Anime Narratives and 3D CG Aesthetics

Abstract

TV anime’s reliance on 2D-limited animation techniques was born in the 1960s out of budgetary constraints, but since then it has been embraced as a defining feature, especially in shōnen (boys) anime. This genre famously features protagonists who perform miraculous actions with unpredictable outcomes, the details of which can be conveniently left unvisualized under the guise of stylistic omission. Today, however, as 3D modeling and animation techniques are integrated more and more visibly into the animation pipeline, the relatively easier portrayal of seamless physical performance as spectacle may conflict with the mystery of how the shōnen hero operates. This chapter seeks to determine whether the concept of “3D anime” is plausible and how the shōnen anime narrative remains animeesque in terms of causal ambiguity. © Cambridge University Press & Assessment 2024.