn in a very simplistic style with loud colors and veins popping out. It's like having two different character designs for the same character. This kind of thing can be confusing to those new to anime, because they don't understand that rapid style changes that are meant to further show mood changes.

Some shows use this switch to their benefit, but I believe others overuse it a bit too much. Others still use these switches when I don't think they should be used at all. There are some shows that are quite serious, and when the creators decide to take a simplistic and over-exaggerated style to show an emotion, I end up feeling like the story and mood itself are being overshadowed.

How do you feel about style switches in anime? Do you find them confusing, or do you enjoy the interesting approach to showcasing emotions?

1 comment:

  1. Yeah it can be a little weird when a regular anime uses CG for a scene. They usually stick out a lot.

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