Space Dandy served as an episodic animator's showcase. Its the insane collage-like Witches' Mazes, however, that give the series some of the most unique and memorable anime background art ever. Like Kaguya it pays homage to traditional art styles, but where Kaguya's backgrounds are softer and subdued, Mononoke goes for heavier textures and an insane color scheme.Įven in its 'normal' settings, Madoka Magica's backgrounds create a sense of eerie forboding in their sharp geometry and intense use of color. If that's your style, the TV series Mononoke has you covered. Sometimes a good anime background makes you feel like you're on drugs. The second Ghibli film on this list, Isao Takahata's The Tale of the Princess Kaguya, takes its cues from traditional Japanese art with its inky watercolors and masterful use of negative space. Sometimes painterly minimalism is what you need. Of course extreme detail and realistic texture aren't always necessary for creating beautiful anime backgrounds. The first is Hayao Miyazaki's Howl's Moving Castle, the title location of which provides Miyazaki the opportunity for some of the most lived in, colorful, and almost impossibly detailed backgrounds of his legendary filmography. They also make the best desktop wallpaper ever.Īny Studio Ghibli film would have a fair shot at making this list, and to prevent them from simply dominating this whole list, they're limited to two entries.

The following anime backgrounds cover a range of styles, from traditional painting to CGI hybrids, from realism to abstraction, but all in their own way provide some of the most distinctive and stunning visuals around. Anime background art is important: it establishes memorable settings, it enhances the emotion of a scene, and at its best it can be truly breathtaking in its beauty. We watch anime for characters we love and to see them in action, so of course that's our focus.

When people think about art in anime, typically character designs and animation dominate the conversation.

Anime backgrounds