Favourite Art Style in the series

[Shiyonasan]

I'll have to agree with BobZ on this one. The style that's introduced during the Artificial Human arc comes in a close second, though.

[Daimo-Rukiri]

I really enjoyed the art in the Cell arc, the Saiya-jin arc had the best though.

[Godo]

As many have said before: the 23rd Budokai and the arrival of Radditz. This goes for both the manga and the anime.

[BobZ]

So, I finally got over my laziness and decided to upload some more shots, this time from DBOX DVD1.
Prepare for one image-heavy post.

In the first DVD we can actually see many of the main art styles used in the series. Some of them good, some not so.

Episode 001:



- It's a style I enjoy, though it's not one of my favourites. I even used to hate it back in the day, because it seemed too edgy or something. They use this art from DB all the way to GT.

Episode 002:



- Awesome art style and an awesome episode. I don't recall seeing too much of it after the Saiyajin Arc, if at all seeing it afterwards, but the style is very good.

Episode 003:



- That one's not that good, but it's endurable to say the least. I think they also use it until the end of Z and later on they introduce a second one with it (in many episodes they actually had two styles - one more detailed and another simpler), which is better and we get to see it sometime during the Freeza arc. I'll probably get back to it when I see it in future episodes.

Episode 004:



- For a very long time this was one of my favourite art styles in the series. Later I grew out of it though. At times the way the bodies are drawn just seemes too unrealistic. And as I mentioned above, we often have two styles during an episode - with this one, we have the famous caveman style introduced, as you can see from the third screenshot.

Episode 006:



- Now that has honestly got to be my least favourite art in the whole series. I used to not be able to stand it at all while watching the show some years ago. Now I've learned to accept it as it is. But it's very ugly in my opinion. The second art introduced later in these episodes really saves our eyes but only for a short while until this horrendous thing returns.

Episode 007:



- My favourite one, as already shown in the fist page of the topic. This is the first appearance of the style in the series, so that's why I decided to include it again.

* Eyecatchers



- As a bonus, I'll mention (not that you probably haven't noticed) that the art used for the eyecatchers is that same, awesome, most coolest one.

...

Whew. That's it for now. I'll be back with more soon.

[Piccolo Daimao]

I don't know if it's just me, but the art style in those episodes look pretty much the same all the way through.

[Metalwario64]

with this one, we have the famous caveman style introduced, as you can see from the third screenshot. [/i]

I was never aware that anyone besides me referred to that art style as the "caveman art style". It's perfectly fitting though, as the movements and storyboarding look very, very stiff and barbaric, and they have small heads and large bodies, and punches and kicks often just "slide" and animation often loops awkwardly. I wonder why people often cite the "triangle crap" art style as the worst one, when it at least animated a bit smoothly compared to the "caveman art style".

Things really took a dive for this art style in the F­rieza arc. It also appears that it wasn't used much, if at all after that.

Here are some of the worst instances of the "caveman art style" during the F­rieza arc:

That kick was just Fri­eza sliding across the screen slowly with looping animation and he just slid his knee into Goku... In Kai they cut out that weird looping slide, and cut straight to the kick and it felt much more powerful.



Look at that, he looks like he's either extremely scared, or on drugs...






Honestly, I can tell they were trying to be accurate to the manga here... but it's almost as though they simply used the manga as a storyboard. I can barely make out what's happening in this animation without looking at it frame by frame because it is so stiff and awkward. You need to see it in motion to truly understand how strange this animation is...


After that kick, he just stares... and stares... until


He couldn't see that coming?! Also the stripe on Goku's boot is severely off-center...


Then like in the manga panel, he slides... then he slides... and slides... and slides some more...


Prrrrroportions? What for!!?


Is this supposed to look funny?

I don't know if it's just me, but the art style in those episodes look pretty much the same all the way through.

I agree, except for the "caveman art style" and the "triangle crap" which really stick out.

[Cipher]

I remember seeing a thread a long time ago (when I was just browsing) that actually found all the studio names for the different styles. That'd be handy.

The best styles are a new, extremely stylized one that was brought in for the Buu arc (they do a lot of interesting things with the eyes, and dynamic poses) and GT on pretty much any good day (I just dig the color palette and overall direction on that series).

The worst, by far, is the rounded, stiff style that starts becoming extremely obvious from late Cell arc all the way to the end of GT. It looks terrible. Say what you will about "triangle crap." At least that animates well. This style both looks terrible and is never fluidly animated.

I wonder why people often cite the "triangle crap" art style as the worst one, when it at least animated a bit smoothly compared to the "caveman art style".

Because apparently people don't care about how fluid animation is if their characters look pointy. It's the damnedest thing.

[BobZ]

I remember seeing a thread a long time ago (when I was just browsing) that actually found all the studio names for the different styles. That'd be handy.

That would be so cool if anybody has it lying around or something. I would be more than interested to further be able to distinguish between the different art styles and animations. So far I've only gone with what I could make out for myself (as you can see from my dissection) and that's really not that consistent and probably is not that easy to understand by other viewers.

As for the "caveman art style", I think I came across the term when you used IT in a recent Kai episode topic and it just sounded so natural to me that I thought that it was actually wide-spread here. So, props go to you then, Metalwario64 - it really is a fitting name for the style. xD

I don't know if it's just me, but the art style in those episodes look pretty much the same all the way through.

Piccolo Daimao, I personally don't see it that way. I distinguish quite a lot of different art styles throughout the series. Of course, they are supposed to look similar, but each has its own unique characteristics that makes it stand out from the rest of the crowd. And that's one of the reasons I decided to create this topic.

[Metalwario64]

As for the "caveman art style", I think I came across the term when you used in a recent Kai episode topic and it just sounded so natural to me that I thought that it was actually wide-spread here. So, props go to you then, Metalwario64 - it really is a fitting name for the style. xD

Brings a tear to my eye...



I actually came up with that when I was a kid, as I always thought that Goke[EDIT] lolwut? seemed like a barbaric caveman when that art style was used while his shirt was half-torn off in the Fr­ieza arc with all of the yelling and music from the Season Three dub. I never really paid much attention to it outside of those instances, because even the instances of it during the Saiyan arc looked better than it did during the Fr­ieza arc.

There was also a lot of "caveman art style" usage throughout the Piccolo vs. F­rie­za fight, and the Garlic Jr. arc. I specifically remember some really awkwardly looping laugh animations from the latter...

I hope the name catches on, because it truly fits.

[Piccolo Daimaoh]

Definately the 23th Tenka'ichi Budoukai arc, followed by the Saiyan arc.

[TenshinFan]

I agree with most people here, 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai + Saiyan Saga, with Namek/Freeza second.

[kei17]

with this one, we have the famous caveman style introduced, as you can see from the third screenshot. [/i]

I was never aware that anyone besides me referred to that art style as the "caveman art style". It's perfectly fitting though, as the movements and storyboarding look very, very stiff and barbaric, and they have small heads and large bodies, and punches and kicks often just "slide" and animation often loops awkwardly. I wonder why people often cite the "triangle crap" art style as the worst one, when it at least animated a bit smoothly compared to the "caveman art style".

Things really took a dive for this art style in the F­rieza arc. It also appears that it wasn't used much, if at all after that.

Here are some of the worst instances of the "caveman art style" during the F­rieza arc:

*snips*

The man who drew those "caveman art style" animations is Tomekichi Takeuchi, who was already about 70 years old when the Freeza arc was going on. He was such old that he was even drafted into military service in the WWII and battled against U.S. Army at Guadalcanal. You can say he was old like caveman as an animator... but he did make some good works sometimes. I made an AMV of his fine works.

DB Animator AMV: Tomekichi Takeuchi
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mg5w5uDKWCY&fmt=35

By the way, my favourite art style is the style of Masahiro Shimanuki. He draws on very fine detail in sharp lines and animation is just wonderful. I made his AMV's, too.

DB Animator AMV: Masahiro Shimanuki
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fc9h48D0Mhg&fmt=35
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAU1dj7SdBw&fmt=35

And the girls he drew are always ...just awesome.

[Snail]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4Wc6034 ... 1&index=72

^This.

[BobZ]

kei17, those AMVs were beyond awesome! It was really interesting to see the names and get some information about the actual people that brought Dragon Ball to life.

So, basically Tomekichi Takeuchi and Masahiro Shimanuki worked together and animated different bits in episodes.

Snail, that's mine and many others' favourite art as well, that first appeared in DBZ Episode 007 as I mentioned above.
It would be cool to know that animator's (and everyone else's) name(s) too.

[kei17]

kei17, those AMVs were beyond awesome! It was really interesting to see the names and get some information about the actual people that brought Dragon Ball to life.

So, basically Tomekichi Takeuchi and Masahiro Shimanuki worked together and animated different bits in episodes.

Masahiro Shimanuki was working for the company named "Seigasha", which was established by Tomekichi Takeuchi. Kazuya Kuda, Naoki Tate, Megumi(Kei?) Yamashita worked there as well, and now Kazuya Kuda is the character designer of One Piece. Others are working as animation supervisors in One Piece, as well. I can't disrespect Tomekichi Takeuchi if his works look like "caveman style" because he teached and brought up these great animators. I do respect him.

*edit*
By the way, the screenshots you put in the first post in this topic are all the works of Katsuhiro Nakatsuru. Everyone says he is the best animator in the DB series. He also worked with Seigasha staff in the early DB episodes.

[Metalwario64]

The man who drew those "caveman art style" animations is Tomekichi Takeuchi, who was already about 70 years old when the Freeza arc was going on. He was such old that he was even drafted into military service in the WWII and battled against U.S. Army at Guadalcanal. You can say he was old like caveman as an animator... but he did make some good works sometimes. I made an AMV of his fine works.

Uh...

I didn't know that! I wasn't trying to call him a "caveman" for his age, I didn't even know how old he was, or who he was for that matter! If that offended you than I apologize...

Damn, this is like the Nostalgia Critic mocking Mako incident...

[Gaffer Tape]

Yeah... except Nostalgia Critic still pronounces Mako's name wrong. It's Mah-ko, not May-ko. I cringe every time I hear it.

Anyway, this is a fun conversation, because I'm watching through my DBoxes again (in anticipation for number 3), and this time I'm trying to learn to distinguish the different animation styles, with the help of the Kanzentai episode guide.

[Metalwario64]

Yeah... except Nostalgia Critic still pronounces Mako's name wrong. It's Mah-ko, not May-ko. I cringe every time I hear it.

Yeah, but you know what I meant.

The whole "mocking" (although mine was unintentional, and NC's was for humor) someone who is important and dear to others without knowing it... I had wrongly assumed he was some amateur artist or something, but didn't know he held such seniority in animation... I had no idea that the scenes I was picking apart where animated by him in his 70's, and while that doesn't make me think his art was any better in those scenes I provided, I still feel like I was disrespecting him by calling his art style the "caveman art style".

[Gaffer Tape]

Oh, yeah, I did know what you meant. Sorry. The mis-pronounciation of Mako's name has bothered me for a while, so, when the subject of it came up, I had to vent.

That said, I think you're okay. I don't think there's going to be a huge, internet backlash against you for it. And now we're all better informed.

[BobZ]

Oh, I'm sure that by no means had any of us meant to say anything bad about the animators themselves.
We are all DragonBall lovers here and I'm sure we value the series enough not to allow ourselves to do that. But as normal human beings we like to complain about certain... elements. When referring to the style as "caveman" we do it only humourously. And when I said I "hated" the style I pointed as my least favourite above, I didn't mean to disregard the amount of work put into it and I do respect each person that took part in creating the DragonBall anime.