I think it’s fair to say that among those who do not watch anime and even those who dabble from time to time, there is a stereotypical art style that is associated with the medium, that being of doe-eyed characters with proportionally correct bodies and highly exaggerated emotional expressions. I wouldn’t say that this concept is unfounded and I often see anime resort to what I would consider to be a bland, default art style. While the more mature stories were the primary appeal of anime for me back when I first discovered it, I’ve increasingly been more enthused by anime that stand out in their art direction and so I thought I’d discuss why I look for more distinct art styles in the anime that I watch as well as a few examples.
I don’t think many people will disagree that a major component of the experience of watching anime, and animation as a whole, are the visuals. I won’t name any names, whether with regard to the anime series themselves or people, but I remember being at the anime society of my college and noting people’s distaste for anime that looked too different to what they expected anime to be. In turn, there were a few anime that they watched which I found to be too bland, both from a story perspective and an art perspective, to keep my interest. Since then, I’ve found that I’m more likely to be interested in a show whose art style stands out as being distinct.
