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25 June, 2026
Computer graphics have long ceased to be an exclusive tool of Western studios. In modern anime, the Japanese use CGI to create three-dimensional models of characters and environments. In this article, we will explore how the visual style of Japanese animation originated, as well as the impact of CGI anime on the viewer's perception.
For several decades, viewers associated anime with traditional, hand-drawn animation. However, the rapid development of computer technology forced animators to change their usual course. The audience split into two camps. Some accept CGI in anime. Others criticize it and ask, “Why is there CGI in anime?”
Before we dive into analyzing good and bad CGI anime, let’s look at what 3D anime is and its pros and cons.
CGI anime is a type of Japanese animation distinguished by its drawing style and emotional expressiveness. Unlike Western 3D, anime features simplified character shapes and expressiveness instead of realism. As a rule, Japanese animators do not strive for physical accuracy. Instead, they create an artistic style of 2D animation that aligns with the country’s culture.
The Japanese style of animation began to emerge in the 20th century, adopting some Western techniques. An interesting fact — the very first animation, “Katsudo Shashin,” lasted only three seconds. Slightly later, the two-minute film “Namakura Gatana” was released, demonstrating the first steps in the creation of animated works.
Osamu Tezuka is considered the father of anime. His work “Astro Boy” laid the foundations for all future Japanese animation. It was Tezuka who proposed focusing attention on the eyes and building deep narratives in animation. In terms of storytelling, anime appeals to both children and adults. Moreover, it covers a wide range of themes. A key feature is the reflection of original character archetypes, symbols, and stereotypes.
3D CGI anime is based on several principles:
In anime, the viewer must instantly understand the action from one or two poses, especially when it comes to fights. Therefore, specialists eliminate smoothness. The prime example is “Demon Slayer”. A sword strike is rendered through sharp pose changes: windup—impact point—follow-through.
CGI anime is known for its energy, contrast, and fast dynamics. This is because the Japanese aim to play on the viewer’s emotions. In the scenes of “Rebuild of Evangelion,” we saw how the battle would freeze for a few seconds to draw attention to a pose, followed by an explosion of movement.
Eyes and facial expression are important components of anime characters. In Japanese animation studios, they don’t spend much time on developing realistic features, expressions, or movements. Instead, they only clearly render the eyes, adding huge trembling pupils, and distort the mouth when screaming.
In the standard approach to creating 3D animation, a specialist sets the starting and ending poses. But when drawing anime, 5–10 key poses are set. The intervals between them are deliberately made short. This is precisely why movements happen in jerks or bursts.
The 3D character models in CGI anime have simplified proportions: small heads, long legs, and a complete lack of visible muscles. Sometimes the neck may bend at an unnatural angle. And the arms may be longer than necessary. This is precisely why viewers who are not accustomed to the peculiarities of Japanese animation ask the question: “Why is CGI anime so bad?”
Japanese animation has come a long way, from the first experiments to films and series that have won the hearts of viewers. Although computer graphics in anime can sometimes look out of place, we have put together a selection of the best CGI anime shows that stand out both for their animation and commercial performance.
The anime series in the dark fantasy genre was released in 2017. Here, the 3D graphics do not look cheap. Instead, they give the world a unique quality. Successful work with lighting, materials, and visual language changed the perception of CGI in anime.
The creators combined 2D and 3D animation techniques, giving the characters a striking appearance. Meticulous attention to animal fur, animated claws and fangs, more expressive facial features, as well as work with shadows and light—all of this made the CGI anime a global hit. Incidentally, “Beastars” gained widespread popularity on Netflix.
Studio MAPPA enhanced the atmosphere of the world through a mix of 2D and 3D techniques, as well as detailed backgrounds. CGI tools made it possible to render monsters and magical battles dynamically. The detailed textures conveyed the grimness of the world. This anime went viral on many streaming platforms.
In creating the 3D CGI anime “Knights of Sidonia,” cel shading (an imitation of classical hand-drawn animation) was used. The battles became smoother. And the 3D characters retained the spirit of Japanese animation thanks to hard shadows and textures.
The anime uses 3D models, though it may not be very noticeable to the viewer. Cel shading technology, as in “Knights of Sidonia,” preserved the 2D visual style. Initially, the transition to CGI was met with mixed reactions. But later viewers appreciated how computer graphics highlight the dynamics of the battles and the tense atmospheric backgrounds.
Studio Square Enix abandoned 2D hand-drawing and took on the production of an anime in which all scenes were created using advanced CGI tools. The pursuit of realism resulted in characters with facial features, skin, and hair with deep detail. At the same time, a key characteristic was preserved: large eyes. The release of the franchise based on the video game “Final Fantasy VII” proved commercially successful.
The CGI anime became a box office hit, once again proving the appropriateness of 3D graphics on screen. The lighting effects and clothing textures gave “Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero” a modern feel. Thanks to 3D models, the camera moved more freely. And we saw good dynamics in the key action scenes.
Although CGI can work well in anime, not all projects receive a positive response from viewers. In some cases, the quality of 3D animation becomes a subject of criticism. Poor quality is often due to limited budgets, tight production schedules, and attempts to replace traditional 2D animation without properly adapting the visual style. Below are several examples of anime that were negatively received by audiences due to their CGI execution.
Although the adaptation stays faithful to the events of the manga, the graphics in the anime leave much to be desired. Many viewers have noted the unnaturalness of the 3D animation, the jarring transitions between 2D and 3D styles, and the weak staging of the battle scenes.
“Ex-Arm” became a failed anime due to a multitude of problems. Critics have pointed out outdated environment rendering, artificial facial animation, weak action scenes, and a lack of motion physics.
This thriller-and-horror anime was condemned due to its limited animation, poor staging of tense moments, and minimal dynamics.
The first season of the anime series is considered highly controversial. Some admire the computer graphics, while others criticize it. As a CGI studio specializing in 3D animation and video production, we would highlight three problems:
Thus, CGI in anime is a tool whose effectiveness depends on the level of skill and the budget allocated. With proper adaptation of the visual style, 3D graphics in anime are quite applicable. “Land of the Lustrous,” “Beastars,” “Dorohedoro,” and other anime have proven this.
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