CGI (computer-generated imagery) is one of the most controversial topics in the anime community. Many viewers see CGI as an ugliness that spoils the cozy anime style. CGI not only often looks poor, but also sometimes goes against the visual aesthetics of the title.
However, there are a number of outstanding exceptions to this rule, when CGI did not spoil the visuals, but, on the contrary, successfully complemented it.
Mamoru Oshii was one of the first directors to use computer graphics in anime. This happened back in the 1990s. For Ghost in the Shell, which is set in the near future, the use of CGI seems like it couldn't be more appropriate.
In the sequel, Oshii pushes this technology to its limits. If in the first film the world of cyberpunk looked cozy, then in the second it seems more ominous, mainly because of the incredibly realistic computer-generated characters.
A similar situation arose with another anime master – Katsuhiro Otomo, who you probably know from Akira. Steamboy is made in the steampunk aesthetic. That is, retro mechanisms and historical scenery are very important for it.
Steampunk dates back to the end of the 19th century when engineers and scientists were actively inventing the future. How to convey this feeling of progress on a visual level? Of course, with the help of graphics. Steamboy is a good example of CGI being an integral part of an artistic concept.
Studio Trigger has arguably reached the peak of CGI among other competitors in the anime industry. Promare, in turn, is their best work with graphics. The action in Promare takes place in an amazing and incredibly colorful sci-fi world.
To create a spectacular action movie, a lot of details need to be animated. Trigger handled this brilliantly, because in Promare you want to look at almost every frame under a magnifying glass.
Okay, everything is clear with science fiction, but how successfully is CGI used in other genres? The fantasy series Beastars shows a universe populated by anthropomorphic creatures.
The animals could have been animated traditionally, using 2D, but here, according to the creators, characters had to feel exclusively alive. However, such an effect is difficult to achieve in classical animation due to the relatively low frame rate, but CGI is excellent for such tasks.
This is a reboot of the classic anime franchise about a cat-like robot. You may know this story from the charming films and TV series made in 2D style. However, in order to win the hearts of younger viewers, the creators decided to transfer their stories to computer graphics.
The content remains the same: Doraemon is still the same sweet anime about childhood, but the reboot showed perfectly that CGI can be... cute and warm-hearted as well.
It may be a matter of aesthetics.
CGI (computer-generated imagery) is one of the most controversial topics in the anime community. Many viewers see CGI as an ugliness that spoils the cozy anime style. CGI not only often looks poor, but also sometimes goes against the visual aesthetics of the title.
However, there are a number of outstanding exceptions to this rule, when CGI did not spoil the visuals, but, on the contrary, successfully complemented it.
Mamoru Oshii was one of the first directors to use computer graphics in anime. This happened back in the 1990s. For Ghost in the Shell, which is set in the near future, the use of CGI seems like it couldn't be more appropriate.
In the sequel, Oshii pushes this technology to its limits. If in the first film the world of cyberpunk looked cozy, then in the second it seems more ominous, mainly because of the incredibly realistic computer-generated characters.
A similar situation arose with another anime master – Katsuhiro Otomo, who you probably know from Akira. Steamboy is made in the steampunk aesthetic. That is, retro mechanisms and historical scenery are very important for it.
Steampunk dates back to the end of the 19th century when engineers and scientists were actively inventing the future. How to convey this feeling of progress on a visual level? Of course, with the help of graphics. Steamboy is a good example of CGI being an integral part of an artistic concept.
Studio Trigger has arguably reached the peak of CGI among other competitors in the anime industry. Promare, in turn, is their best work with graphics. The action in Promare takes place in an amazing and incredibly colorful sci-fi world.
To create a spectacular action movie, a lot of details need to be animated. Trigger handled this brilliantly, because in Promare you want to look at almost every frame under a magnifying glass.
Okay, everything is clear with science fiction, but how successfully is CGI used in other genres? The fantasy series Beastars shows a universe populated by anthropomorphic creatures.
The animals could have been animated traditionally, using 2D, but here, according to the creators, characters had to feel exclusively alive. However, such an effect is difficult to achieve in classical animation due to the relatively low frame rate, but CGI is excellent for such tasks.
This is a reboot of the classic anime franchise about a cat-like robot. You may know this story from the charming films and TV series made in 2D style. However, in order to win the hearts of younger viewers, the creators decided to transfer their stories to computer graphics.
The content remains the same: Doraemon is still the same sweet anime about childhood, but the reboot showed perfectly that CGI can be... cute and warm-hearted as well.
