Sun and Moon Anime Art & Animation Appreciation Thread

[Dragon]

Sooo, I just wanted this thread to serve as a way to truly appreciate the art style and animation from the Sun and Moon arc of pokemon, because personally, I think it's quite wonderful. ;v;

Some scenes are just over the top and awesomeeee aha

 

[hotsushi-kun]

Yeah, their style is weird and visuals are absolutely stunning and incredible. A lot of pop cultural referneces are being made into this anime, including the infamous anime Pop Team Epic, where Kiawe and Ash make this kind of weird expression after they failed to each fail to capture Blacephalon and Xurkitree through the use of Beast Balls!

 

[Alloute]

I mean sometimes it works when it's used in moderation, but the dramatic animation style is kinda annoying in most instances it's used in. Like it may seem refreshing to some people to see Ash and co. drawn in Ren & Stimpy-esque style, but to me it looks ridiculous af when it's used only for gag purposes to get a cheap laugh. Sometimes less is more, so the animators need to tone it down I think...

 

[mishy.]

I love love love the animation in Sun and Moon. Not to much the dramatic images at times (kinda for the reason as mentioned above) but every now and then it just pops and works and brings out the moment! And overall I just think this style is so suiting for Sun and Moon considering the relaxed, school life that Sun/Moon is, as well as the more familial vibe and it's just fun and vibrant just like the series itself! I couldn't see Sun/Moon in the XYZ style to be honest!

 

[hotsushi-kun]

Misty and Brock redesign is also kinda awkward, they look more cartoony than the usual Japanese cultural styled they we're. I think i find it Sugimori does change its style more better and more refined quality to this today!!!!!!!

 

[Sheep]

I love the animation and style as well! Took a little getting used to at first since it was so different to the Pokémon anime I was used to, but now I'm a huge fan and find the series very fun and expressive. I don't find it excessive or annoying and am having a blast watching through this. 👍

 

[QuietDragon]

If you go further back, like anime and manga from the 60's and 70's, you'll find it used to be quite rounded and cartoony! The current style has some things in common with the likes of Doraemon (and, yeah, Osomatsu-kun/Osomatsu-san).

I don't like the over-the-top "zany" stuff when it's too much, but I love how expressive everyone is, subtle body language when it's there (Mallow and her mom ;___;), and the disrupted lines to make things look softer (Rowlet's feathers when being stroked, Snowy's fur when it was first hatched, Lillie's hair at times...).

I also really love when the Rockets are drawn in more mature styles!!

Once the show's art style settled into more uniform and, honestly, kind of formulaic expressions (outside of very creative head animators like Iwane-san and Tamagawa-san, who always had their own distinct styles of dtawing, shading, etc.), we never got to see expressions that really pushed things past Kanto (it might look more "serious" for the more angular 90's style, but if you go back and watch, especially comedic episodes or ones where the characters freak out a LOT like when Ash met Gengar and Gastly in Lavender Town, creative sight gags and wacky expressions were in Kanto too! It's just not as heavily used).

The really nice thing about how free it is, isn't just the wacky faces, but getting to make more detailed expressions even in serious moments (Lillie's fear was often drawn in comical ways, but this look of genuine fear was one of the earliest hints it was something serious...).

So seeing expressions this rich really makes SuMo stand out. The artists all seem to have more freedom!