3D in Anime: The Good and the Bad...

This is a topic that fascinates me in animation terms, not just because of the visual differences but also because of the advances that have been made in animation technology over the years. It's a subject that isnt just restricted to Anime, however for the purpose of this blog it was easier to narrow the field to put my point across.

The general point is that in the last decade or so 3D animation has not only improved, but has made major strides in terms of it's overall visual quality. It's safe to say that early attempts at using 3D havent age'd very well at all, mostly because it's a constantly evolving format, You only have to look at the rise of 4K Resolution in visual media to understand how even High-Definition picture is evolving into a new era.

So why discuss this with Anime and not another format?, well put simply anime has a sort of strange middle ground with 3D. Some use it to enhance things that were previously difficult to animate or did'nt look right in 2D (such as vehicles and environments), while others will rely on 3D completely. It's a mixed bag of hit and miss examples.

An Example of the good would be Rooster Teeth's RWBY, now some people are hard pressed to call it anime because it is entirely 3D, However RWBY does a rather clever version of 3D animation with a software programme called Poser. This has allowed them to use 3D Technology to mimic the 2D appearence of Anime whilst using the more dynamic animations of 3D, which make's for an unusual yet surprisingly well realised style of animation. Even Vocaloid (as seen pictured above) shows how well Anime can be translated into 3D if done properly.

However to look at a bad exmple of 3D im going to use Avenger's Confidential: Black Widow and Punisher produced by Madhouse with Marvel and Sony Pictures. The Anime is actually animated in 2D, in fact I'd go as far to say that at least 99% of the Anime is 2D, but its that last one percent that is reserved for some of the most pointless 3D i have ever seen. It's used on Characters wearing armor, such as Iron Man and War Machine and the super soldiers, and that's it. Now it does'nt look terrible but the problem for me is that it seems like a complete waste of time, mainly because their is no reason they could not have been animated in 2D. It is such a pointless usage of 3D that it frustrates me every time i see it, it's not like they were'nt doing anything that had'nt ever been done in 2D before. It actually comes off a tad lazy in that regard, it's only defence is that it looks good alongside everything else.

Once again this topic comes down to personal preference, you may have a more traditional view on animtion where 2D is the way forward. Or you may be more inclined to believe that 2D should be relegated to the dark ages in favour of 3D. You could even be like me and enjoy animation regardless of its format and base your opinion on how well made it is, and its really only early attempt's at 3D that are the worst examples.

It's certainly a topic that will remain relevant for years to come.