The creator of the classic manga and anime series Akira, Otomo Katsuhiro, has stirred up a heated debate with his candid disapproval of modern anime’s repetitive art style. Akira has changed the industry with its truly groundbreaking and influential visuals, despite being released way back in 1988.
Since he is the mastermind behind this work, his opinions do have a considerable amount of weight. The timeless quality of art in Akira, which has remained longer than many modern mecha anime series, makes his sentiments all the more relevant and worthy of exploration.
Otomo-sensei Does Not Like The Modern Art Style of Anime
A resurfaced 2017 interview has shed some light on Katsuhiro Otomo’s artistic vision for anime, which offered several insightful viewpoints from this legendary creator himself. During the interview, he made some frank yet hot statements regarding the current state of the anime industry.
When he was asked to give his impression about the modern anime, he said that personally he does not enjoy the ‘visual style’ of most of the modern anime. Further, he went above and beyond, saying these animations are for the more perverted anime enthusiasts who would like to get their hands on them in any way possible.
I don’t really like the art style of most anime these days, the ones that appeal to otaku tastes. So that means I don’t watch much modern anime.
Otomo is pretty selective with films that he would watch. However, he does have some exceptions like Your Name and In This Corner of the World, which are a visual feast for the eyes themselves. Interestingly, he discussed how he liked the new Gundam: The Origin series, proving that he still has a space for mecha anime within him.
Also, Otomo leans quite a bit towards Yasuhiko’s works. In fact, he considers Arion as one of his favorites, with some of the other ones like Venus Wars and Giant Gorg. Perhaps another reason he aims for that kind of quality, be it in art and craftsmanship, is the nostalgia for more classic anime that might be missing in most of the modern anime, as he views it.
The Lack of Uniqueness In Modern Anime Art Style
Katsuhiro Otomo’s critique on the contemporary look of anime art is all the more important, considering his pioneering and visionary contribution to the industry. Being the creator, director, and artist, Otomo transformed the face of this medium, when Akira was first adapted into a movie, bringing it to global circulation and inspiring other artists and creators.
His criticisms sound particularly like a sentiment heard of many anime fans: that modern anime has become way too homogenized, with so many different series reusing the same color schemes and, above all, character designs. Shows like Aldnoah Zero and Darling in the Franxx further solidify this trend.
On a better note, Otomo’s comments criticized the lack of originality in modern anime art and forced a much-needed conversation about innovation and creativity for the future of visual storytelling in anime.
The Akira movie is available to stream on Crunchyroll.
