The “anime art style” is one of the most iconic elements of the medium we all know and love. Your casual fan might not know their Rengoku from their Gojo, but show them a screenshot from a series that uses the typical anime art style, and they’ll be able to recognize the medium. Most anime innovate upon the style, adding subtle inflections or having insanely high animation quality to stand out from other shows. But, sometimes an anime will completely subvert the trend and use a fresh, creative, and unique art style.
We want to take a moment to highlight the anime that are truly one of a kind. You won’t find shows like Solo Leveling that have high-quality but conventional fight scenes, or Trigun Stampede, which is one of the rare anime to use 3D animation well. These 10 anime are all one of a kind, and it’s thanks in large part to their very unique art styles.
1) JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure
There really is nothing quite like JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, and this extends to its art style. Given its status within pop culture and the anime fandom, many viewers take JJBA‘s art style for granted, as we’ve all become used to it thanks to the overwhelming wave of memes stemming from the series. But JJBA is a visually unique series.
Created by Hirohiko Araki in 1987, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure puts a fresh spin on anime character design. Many anime use soft curves and round shapes when creating characters. JJBA does away with that, as every cheek, chest, jaw, and hairline is sharp and harsh. The series almost has a block-like quality to its art. Other series have tried to replicate the style, but none have done it to the same quality as Jojo‘s.
2) Katanagatari
Katanagatari takes a relatively straightforward plot; a swordsman and a strategist hunting around Edo-period Japan for 12 mythical swords, and brings it to life with beautiful and cartoonish animation. The series is based on the light novels by Nisio Isin and illustrated by Take. It is the latter who is responsible for Katanagatari‘s unmistakable art style.
Katanagatari‘s art style feels like a blend of Japanese and Western animation. It’s a hard style to describe, as the character design feels more inspired by typical anime. But subtle details like the eyes, nose, and face shape go against the conventions. Meanwhile, the vibrant and colorful backgrounds and scenery are breathtaking to behold in their own right.
3) Ping Pong the Animation
Ping Pong the Animation might be more famous for its unique art style than its story. Based on the manga Ping Pong by Taiyo Matsumoto, it follows two high school friends who compete in a table tennis tournament. It has all the elements of a great sports anime, but those qualities are often overshadowed by its unique art style.
Ping Pong the Animation almost has an expressionistic quality to its animation. The backgrounds are often drawn with realistic detail, but that is contrasted by the character designs. The characters look overly cartoonish with a hand-drawn quality, which lends itself to the over-the-top nature of its sports scenes. Just one look at a screenshot from Ping Pong tells you how unique the series is.
4) Devilman: Crybaby
Netflix anime often face a lot of criticism from fans for looking similar and underwhelming, with Devil May Cry and Castlevania: Nocturne receiving the brunt of that criticism. But one of the streamer’s most underrated series, Devilman: Crybaby, fixes the issue with astounding results.
Based on the Devilman manga series by Go Nagai, Netflix’s adaptation dives headfirst into the weirdness and over-the-top nature of the series. During its quieter moments, Devilman: Crybaby looks relatively normal, albeit with slightly unusual character design. But, during the action, the series gets intense, and dials the strange animation up to 11.
5) XXXHolic
Its title might sound like something you’d find on the Ecchi section of HiDive, but XXXHolic is actually a vastly underrated anime that ran between 2006 and 2011. Based on the manga by Clamp, the series follows Kimihiro, a high schooler who can see spirits and monsters. When he makes a deal with Yuko, a witch, to remove his ability so he can live a normal life, it comes with a steep price.
The most unique aspect of XXXHolic is its character design. Juxtaposed by realistic backgrounds, the characters appear elongated, pale, and almost cartoonish. It’s a gorgeous style that wasn’t done justice in the 2022 live-action movie.
6) Gankutsuou: The Count Of Monte Cristo
Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo is another series that is arguably more renowned for its art style than anything else. Created by Mahiro Maeda, The Count of Monte Cristo is paradoxically realistic and surrealist. The character designs and outlines are fairly realistic, depicting the characters without too much flair. But the colors explode with vibrancy and texture.
From the eponymous Count’s galaxy colored hair to the exuberant clothing designs, not to mention the great animation quality, everything about the series screams artistic freedom. Animated by Studio Gonzo, The Count of Monte Cristo is a must-watch for its beautifully unique animation alone.
7) Afro Samurai
Afro Samurai often gets overshadowed by Samurai Champloo and Black Lagoon, two series with which it is often compared. But, as well as having a kick ass story and amazing action, Afro Samurai might have one of the most unique takes on character design of any modern anime.
Created by Takashi Okazaki, the series blends traditional Japanese animation with American pop culture iconography and hip hop influence. The design of the titular Afro Samurai (voiced by Samuel L. Jackson in the English dub) was heavily inspired by the Blaxploitation movies of the 1970s.
8) The Tale Of Princess Kaguya
We never specified that the anime had to be a TV series. The Tale of Princess Kaguya, released in 2013, is one of the most colorful and vibrant anime movies of the modern era (not to mention the most expensive anime movie of all time). The story follows a farmer and his wife who discover a tiny girl inside a stalk of bamboo. When she grows up to be a beautiful young lady, five suitors must perform various impossible tasks to win her hand.
Princess Kaguya‘s art style builds upon its fantastical concept. Animated by none other than Studio Ghibli, the movie is simplistic in its use of linework and color. But, in this minimalism, it allows the bold and bright colors to shine.
9) Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash
Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash isn’t just a unique isekai because of its plot; it’s also one of the most beautifully animated series in the genre. The story follows the typical trope of a group of young adults awakening in a fantasy world and fighting monsters. However, they’re not overpowered heroes; they have the same skills they did in their past life, making killing a single goblin a very difficult feat.
Grimgar contrasts its grounded story with a beautiful and expressionistic art style. The character designs are fairly basic, but the landscape is rendered in gorgeous watercolor. If only more anime embraced watercolors. Grimgar is a must-watch anyway, but its stunning scenery is just another reason to check out the series.
10) The Tatami Galaxy
If you haven’t watched The Tatami Galaxy, go and watch it. If you have already seen it and didn’t truly appreciate its art style, go and watch it again! The series’ art style is akin to Ping Pong The Animation and The Count of Monte Cristo, but with one key difference: The Tatami Galaxy never stops pushing the boundaries of its own animation.
Animated by Science SARU, every scene in the series feels utterly unique. What’s more, each scene feels even more impressive than the last. The series blends the traditional anime aesthetic with a pop art vibe and surreal character design to create a truly one-of-a-kind anime.
Honorable Mention: Dandadan
We can’t call Dandadan a truly unique series, as, during its slower scenes, the show looks like a lot of other anime. But, we had to include it as a special mention because of how it changes things up and embraces various art styles during its intense action.
Each fight in Dandadan feels unique, and this is in part due to the action. The Flatwoods Monster, the Earthbound Spirit Crab, and Nessie all have very different tones and atmospheres because of their differing art styles.
Do you agree with our list? Are there any other anime with very unique art styles? Let us know in the comments below…
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