Character Design | Mechanical Design | Scene Painting < Anime Aesthetic

Body | The Head

Although individual styles vary from character designer to character degisner, there are definite distinctive qualities of anime characters.

Generally the limbs are extended and the hands, feet, head and even hair are larger than realistic proportions. All such attributes allow for more exagerated movements which are essential to any type of character animation and makes it easier for animators to show movement.

The female figure is often times even more exagerated, often mirroring the proportions of fashion design sketches, with extra long legs and extremely skinny. A big source of controversy is the often large and overly exagerated breasts of anime women, often shown in jiggle (GAINAXing) and exploited for the sole purpose of fan service.

Often times too, boys and girls are dressed in school uniforms, especially the infamous sailor suit uniform for girls (Sailor Fuku). As for other fashions, it always depends on the setting of the anime, but there is a genuine commitment to realism in fashion just like there is a commitment to realism in other aspects of design work.

And of course there are exceptions to these basic guidelines, but for the most part, these are all part of the standard anime aesthetic.