The most important hallmarks of anime are their art styles. Viewers can gain a lot of information about a show just by looking at its characters. There are many subsets within the different genres, each with its unique designs that tell audiences exactly the type of story they are in for.
While there are numerous art styles, with some unique to their creators, they can usually be categorized into a handful of genres. These designs have become so beloved that many of them are instantly recognizable without knowing any other information about them. Each style has its supporters, but fans can agree that these are some of the most iconic art styles found in anime.
Updated on Aprril 13, 2025 by Robbie Robinson: Most anime genres are not only distinguishable by tropes and themes, but also by their art styles. While moe and shonen encompass a wide range of anime, some anime studios have managed to make their shows stand out from anime in the very same genres. This list has been updated to include more of the greatest anime styles and to get this article up to date with CBR’s current formatting standards.
15 Josei Style Offers a More Mature Shojo Aesthetic
Josei Is To Shojo, What Seinen Is To Shonen
Josei anime are a lot like shojo, just all grown up. Just as seinen is seen as more mature version of shonen anime, josei is the more mature version of shojo anime. Though colors are more muted than in shojo shows, what josei anime lack in saturation they make up for in realism. The muted colors actually aid in illustrating a more «grown-up» atmosphere, as not everything is sunshine and rainbows in these anime. While there’s no shortage of happy endings and grand love stories, josei also deal with workplace struggles and relationship troubles.
Josei anime characters are usually proportionate to real life. The eyes are smaller, characters are not as abstract, and more attainable hairdos are the norm for josei shows. These anime tend to focus on adult relationships and careers, meaning there are plenty of career-ready outfits for characters to wear as well, like in Wotakoi: Love is Hard For Otaku. Being centered around adult life gives adult viewers more relatable characters and circumstances.
14 Seinen Style Features a Dark Tone & Realistic Themes
Mature Scenes and Blood Are Common In the Seinen Genre
Seinen anime are geared toward an older audience — seinen is the more mature version of shonen anime. As such, the stories usually have darker messages (as with Seinen series Parasyte: The Maxim), meaning that much of the art design is also dark. Stories full of intrigue and gore can be found in seinen shows. Unlike many other genres of anime, seinen typically stray from having overly exaggerated expressions and out-of-the-blue comic relief. That being said, there are exceptions to this, such as Delicious In Dungeon, a seinen that wears its humor on its sleeves.
Seinen anime characters are also more realistic compared to shonen and shojo anime. Bodies typically have more true-to-life proportions as well, though there are some exceptions. Like josei, seinen shows tend to stick with natural hair colors for characters as well. Seinen anime use their dark atmospheric designs to tell stories of pain, loss, and mature drama. Seinen also usually avoids one of the most overused anime themes: the power of friendship.
13 Kemonomimi Style Centers Around Characters With Animal-Like Traits
Cat Girl Characters Have Become a Staple In the Anime Industry
Kemonomimi is a trend in anime character design that crosses many anime genres. However, it is an art style on its own, as creators find ways to imbue their characters with animalistic attributes such as paws, tails, and animal ears. Perhaps the two most popular anthropomorphized types of characters are those of cats and foxes, or a kitsune. However, Uma Musume Pretty Derby actually steps out of the box to feature a horse-girl racing anime.
Although kemonomimi characters are usually found in fantasy anime, they are beginning to creep into other genres, like Komori in The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague. The ears and tails give these characters a playful air, but can also be intimidating if they are provoked. This art design lets creators express emotions more completely through their characters, since their animal characteristics can also react to their moods. It is an interesting art style that is not likely to end any time soon.
12 Kodomo Style Caters To Young Audiences
Colorful Scenes and Youthful Adventures Make This Genre Memorable
Kodomo anime are shows designed for kids. These anime are bright and colorful, and usually feature adorable animal characters alongside the human cast. They also focus on morals or some other lesson to relate to children. Typically, kodomo anime follow fun adventures or a discovery of the world. Being open-minded and learning how to tackle setbacks in kind-hearted ways are often at the core of these types of anime.
The art design of these shows is simplistic but can get more angular and complex, like in the Digimon franchise. Kodomo protagonists are usually children or animals and are designed with big eyes and smaller frames. Characters in these shows also have wilder hairstyles and hair colors. Kodomo anime are created to appeal to children with happy and uplifting art. The very name of this genre comes from the same Japanese word, which literally means «child».
11 Studio Trigger Has Its Own Unique Style
Blending Styles Is Studio Trigger's Specialty
Studio Trigger seems to draw from a multitude of other styles to create distinct anime. Kill la Kill and Little Witch Academia are the greatest examples of Trigger’s style. Trigger blends its fast movements cleanly with the art style, only really relying on CGI in some specific works such as Promare. A trait of Trigger works is often the attention to jaw-lines. The characters’ bodies often appear much softer and loose in comparison to defining faces.
The characters also usually have wider heads in comparison to their bodies — this is most apparent with the female characters, who usually have slim shoulders. Trigger sticks to character color palettes, making the designs of their characters very visually appealing. With series such as Promare and Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, Trigger really shows off their knack for using saturated colors and neon hues that stand out perfectly.
10 Jojo's Bizarre Adventure Is an Art-Style All On Its Own
A Divisive Anime Style That Has Made a Name For Itself
Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure is one of the coolest anime. Known for its iconic Jojo poses and heavily quotable lines, Jojo’s is easily one of the most distinguishable anime. With its bold lines and splashes of color, Jojo’s feels like watching an animated comic book. Its style relies on facial emphasis and over-dramatization while paying careful attention to the fashion of each character.
There’s a certain flair in every single scene. While the Jojo style has put some anime fans off from watching it, there’s no denying its cult following. It stands out in the sea of generic anime styles, making it feel entirely unique to watch. Where most anime tend to soften the features of their characters, making even adults appear like children at times, Jojo’s sharp lines lend harsh maturity to all of its characters. Being bold and dark perfectly fits the tune of the series.
9 Cartoonish Style Pulls Inspiration From Western Cartoons
Simple Designs Combine With Flashy Visuals and Expressions
Cartoonish anime use a lot of colors and abstract art in terms of character style. Though designs are a little more simplistic than other art forms, cartoonish shows make up for it with ridiculous expressions and physics-defying animation. The most notable feature of cartoonish anime is that they look incredibly different from the typical anime that come to mind.
Cartoonish anime typically have thicker line work than older anime, and focus a lot on overall design, rather than highlighting one specific feature. The overly bright visuals and flowing colors of character appearances are unmistakable. These styles take much of their inspiration from Western animation, and many closely resemble cartoons overseas. Cartoonish shows allow creators free rein in terms of style, making an incredibly unique art style.
8 1980s Style Has a Classic, Nostalgic Look & More Realistic Characters
The 80s Paved the Way For Classic 90s Anime
80s anime are characterized by more realistic character designs. Females, especially, were given more human proportions than in future art styles. The eyes were either very realistic or cartoonish depending on the shows’ content. Hair was also very defined with individual strands showing, and tended to be fluffier than future hairstyles.
While 80s anime did have a lot of colors, they usually stuck to true-to-life hues. Hair also more-or-less stayed within natural tones, unless the characters were nonhuman. 80s-style anime art gives audiences a nostalgic feeling for a time when characters had more defining features like pointier and rounder faces. While 80s anime often get overlooked due to the fantastic series in the 90s, the 80s were pivotal in setting the stage for their following generation.
7 Ufotable Art Style Showcases Gorgeous Fight Scenes
Ufotable Tends To Use Dark Backgrounds To Enhance Their Brighter Colors
While Ufotable’s actual styling of characters is very typical shonen, there are some particular distinctions that make Ufotable’s works stand out. The Fate series and Demon Slayer are perfect examples of what Ufotable does best: fight scenes. If there are a few things that a fan of Ufotable can almost always count on, they are witnessing clean animation, intricate choreography and colorful action sequences. Fate/Stay Night Unlimited Blade Works has even been lovingly referred to as «Unlimited Budget Works» for its display of captivating battles.
What truly makes Ufotable’s series stand out is their use of bursts of colors. Most of Ufotable’s fights seem to happen at nighttime, but the studio uses that to their advantage to show contrasting pops against dark environments. Ufotable does a particularly nice job of showing the scale and scope of their fights, often filling the entire screen to show the details of their work. While there are plenty of other anime studios out there that deliver awesome action, Ufotable is certainly one of the best.
6 1990s Style Adds a Bit of Flair To the Realistic Proportions of the '80s
The 1990s Offer Some of the Most Influential Works of Anime Ever
Anime from the 1990s is where characters began to get more abstract in terms of realistic proportions. Eyes were much larger than they had been in the 80s – especially for female characters. This gave them a more youthful look like the Sailor Scouts in Sailor Moon. Additionally, male characters became much lankier and more angular. Bold character designs, vibrant colors and highly detailed backgrounds are some of this generation’s greatest traits.
90s anime is also known for the characters’ hairstyles. In congruence with the times, hair was big and poofy, while retaining a lot of the definition from the 80s. For many millennial adult anime fans, 90s anime was their first introduction to anime-style animation. Known for both nostalgia and a heavily distinct style reflecting the times, 90s anime have continued to influence the current generations of anime.
5 Moe Style Focuses On All Things Cute
Moe Most Typically Means Character Innocence
Moe anime, like K-On!, have an emphasis on adorable characters. Though similar to shojo and shonen, moe characters retain even more exaggerated eyes. Additionally, many moe shows highlight characters’ small statures to produce the cutest casts possible. Soft lines and rounded faces go a long way in adding to the sweet nature of character designs.
Moe anime-style shows typically feature young female characters. Though there are a few exceptions, moe anime put heavy emphasis on all things adorable. This leads to bright, saturated colors, and flowery settings to enhance this endearing aesthetic. The term moe actually comes from a feeling: a moe character is one who invokes a feeling of innocent adoration from a viewer — or even another character. As such, having incredibly cute characters that viewers want to protect and hug is a necessity.
4 Shojo Style Embraces the Beauty of Femininity
An Anime Genre Aimed at Young Girls, Shojo Carries an Air of Elegance
The shojo art style is characterized by many soft colors, tons of floral elements, and thin, fit characters – usually with flowing hair. Female cast members tend to have large, glowing eyes, while the males’ eyes have a smaller, more angular look, as with the characters in the classic harem anime Ouran High School Host Club. The overexaggerated proportions of long arms and legs actually go a long way in honing on the gracefulness of the characters.
Typically, everything about shojo anime is meant to be light and airy to match the blossoming feelings between characters. Skylines are usually burning sunsets or bright blue skies, invoking a sense of happiness in viewers. Plus, shojo anime put a lot of effort into capturing moments when the two characters gaze into each other’s eyes, surrounded by roses, sparkles, and/or bubbles.
3 Kyoto Animation Has Two Distinct Styles
While Some Works Fall Into Moe, Kyoto Animation's More Realistic Titles Shine
Kyoto Animation is responsible for some rather iconic works of anime such as The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya and Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid. However, those anime are considered more of the moe style. That being said, Kyoto Animation is far from being a one-trick-pony. Most notably, in Violet Evergarden and A Silent Voice, this studio relies on realism and beautiful light visuals. With well-proportioned characters and attention to background detail, Kyoto Animation brings incredible stories to life.
Violet Evergarden is a particularly good anime to look at when thinking of this studio’s best work. This anime manages to make even the most mundane moments of life feel entirely magical. Often, this anime enhances the shimmering beauty of colors and light, drawing the viewers’ eyes exactly where they’re meant to go. The characters stand out well from the environments, but not in a way that’s distracting. Kyoto Animation knows exactly how to visually enhance the senses of their anime.
2 Ghibli Uses Warm Colors and Pastels To Make Enchanting Worlds
The Ghibi Style Feels Akin To Fairytales
With the carefully crafted work of Hayao Miyazaki, Studio Ghibli has become the most well-known anime film studio. While there are many Ghibli films that follow adult protagonists, much of the Ghibli magic comes from its ability to create fantastical coming-of-age stories. The delicate, yet distinct style with lush visuals and creative designs aid in portraying its worlds through the eyes of childlike wonder. Ghibli films have become so beloved over the decades of films that Ghibli has become recognized as a distinct anime art form.
Ghibli strays from generic anime styles so much that even many people who wouldn’t consider themselves fans of anime have found themselves drawn in by the best Studio Ghibli movies. Howl’s Moving Castle, Spirited Away and My Neighbor Totoro are just a few examples of this fine work. Something that adds in making the Ghibli style one of the greatest is how identifiable it is. There’s no mistaking a Studio Ghibli anime.
1 Shonen Style Features Bold Character Designs & Striking Visuals
Shonen Is the Most Popular Genre of Anime For a Reason
As one of the most popular anime genres, shonen anime are instantly recognizable for their vibrant colors and – in recent years – thick, sharp lines with an emphasis on battles like in Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. The characters in shonen typically have highly stylish outfits and easily recognizable, colorful hairstyles. It’s far too easy to pick out the main characters even before they’re officially introduced.
The shonen art style is also known for less of an emphasis on the irises of the eyes and more on the shape – as opposed to shojo anime. This gives characters a more serious or goofy look to match the tone of the show in question. Elaborate weapons or gear are also an important part of most shonen designs alongside dynamic angles and posing. While there are equally amazing genres of anime out there, shonen anime has gone a long way in drawing in Western fans and making anime more mainstream.
