Best art style for an official anime?

[game2011]

If there is to be an official anime, which art style works best for it?  Obviously, ZUN's art style won't work for this.

I have a feeling that most people are going to say that Fantasy Kaleidoscope's art style is the best.  While I do agree that its art is good, I don't think it really fits the series, because the expressions there are too serious-looking.  The series is supposed to be lighthearted and comedic, so an art style that allows for exaggerated facial expressions without clashing with "normal appearances" too much is probably the best way to go for the series.

[cuc]

Make an anthology. Call the industry's most interesting creators, give them good access to talented animators and other resources, and let them do whatever they want in their own episodes, under no constraint from budget or continuity.

[Drake]

Fantasy Kaleidoscope's art style is only the best out of the few currently completed animated fanworks that can actually be thought of as anime in terms of length and frames involved. On an artistic basis alone I would agree that the faces (and extremes in body types) seem out of place, but mostly I don't care for the color schemes. I'm really interested in what the Sealing Club anime will produce outside the OP, which seems to largely have its frames built on top of only a few different drawings in each scene.

[Tengukami]

I think a SHAFT Touhou anime would be weird and pretty but I'm not sure it would fit Gensokyo's spirit. Still, I keep wanting it to happen.

[monhan]

The Sealing Club anime has fascinating art sketchs(as can be seen from Eirin and Kaguya pics), but not all of them transferred well into the anime. Hopefully they'll get it more consistent in future works.
Mangekyou is nice, for some at least.
But if I am to choose what art style would fit... (doesn't have to be from an animation, right?), then I'll pick Zounose/Yakumi Sarai.
Example 1 2 3
"Acceptable" body proportions, makes full use of the face for expressions, can be silly, can be serious/dark, pretty colors, and last but not least, he keeps the snark.
If it's not allowed though, I like that Sealing Club sketches the best.

[sekibanki]

But if I am to choose what art style would fit... (doesn't have to be from an animation, right?), then I'll pick Zounose/Yakumi Sarai.

in each episode a new character gets introduced and then eaten

[Quwanti]

I think Moe Harukawa's style would look pretty cute.

http://www.pixiv.net/member_illust.php?mode=medium&illust_id=45529605

[FLASH]

whoever makes those "Summer day's dream" anime man, they get it.

i don't know why exactly but their style is i think litteraly the perfect one for a Touhou anime. they make the character look adult/mature enough to be cool and be able to be taken seriously, yet at the same time have that sort of indescribable, endearing childish/cute qualty to them that Zun art (and Touhou in general) gives.

exemple:



as mentionned by OP, unlike in Fantasy Kaleidoscope, the characters in this one are also quite capable of having pretty comical and over the top expressions sometimes; but not ridiculously over the top either, just the right amount ;p

Reimu's WTF-Face always cracks me up for exemple, i think it's priceless, even she has one apparently  :3 
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f262/peperonibear93/snapshot20090103141423.jpg

plus i love the environnements (the feeling of great openess they give and their choice of colors.. they remind me of Studio-Ghibili for some reason) and their animations is AWESOME
i mean come on, look at Youmu VS Reisen at 1min 38 of the opening credits... BADASS!! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTOoCtK1Rns

i may be a minority here, but i greatly dislike Fantasy Kaleidoscope in general... i don't like the art style (never was a fan of GI-NORMOUS round boobs in anime to begin with... and in touhou universe it's especially jarring :S )
 and the other characters that don't have ridiculous (or even impossible: look at their Yuugi! :O )  bodies, like reimu for exemple, she's pretty OK, they still look too old and too serious, i don't know all their characters seem to look emotionless to me...
and i hate their choice of voices except for Reimu (i don't hate those voice actors nessesarily don't bash me, i just don't think they fit the characters well, especially Marisa, urgh...)


that being said, i do like a lot the looks of the upcoming Hifuu club as well, and i agree with Quwanti Moe Harukawa style can be a good fit

but i still think Summer Day's Dream is the best. it's so under the radar too! check it out if you have the time, it's my favourite!

[Failure McFailFace]

i hate their choice of voices except for Reimu (i don't hate those voice actors nessesarily don't bash me, i just don't think they fit the characters well, especially Marisa, urgh...)

*Voice actor, as one person dubbed the entire thing in Japanese.

I think that both Summer Day's Dream and Fantasy Kaleidoscope are great fanimes, but I agree with the fact that Moe Harukara's style is perfect for an anime.

[cuc]

Aesthetically speaking, Kaleidoscope's character design work is actually fairly distinctive when it comes to most characters, with the very round eyes and chubby faces. Not saying if it suits Touhou or not, just that it's unique. The slit-eyed designs for the "mature" characters are a complete failure though.

Re: Touhou's genre, I've been sticking with "epic satire that connects the mythical with the farcial". It needs characters who can do weird faces while talking about how humans should face judgments in the afterlife.

[game2011]

whoever makes those "Summer day's dream" anime man, they get it.

The art style there is probably the best so far.  Admittedly, the first episode's art quality is a bit questionable, but episode 2 did a good job.

and i hate their choice of voices except for Reimu (i don't hate those voice actors nessesarily don't bash me, i just don't think they fit the characters well, especially Marisa, urgh...)

I thought FK doesn't have any voice acting?

[StainGlass]

I by far prefer the Fantasy Kaleidoscope character designs across the board of fan-animation, I think it mixes the best of both world's in terms of 'serious' and 'toony'.
I'm generally not that fond of overly toony designs, it's just too simple for my liking.

[AlterEgo]

whoever makes those "Summer day's dream" anime man, they get it.

Indeed. Not only that I like the art but the OP and ED songs are very good aswell, and it also goes with the atmosphere of the anime very well(in my opinion).

[game2011]

Anymore ideas?

[Tengukami]

Nope, all out of ideas. Otherwise I would have posted them.

[haoreos2]

Ufotable-style for the danmaku scenes to appease the grimsokyo fans (and because ooh shiny), and Jinrui wa Suitai Shimashita fairy-style for the fairies for the fluffyfans.
Every other character shall be in the style of a guest art director which switches at the end of each story arc, chosen based on their previous works with similar atmospheres to the arc in question.

PoFV will be an OVA drawn entirely in Ace Attorney style, though, with objections punctuated by use of danmaku and/or spellcards.


Honestly I think using bad apple character design (with, yknow, colour and such) and fantasy kaleidoscope environments would look better than the majority of anime out there.

[shockdude]

Are there any touhou anime OPs/PVs where the danmaku doesn't look like a bunch of generic energy balls?
I'd imagine it's extremely difficult to do pretty danmaku patterns in an anime style without the use of 3D CGI, like impulseJP's classic Touhou dogfight and 0minusT's Reimu vs Yuyuko. Nevertheless, I'm still wondering if anyone's tried.

[Kulgia]

Hmmm...I  think the Bad Apple!! character art design is one of the best out there though we can't get to see how they would actually look like if it was not black and white silhouettes.
I prefer art style to be somewhat a bit realistic looking or so at least. Another few more good art style I can mention are Rireba (Nakatani), Personal Color (Yuuki Sakuraba) and Tohonifun (Chado). Maybe as well as UNKNOWN(Imizu) too.  I don't know about you guys but these are my opinions.

[pineyappled]

Fantasy Kaleidoscope is too stiff and dead imo and doesn't take well to actually being animated.  Maikaze did a great job with the OP of Summer's Day Dream.
also the bad apple mv is in black and white silhouettes how are you getting "good character design for an anime" out of them

[Tengukami]

Maikaze did a great job

They even generously gave Aya extra fingers!

[haoreos2]

the bad apple mv is in black and white silhouettes how are you getting "good character design for an anime" out of them

I don't think it would be that hard, tbh. You've already got the colour schemes from official material, that doesn't really tend to change regardless of the art style (excepting those "artsy" styles like those based on pastel colours, but then that wouldn't look very good for a Touhou anime imo), and the silhouettes give you the model; with those two, you have most of the visual character design done off the bat. All that's really left is the faces, which tend to fall into one of a small number of styles in anime largely dependent on how they fit the character models and the general mood of the setting (I.e you aren't likely to have "magical girl faces" if you're going for a darker and edgier work).

[Calamity]

Imizu style Touhou anime please.

That said I greatly prefer Maikaze's style for existing animations. I'm still left stumped how they were able to supply such a godly voice actor lineup.

[Tengukami]

I don't get what people like about Maikaze. They made the 2hus look like chubby dwarves. And those eyes ... gah.

opinions.jpg

[monhan]

Are people forgetting about the Touhou Kinema-kan?
I think some of them are nice. Like the all-stars opening part. Only need to be more detailed

[StainGlass]

Are people forgetting about the Touhou Kinema-kan?
I think some of them are nice. Like the all-stars opening part. Only need to be more detailed

From existing animations, they are my second pick, I also wish there was just a bit more detail to their drawings though.

I don't get what people like about Maikaze. They made the 2hus look like chubby dwarves. And those eyes ... gah.

opinions.jpg

*shrugs* I agree with you.
I recall when the first episode came out, a lot of people really disliked the art, but to be fair the newer episodes have been a vast improvement.

Hmmm...I  think the Bad Apple!! character art design is one of the best out there though we can't get to see how they would actually look like if it was not black and white silhouettes.
I prefer art style to be somewhat a bit realistic looking or so at least. Another few more good art style I can mention are Rireba (Nakatani), Personal Color (Yuuki Sakuraba) and Tohonifun (Chado). Maybe as well as UNKNOWN(Imizu) too.  I don't know about you guys but these are my opinions.

Man I love Chado's style!

[Calamity]

They made the 2hus look like chubby dwarves. And those eyes ... gah.

They're staying true to source material :derp:.  Joking aside, actual animated chubby dwarves look like this.

Fantasy Kaleidoscope is good on a technical level, consistency and animation quality, but I don't find the designs themselves unique enough. Say you happen to see a clip of Panty and Stocking or Lucky Star, if you've seen it before it's instantly familiar. I don't get that same feeling from Fantasy Kaleidoscope's style. It comes off to me as "an animation that happens to be Touhou related, also hey look at Yukari's boobs."

Maikaze captured that childish/endearing quality like FLASH said and it has an amazing color palette. It's more stylized and comical which lends itself better to the silly mishaps in a fantasy setting like Touhou. How could you not love SUPER INABA KICK while fighting over a watermelon of all things? It feels familiar and natural, I get the feeling of "Oh sweet I'm watching an actual Touhou anime" and that's why I like it more.

[Solomander]

Too much fanservice in Fantasy Kaleidoscope imo.

So far, Summer's Day Dream takes the cake for best art style.

[Mеа]

Fantasy Kaleidoscope is good on a technical level, consistency and animation quality, but I don't find the designs themselves unique enough. Say you happen to see a clip of Panty and Stocking or Lucky Star, if you've seen it before it's instantly familiar. I don't get that same feeling from Fantasy Kaleidoscope's style.

So what you're saying is that we need Zun-art animation

[snowflake247]

So what you're saying is that we need Zun-art animation

ZUN-art animation, you say? (Danbooru warning)

[The Dratini Farmer]

I'm actually okay with Zun-art animation. It would be interesting to see a full length episode or even a movie like that. It's grown on me since the first time I saw it.