Why Does All Anime Look The Same?

This is a affair of creative mode and a branding strategy.

As a prime instance: Studio Ghibli films are arguably the highest-quality anime produced. They painstakingly aim for realism in the movements of characters and objects and the backgrounds are lush and extremely detailed.

The residue of calorie-free and shadow accurately matches existent life, and every prison cell is intentionally still paw-painted in the studio to preserve the loftier quality (Roger Ebert's interview with Miyazaki Hayao reports, "Miyazaki, who is suspicious of computers, personally draws thousands of frames by hand. 'We take [handmade] jail cell animation and digitize it in order to enrich the visual await, simply everything starts with the human hand drawing. And the colour standard is dictated by the background. We don't make up a colour on the computer'").

Not only do the Japanese think then, but Studio Ghibli'south work has been internationally acclaimed for its impeccable quality. Without whatsoever involvement in a reckoner-generated template, Studio Ghibli uses the same face up character designs over and over.

There are iv primary points:

1. Studio Ghibli doesn't do this because they are lazy, cutting corners in the production procedure, or not creative plenty. Similar and fifty-fifty nearly-identical faces are not a outcome of mangaka and animators feeling limited past their mediums, as if a wider variation in facial blueprint would be as well hard for them to pull off, or not worth bothering with. Studio Ghibli has never been interested in trading a drop in quality in exchange for a fourth dimension-saving measure. Though many anime studios at present breathing by computer, the tradition of crafting and amply using a trademark facial design for multiple characters predates the technological possibility of mixing-and-matching hairstyles onto a basic "doll" head, and did not arise in the fine art form in order to make that the standard in one case animation software could be invented.
2. The character designer is a prominent position in an anime's staff roster, as some character designers, such equally Tadano Kazuko and Nobuteru Yuuki, draw such recognizable faces that the designer can exist billed as a feature of the serial. Graphic symbol pattern is all washed in pre-product (earlier the animators get-go painting cells), and then increased/decreased variation in the character design does not create a big bear upon on the product schedule one time animating begins, unless the grapheme's costume is extremely detailed. One time the designs are established, the character designer draws official settei (設定, meaning "materials") sheets which show the character from diverse angles and includes notes for the animators about details not to overlook. These usually utilize very clean lines, though some character designers distribute sketchy ones. The settei are photocopied and each animator receives one copy for reference while animating, so that the grapheme designer'southward intent is realized fifty-fifty across a large number of animator staff.

3. Each mangaka or character designer has a style that he/she personally likes. It may get honed over the course of the commencement of her career, just one time he/she captures his/her Ideal, the artist becomes a pro at making information technology consistent. Unless it is a rare manga or anime in which that character designer does not intend to draw attractive-looking characters, information technology stands to reason that the design perceived every bit about attractive volition be used fourth dimension and again. This may mean the same face for well-nigh all female person protagonists, the same face for nigh all male love interests, and the same face for amicable, friendly men. As an case, Takeuchi Naoko can exist counted on for consistency.

Only one of these blue-haired girls is Sailor Mercury:

Chiba Mamoru (Tuxedo Kamen) and his dead ringers from other serial:

Tenou Haruka (Sailor Uranus) and dopplegangers:

4. Branding (also known as Visual Identity, Make Direction, or Corporate Design), is very of import in successful marketing. Mangaka and character designers who provide immediately recognizable faces grant fans the ability to know in an instant that this is a title they are interested in, and whenever they hear an announcement that the aforementioned creator is starting a new serial, they tin know exactly what to look. Studio Ghibli has crafted unproblematic character designs that strike a chord, brand the protagonist easily likable, and garner sentimentality from the viewers. This strategy ensures repeat consumers more than if they changed up the grapheme design from flick to film. A skilful example of strong branding that evolved from the time of her debut is Yazawa Ai:

early work →

middle period →

distinct branding →

Although many mangaka and anime character designers exercise this type of branding very well, it should exist noted that this is not specific to manga and anime, just tin can be seen in other mediums in other countries.

For example, even while Disney intentionally adds hints of traditional cultural art styles into its films (heart shapes for Jasmine, Pocahontas, Mulan, Megara), facial pattern for Disney protagonists is, for the most part, easily recognizable as being Disney, regardless of the ethnicity of the characters.

Disney women of color:

Source: https://anime.stackexchange.com/questions/22624/why-do-anime-and-manga-use-the-same-faces

Posted by: garnertropers.blogspot.com

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