Most unique art style
AnimeUnlisted
"Most unique"—not just unique or distinct, but MOST unique—"art styles"—i.e. something consistent, not just occasional instances of uniqueness.
What's included:
— Consistently unique art style applied throughout an anime, or most of it
— Anime that's instantly recognisable from just one frame
— Unique use of colour, if it's used consistently
What's not included:
— One character with a unique art style
— Unique characters set in otherwise ordinary art
— Instances of cool, yet isolated visuals
— Colourful anime with ordinary art style
— Anime I haven't seen yet
You may disagree with some of my choices, but as anime is a medium that doesn't have much visual range, there aren't many outliers, and the outliers aren't very distinct.
I'm not drawing on art theory or analysis to inform this list, just art that is visually distinct and unique.
In it's current state, this list is best for people relatively new to anime, though I hope to expand it with more obscure examples relevant to people who've seen more anime.
To keep the list clean, I've omitted sequels.
Should be on this list but isn't on MAL:
— Bee and Puppy Cat
Related stacks:
— VISUALLY INSANE part 1
— Memorable Art Styles
— Distinctive Art Styles
— Animes with a unique art style by Jamison2210
— Distinctive Art Styles by FiviG
This list has been sorted by MAL score (highest score at the top).
What's included:
— Consistently unique art style applied throughout an anime, or most of it
— Anime that's instantly recognisable from just one frame
— Unique use of colour, if it's used consistently
What's not included:
— One character with a unique art style
— Unique characters set in otherwise ordinary art
— Instances of cool, yet isolated visuals
— Colourful anime with ordinary art style
— Anime I haven't seen yet
You may disagree with some of my choices, but as anime is a medium that doesn't have much visual range, there aren't many outliers, and the outliers aren't very distinct.
I'm not drawing on art theory or analysis to inform this list, just art that is visually distinct and unique.
In it's current state, this list is best for people relatively new to anime, though I hope to expand it with more obscure examples relevant to people who've seen more anime.
To keep the list clean, I've omitted sequels.
Should be on this list but isn't on MAL:
— Bee and Puppy Cat
Related stacks:
— VISUALLY INSANE part 1
— Memorable Art Styles
— Distinctive Art Styles
— Animes with a unique art style by Jamison2210
— Distinctive Art Styles by FiviG
This list has been sorted by MAL score (highest score at the top).
TV, 1999,
? eps
Me:-
Author:6
Due to the unique character, environment, and location design, with each location serving as different genre—a vessle to shape—the evolving story and the characters that take place within it, there's nothing that looks like quite like One Piece.
Each arc has a unique look, either due to the art being updated with more modern techniques, or—later on—a deliberate choice to make each arc look unique.
Each arc has a unique look, either due to the art being updated with more modern techniques, or—later on—a deliberate choice to make each arc look unique.
TV, 2016,
12 eps
Me:-
Author:-
I've only seen a bit of this anime, so I may revise the decision to include it here later. Still, it strikes me as very recognisable, even if it's not too distinct from other anime.
TV, 2011,
12 eps
Me:-
Author:8
While the design of the main protagonists aren't unique, the antagonist and the visuals associated with them are, and both are featured frequently enough to warrant addition to this list.
I would also include other entries from this franchise, but I haven't added them yet.
I would also include other entries from this franchise, but I haven't added them yet.
TV, 2009,
15 eps
Me:-
Author:8
Not so much the character design, but everything that surrounds it and the way the anime is presented.
Movie, 2013,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:-
A definitive example of what a unique art style looks like. It's not just about character design. It's the way EVERYTHING is made, artistically.
TV, 2018,
12 eps
Me:-
Author:8
This anime is almost instantly recognisable when you see a frame from it due to the colour pallet, character design, and how they express their emotions.
TV, 2011,
25 eps
Me:-
Author:8
There's a sharpness and clarity to this series contrasted with a paradoxical softness that, combined with certain traits of the character design, make it more distinct than the traditional anime that uses a similar artstyle.
TV, 1989,
291 eps
Me:-
Author:8
Not just the character design, but the way environments and objects are portrayed makes DBZ very recognisable.
I haven't seen enough of Dragon Ball (the prequel) or GT (the sequel) to assess whether it's a good addition here. And Super (the other sequel) is more of a product than a work of art, sadly.
I haven't seen enough of Dragon Ball (the prequel) or GT (the sequel) to assess whether it's a good addition here. And Super (the other sequel) is more of a product than a work of art, sadly.
TV, 2020,
12 eps
Me:-
Author:-
It's not the character design that's unique, but the way they're drawn and the creative worlds they inhabit and create.
TV, 2020,
12 eps
Me:-
Author:-
Haven't seen it, but I've seen enough to know it's a good fit for this list.
Movie, 2000,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:8
Visually distinct to the conventional anime aesthetic. Expertly composed, such that you could pluck out almost any frame and hang it as a picture.
ONA, 2018,
10 eps
Me:-
Author:-
Almost impossible to confuse with anything else.
TV, 2014,
12 eps
Me:-
Author:6
While the facial design pulls most of the weight of this anime, out of all the anime I've seen, there's a distinctive feel to this that I find memorable.
There's other anime like Kimi Ni Todoke, March Comes like a Lion (which I've only seen a bit of), and Toradora that are worthy of consideration for this list, but I need to think more about whether, beyond the character design, the overall art style is unique enough to be considered "most" unique.
There's other anime like Kimi Ni Todoke, March Comes like a Lion (which I've only seen a bit of), and Toradora that are worthy of consideration for this list, but I need to think more about whether, beyond the character design, the overall art style is unique enough to be considered "most" unique.
TV, 2001,
13 eps
Me:-
Author:6
Gothic. Probably the least visually distinct entry on this list, it's still suitably gothic and harkens back to a style of anime we don't see anymore, such as what was used in Ninja Scroll.
I haven't seen Hellsing Ultimate yet.
I haven't seen Hellsing Ultimate yet.
Movie, 1991,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:6
The art style used for characters and objects isn't unique, but the way environments are presented during flashback sequences is. It's not just an effect applied on top of the art, but integrated into the art.
OVA, 2003,
9 eps
Me:-
Author:10
A variety of different art styles, each quite distinct from what you normally see in anime.
ONA, 2021,
9 eps
Me:-
Author:6
Season 1 and 2 of Star Wars visions has some excellent visual and art style variety—something you can only find in an experimental anthology series like this.
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