Stylistic Art Elements of 1970s Anime

[Sapphi]

Hey everyone who watches 70s anime... I'm in need of some assistance. You know that feeling you get when you watch a show and can instantly know that it was created in a certain era? Well... I'm making a list of the components of a show that make us shout "Ah, the 1970s!"

"Why would you ever do such a thing?" you may be asking! Well... the purpose of the list is that I really want to evoke a 70s feel with the KN I'm working on, and the more I can pinpoint, the better I can emulate the style. (I'm even considering cel-painting the sprites. I'm crazy, right?)

Here's what I've thought of so far:

- Cel-painted (Obviously)
- Minimal shading
- Faded, washed-out colors (No doubt due to age, but still a nostalgic effect to aim for)
- Hair and clothing looking windblown (Even when the wind isn't blowing)
- Fashion creep (Bell-bottom pants in revolutionary France, etc)
- Visible, rounded teeth (K-ON style)
- Rounded noses
- “Chunky”, dull hair (minimal lines and highlights, if any)

- Dramatic backlighting (Full background or just through windows)
- Dramatic Sunsets (THEY'RE EVERYWHERE)
- “Drug Trip” Sequences (Usually used to indicate something psychological going on or otherwise spice up an action scene; can be visual echoes, people turning different colors, weird patterns, etc.)
- Particulate Mood-setters (Round snowflakes and flowers, either petals or whole, which always seem to be floating around in a melancholy low-budget sort of way)

So, feel free to volunteer more on what you think makes an anime irreparably dated visually, and if you love it or hate it. Also, if you have any outstanding screenshots or examples in mind, send them my way. I'm compiling a document filled with examples which I can upload for general reference when it's complete

[mangalover45]

How do arts in the 1970s look like?

[HikkiPanda]

How do arts in the 1970s look like?

probably like studio gibhli's movies? not sure ... ^^;

[gekiganwing]

If you're looking to remind yourself what visual art used to be like, then don't forget to look at famous series made between 1970-1979. Some examples include...

* Lupin III. The original comics started in 1967, but several TV anime series ran during the 70s, as did the films Mystery of Mamo and Castle of Cagliostro.
* Doraemon. This kids' show started in the 60s as comics, but its anime adaptation began in the 70s.
* Many of Go Nagai's classics, such as Devilman and Mazinger Z.
* Some of Hayao Miyazaki's early works and collaborations, including two Panda Go Panda films and Future Boy Conan.
* Science Ninja Team Gatchaman. You may have seen one of the rather different dubbed versions of this famous action show when you were younger.
* Space Battleship Yamato. A dubbed adaptation. Star Blazers, remains well regarded in some circles.
* Tomorrow's Joe, a boxing series.
* Star of the Giants, a baseball series.
* Aim for the Ace, both a tennis series and an authentic girls' show.
* Candy Candy.
* The Rose of Versailles.
* Ringing Bell. (Haven't heard of this film? Look into it, and remind yourself every few minutes that yes, this bleak story about cute animals was made by Sanrio!)

These are just some of the highlights from Wikipedia's "anime of the 1970s" lists. Hopefully this is a diverse list and a helpful start.

[MoPark]

I took some screenshots from Lupin III and also from Mobile Suit Gundam 0079 to help illustrate how 1970s anime looked like. Note that these two shows had very different styles, but it should give you an idea. If you're looking for an example of something in particular from the 1970s (like, old man, old woman, etc) just ask and I'll try to see if I can find something.

http://www.majhost.com/gallery/yoropa/o ... nime01.jpg
http://www.majhost.com/gallery/yoropa/o ... nime02.jpg
http://www.majhost.com/gallery/yoropa/o ... nime03.jpg
http://www.majhost.com/gallery/yoropa/o ... nime04.jpg
http://www.majhost.com/gallery/yoropa/o ... nime05.jpg
http://www.majhost.com/gallery/yoropa/o ... nime06.jpg

[Omnificent]

I can't not associate 1970s anime with copious eye-twinkle and dramatically line-shaded freeze frames.

[Sapphi]

@gekiganwing: Thanks a lot for the helpful suggestions. As it stands my 70s-grounding is very Leiji Matsumoto-oriented so I do need to expand my viewing a bit when I'm not drowning in schoolwork.

@MoPark: Aw, thanks for the offer! But I'm not looking to mimic a specific drawing style as much as to try to isolate those teeny components of the works that help cue us in to the 70s-ness. You know, like a scientist! A disco scientist...

@Omnificent: Ah, I completely forgot about the freeze frames. They are going to come in so handy... *rubs hands together delightfully*

[J. Datie]

Faded, washed-out colors (No doubt due to age, but still a nostalgic effect to aim for)

And don't forget about the ever changing shades on all the colours every frame! (Although admittedly that's more pre-1998ish than specifically 70's.) Also, looking at TV Tropes' list of 1970's anime, a lot of girls had those shiny eyes with the pretty eyelashes. I also learned that Candy Candy and Meg Chan are the same person?

[ririruetoo]

Look at Rose of Versailles. Thats pretty much what anime in the 70's looked like...