Post-Alola art style

[Diamond & Pearl]

Do you think that the art style of the anime will change in upcoming next series (Gen VIII)? There are 3 possibilities:


- The art style will be back to 'normal' (OS - XY&Z).
- The current art style won't change.
- A new art style will be implemented (M21?).


Take a guess and motivate your speculation. I think that the next Gen's region will be a decisive factor when it comes to the art style's fate. I can't imagine the scenario that the current art style will survive if Gen 8 is set in a cold region (Scandinavia or Canada).

 

[EscLucy]

I think that the art style currently fits well with the Pokemon School and everything. I think that once we reach Gen 8, it will change again because the setting will probably be about gyms which would require a much more serious, XY-like, Ash not a goofy looking one from Sun and Moon. Whilst, I really do love the art style and the different facial expressions characters make, there isn't much seriousness to it (which I think is probably what they were going for). To reiterate, I think that if the next region is not Pokemon School-orientated, I think it will change. In my opinion, I think a new art style is probably likely.

 

[Rath]

The next series art style will probably be an evolution of the SM art style

Kind of like how the art style kept evolving until XY, before being changed entirely for SM

 

[MarshiyanMisutaa]

The next series art style will probably be an evolution of the SM art style

Kind of like how the art style kept evolving until XY, before being changed entirely for SM

Why?

 

[KyseL]

Out of the three I can't stress enough how Sun & Moon is the best option. The original style is both outdated and objectively unappealing and lends itself to very stiff animation and uninspired expression and character acting. The M21 style on the other hand just doesn't animate well, and it is all over the place when it comes to shapes, colors and volumes, while remaining even more unappealing, it *can* work on a movie budget, but for TV animation it would require major adjustments or heavy compromises in animation that would make it look even more unfitting.

Unless we get an entirely new and different style the best option is still the Sun & Moon style, since it cuts on unnecessary detail, has appealing character design that lends it self to be animated expressively (and not only in a "funny" way), it's more "animateable" and manages volume, shapes and lines of action far better than anything prior or after.

 

[sc190191]

I think it kind of comes down to animation vs art. The newer style lends itself to the more fluid animation, while losing some of the art style. I personally loved the art style of the series gen I-VI and I would give anything for it to return. Unfortunately I don't believe it will, because the current demographic typically prefers to be shown rather than to imagine. For example, some of the older battles in the series are significantly less animated, I still enjoy them as much, if not more, than current battles, but many people don't feel that way. The new style allows them to show you every motion, so you don't have to "fill in the blanks" on some scenes. It seems like XY was able to still give highly animated battles, but I guess the idea was the new models are much cheaper to animate, so it is very unlikely they will abandon the cost-effectiveness. I would personally prefer the higher quality art, which I thought was fantastic, even if it meant Gen I style animation, but I really liked Gen VI style quite a bit and I wish that style could return.

I just can't understand the idea that expressions weren't good enough in past series. I think the artists did a fantastic job of showing different emotions, and I still rewatch all the old seasons and you can definitely sense emotions from facial expressions. I really don't believe the current series does any better than older series, and they resort to gag faces so frequently that you would hardly know anyway. But I think the opinion I have is an aging opinion and the demographic they are targeting prefers the fluid animation, so as much as I wish it could go back, I don't believe it ever will.

 

[Massive Legend]

objectively unappealing

Whether or not something is appealing isn't an objective thing. Basically, that's just, like, your opinion, man.

 

[ii kanji]

I don't care what art style they use as long as they can sort out the front of Musashi's hair.

 

[KyseL]

Whether or not something is appealing isn't an objective thing. Basically, that's just, like, your opinion, man.

Well, kinda, but not really. There are a lot of factors that can make something, to put it in a way, more appealing than another, this includes the use of simpler shapes, exaggeration, strong poses, etc. For example, the concept of "uncanny valley" solely exists because the idea of appeal has some form of "guideline" that determines how different looking objects or characters are perceived generally, and how people feel about them. This is why things like concepts like the psychology of colors and the psychology of shapes are taught to graphic design students, or why the 12 principles of animation are important instead of just trying to make everything as physically realistic as possible.

While I agree that people will perceive things differently, there's some common ground that helps direct the way you, as a creator, want to make the people watching your show feel, whether it's a character, a scene, or just a single shot.

 

[MarshiyanMisutaa]

While I agree that people will perceive things differently, there's some common ground that helps direct the way you, as a creator, want to make the people watching your show feel, whether it's a character, a scene, or just a single shot.

Are you Satoshi Nakano?

 

[Fan of Jarrus]

I miss the old style. I cannot take current Satoshi seriously.

 

[kantoskies]

With how much the latest two movies have played around with style I could see a new style being used thats an amalgam of previous ones. What that actually is depends on the tone of the series.

 

[Gabo2oo]

I don't think the original artstyle is the same as the BW-XY one. OS through DP feels like a gradual evolution of the same style, but BW feels like a new one (with XY being a brush up of it).

The key differences are the hair and the eyes:

I think the artstyle was "updated" in BW as a direct response to the character designs for the games of that era. For example, Dawn and other Sinnoh characters in DP already had the new eye style in the anime, since that's how they were designed in their games.

The character design in the Sun and Moon games is a bit different, but the anime mostly looks like it's doing its own thing to match the tone of the series this time.

In conclusion, I have no idea. It just depends on the tone they want to establish for the next series. If they're doing a short, Kanto-focused series for Let's Go Eevee/Pikachu, they could try a variation of the original artstyle as well.

 

[Diamond & Pearl]

I think the artstyle was "updated" in BW as a direct response to the character designs for the games of that era. For example, Dawn and other Sinnoh characters in DP already had the new eye style in the anime, since that's how they were designed in their games.

May's RS artwork already had that eye style, though.

Edit: it becomes clear once you zoom in to her eyes, so maybe they didn't put that much thought when it comes to the eyes back then.

 

[MarshiyanMisutaa]

I don't think the original artstyle is the same as the BW-XY one. OS through DP feels like a gradual evolution of the same style, but BW feels like a new one (with XY being a brush up of it).

I disagree. Actually there is very little difference between DP and BW's art-styles other than the coloured irises they gave to Satoshi, it's only shinier and better animated. Differences between BW and XY is much more noticeable, everyone is looking taller and much more anatomically correct.

Spoiler

 

[MizuTaipu]

I kinda hope that they keep the looser SM art style, just update the main characters to it. Characters like Lillie and Kukui look more or less like their game art, it's just Satoshi's, Musashi's, and Kojirou's designs that look weird and off-putting to me.

 

[Johtohfiller]

I want something more detailed even though simplified designs for ease of animation is the way to go because fluidity is the only thing that counts - everything else should be sacrificed for it if need be - and all that ultra-detailed 80s anime I love is actually crap.

Hyperbole aside, I really want the 3D camera back.

 

[EscLucy]

I really like the detail they had in XY. Some of the landscapes and Pokemon moves are really detailed and really cool. That has disappeared from the Alola region which is annoying for me. But on the flipside, the facial expressions are really, really funny and detailed for a cartoon-like approach.

 

[MarshiyanMisutaa]

I want something more detailed even though simplified designs for ease of animation is the way to go because fluidity is the only thing that counts - everything else should be sacrificed for it if need be - and all that ultra-detailed 80s anime I love is actually crap.

Yes, but, fluid but off-model animation too not good in my eyes. There should be a balance.

 

[Peppermint Phoenix]

I don't understand the importance of expressiveness that people use to lobby for simple art it's not like people had trouble knowing what cartoon characters were feeling.

JoJo's Bizarre adventure has over the top expressions without having to simplify the art style. Hell that could apply to most anime!