What draws you in?

[JWR]

When you look over new anime shows or manga are there certain character traits in their designs that catch your attention more than others that create interest to check it out more and potentially add to your watch list?

Do you find that in viewing your collection that you have art from different shows that share those character traits?

In our case with most of the series we like enough to watch and collect from we seem to be drawn to characters whose designs are more "realistic". What I mean is that they seem to have more "normal" body proportions.
An example would be Aoi Sakuraba from Ai Yori Aoshi http://ryan.rubberslug.com/gallery/inv_ ... mID=344913
and Akane Tendo from Ranma 1/2 http://ryan.rubberslug.com/gallery/inv_ ... emID=66767

They do not have the longer and thinner body proportions of lets use as an example those found on the manga & anime series based on Clamp designs. They do not go to the other extreme that is found in series like Divergence Eve where a K cup does not have anything to do with coffee. Also the faces seem to be more rounded on the jaw line.

When we sat down and thought about it most series we collect have character designs in that style. From 3X3 Eyes to To Heart and more those traits pop up. It was not planned that way but that is what I guess shows how we can be drawn to a character/anime or manga without thinking about it. It is what we like but is no better or worse than what others are drawn to.

So what DRAWS YOU IN?

[star-phoenix]

When I used to collect Anime, I would often times collect Bishounen like Sesshoumaru from Inuyasha, Yue from Card Captor Sakura, Kurama/Yohko Kurama from YYH. I also had a lot of favorites in mech/tech and robots.

My vintage art collection if quite different though.... very hard to say as far as patterns go. I look for mainly iconic scenes from iconic films . . . like "what is the one shot in a film that you can pick, that will give the viewer an idea as to what that film is about or what it is famous for?" This hobby tends to be super expensive. So, I have to pick wisely with this!

[KinoLRB]

Interesting topic JWR!

I'm drawn to shows/films with more grounded character designs: shows like Lain, Kino's Journey, Noir, Neo Ranga, Berserk, where there isn't as much emphasis on the characters' prettiness. It's not that I don't enjoy bishounen/bishoujo centered anime, but I prefer more a realistic, even serious, design. It's also important to me that the a series' visual style syncs well with the tone of the show.

[GuyvarIII]

I like to show a little bit of everything... the very Asian folk tale look of classic 1960s anime like: Anju to Zushio Maru and Wanpaku Oji no Orochi Taji; the brightly colored, iconic, heroic look of giant robot and super hero anime of the 1970s like: Ga-Keen and Casshan; and even some of the cool look of a few post-cel anime like: Animatrix, and Hellsing.

However, for me the look of anime hit a high point during the 1980s through the 1990s. The highly detailed designs of the characters, the mechanical ships and robots, and the monsters in a lot of the OVAs and movies were amazing to me. You can see below for some examples from my collection:



In those years of well remembered anime like: Akira, Arslan, Five Star Stories, Lodoss War, Ninja Scroll, and Wings of Honneamise; and lesser known works, like: Akai Hayate, Digital Devil, Angel's Egg, Salamander, Kasei Yakyoku, Utsunomiko, and Weathering Continent, my favorite anime shows are found. And, while they might not all have had fluid animation, and some plots were much better than others, they all had a lot of style, and a great look that is showcased in the cels and other production art that remain.

[Krafty]

I like to show a little bit of everything...
And, while they might not all have had fluid animation, and some plots were much better than others, they all had a lot of style, and a great look that is showcased in the cels and other production art that remain.

Yeah, I'd agree. To me, the 80's-late 90's showcased the best in character design. Today's anime is lacklustre and uninventive- probably a combination of uninspired CGI animation, stricter production budgets/timeframes and the proliferation of either contemporary realistic or ultra wacky styles.
I have a handful of favourite character designers/artists and have found that their style is consistant through the various projects they worked on over the years. Their distinct shonen approach appeals to me most because of their originality, attention to detail and bold use of line-weight in the design. On first thoughts I'd say that many of the designs I like feature masculine men and voluptuous women but that's not always the case. Otomo, for example, has a realistic approach to drawing.

I'd cite my faves as Katsuhiro Otomo (Akira, Freedom); Junichi Hayama (Street Fighter Alpha, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, Fist of the North Star); Yoshiaki Kawajiri (Cyber City, Ninja Scroll, VHD: Bloodlust); Masami Obari (Gowcaizer, Angel Blade); Yasuomi Umetsu (Mezzo Forte, Kite); Masamune Shirow (Appleseed, Dominion Tank Police).

Do you find that in viewing your collection that you have art from different shows that share those character traits?

100% yes. I aim to get shots that sum up a scene AND character's personality. For some shows where I have 200+ pieces, I really aim to acheive that, otherwise I'll just try to get an image that appeals visually without any context.