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The 16 Best 3D Anime

By Every Day Story16 items
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CGI, or 3D animation, often gets a bad rap. Some prefer traditional animation, while others are open to innovation but think CGI hasn't been done well yet. Bad examples exist, like the 2016 TV version of Berserk. However, CGI can be beautiful when used intentionally, such as in action sequences or to highlight science fiction and supernatural themes. Shows like Land of the Lustrous, The Count of Monte Crisco, and Ajin use 3D animation to great effect, giving them a unique look and feel. These anime would be markedly different without CGI. Let's recognize the anime that best leverages modern technology.

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  • 1
    Fate

    Ufotable, the company that made Fate/stay night, makes good use of CGI in not every entry.Fate/stay night: Unlimited BladeworksandFate/Zero, uses it to beautiful effect. Ufotable uses it.Ufotable combines 3D animation with photography, 2D drawings, and other special effects. This brings the intense Holy Grail Wars to life.3D animation uses photography, 2D drawings, and special effects to bring the Holy Grail Wars to life. The story's bloody, intense nature may not suit everyone, but the visual quality is undeniable.

  • 2
    Land of the Lustrous

    You must mention Land of the Lustrous to talk about 3D animation.Land of the Lustrous -This anime stands out from 2017. It shows one of the most effective CGI uses in anime history. Characters look like gems, not humans, but this is an intentional choice. Their bodies move differently than human bodies, and the CGI shows that message well.

    Shots look 2D, yet the animation uses all 3D offers to build a rich, beautiful world. The story is unique. The whole gem concept might sound like Steven Universe, but its tone and themes are very different.Steven Universe, but its tone and themes stand apart.

  • 3
    Ajin

    Ajinis aNetflix exclusive animeThis anime features a new human species with special powers, including immortality. Because they are labeled a threat, anyone found to be an Ajin faces immediate arrest. Kei Nagai gets into a fatal accident, which makes him realize he might be part of this mysterious species.

    This story is compelling, but how is the animation? The frame rate matters. Some anime swap 3D for 2D often, and the frame rate shift can jar viewers. Because Ajin relies only on 3D, it stays consistent.Ajinrelies solely on 3D animation, so it stays consistent.

  • 4
    Harlock: Space Pirate

    Harlock: Space PirateThis 2013 anime film adapts a 1970s anime. To update the feel, Toei Animation used top-tier CGI. This level of detail stops short of a multi-episode anime, but the big budget allowed Toei to push its limits.

    With this good animation, the movie needs little plot. The science fiction story about recolonizing Earth after centuries exiled to other planets is a fascinating premise. It serves as a grim reminder of how corruption and failing to care for Earth cause humanity's end. The only flaw is it doesn't look like anime; it is Japanese animation, but it lacks the feel viewers expect.

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    🔥 136 up · 36 down▲ 1 above editor

    Also ranks #35 on 100+ Best Anime Starting With 'C'

  • 5
    Trigun Stampede

    The CGI team at Orange added another impressive production with the 2023 release ofTrigun Stampede. This is a revamp of the classic '90s anime Trigun.This show initially made fans skeptical after announcing it would be 3D instead of the usual 2D style.Trigun

    Fans calmed down fast. The CGI in the show captures Vash’s battles well. It keeps the charm of the original series.

  • 6
    Beastars

    This series shows carnivores and herbivores clashing. It follows Legoshi and the result of a classmate's murder. The show gets praise for its strong plot and characters.Beastars appears on The 16 Best 3D Anime list.Beastars is a unique anime beyond just its story.

    Since the main characters are animal people, showing their feelings is hard. The 3D art style fixes this. Studio Orange uses CGI to merge human feelings with animal traits, putting them on the big screen. The studio also adjusts frame rates by contrasting the foreground and background, giving smooth animation.

  • 7
    Tiger & Bunny

    Tiger & Bunny is on The 16 Best 3D Anime list.Tiger & Bunny is an adult take on superheroes. Fans of this enjoy it.My Hero Academia is on The 16 Best 3D Anime list.Viewers focus on pro heroes and the League of Villains over the kids. The show has high action. CGI handles much of that action. It runs smooth and connects well, so viewers just enjoy the 3D without thinking about it.

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    🔥 88 up · 33 down▲ 2 above editor
  • 8
    Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo

    Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo is on The 16 Best 3D Anime list.Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo mixes Alexander Dumas' classic novel.The Count of Monte Cristo is on The 16 Best 3D Anime list.The Count of Monte Cristo mixes with sci-fi. Literature fans should watch it. Even if AP English isn't your favorite class, you can still like this anime for its mix of 2D and 3D animation.

    Characters are drawn traditionally. However, everything—the background and clothes—is rendered in 3D. This makes a unique visual experience. The style perfectly matches the content; it joins tradition and new ideas.

  • 9
    Ghost In The Shell 2: Innocence

    Ghost in the Shell is on The 16 Best 3D Anime list.Ghost in the Shell is a famous anime franchise. The themes deal with heavy technology, but it does not rely much on CGI.Ghost In The Shell 2: InnocenceGhost In The Shell 2: Innocence, a 2004 film, is an exception. Major Motoko Kusanagi is gone. Her team faces a tough case involving murders seemingly done by gynoids—sex robots.

    The movie asks about the line between human and technology. It uses 2D and 3D animation to show these ideas.

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    🔥 73 up · 28 down▲ 2 above editor

    Also ranks #8 on Production I.G. Movies List · #13 on Greatest Animated Sci Fi Movies · #15 on Best Anime Gunfights

  • 10
    Dorohedoro

    Dorohedoro is on The 16 Best 3D Anime list.Dorohedoro is another Netflix project using CGI. It ranks higher than some others. MAPPA produced this series from a manga with very detailed art. Some thought adapting it into an anime was too difficult. Therefore, a 3D art style made making the show easier for the animation studio.

    Fans did not realize 'Dorohedoro' was 3D at first. This comes from the beautiful 2D backgrounds used throughout the series. This hybrid style did not suit the fast action shots, but most fans liked it. It captured story details well.

  • 11
    Knights of Sidonia

    The CGI in Knights of Sidonia.Knights of Sidonia.The series is set in 3394, after an alien race wiped out humanity. Only humans remain in a desolate space colony. They must constantly guard against Guana invaders. The CGI makes the characters and setting look isolated and bleak.

  • 12
    JoJo's Bizarre Adventure

    Jojo's Bizarre Adventure.This show is a visual feast. Fans see complex animation from the first opening, which is sometimes 3D. The studio uses 3D models in some scenes to heighten action. The CG does this well. The 3D swaps with 2D models so smoothly that many fans do not notice how much of it is.Jojo's.Jojo's is 3D.

  • 13
    Hi Score Girl

    If you played video games in the '90s, you were old enough to watch this.Hi Score Girl.Hi Score Girl is the nostalgia trip you've been waiting for. Eleven-year-old Haruo only has talent for arcade video games.arcade video games.When Haruo learns his classmate Akira—rich, pretty, and popular—is beating him, he is not happy. They bond over gaming. Haruo discovers Akira is more vulnerable than he thought.

    The animation mixes CGI and Live 2D. This can jar viewers unfamiliar with it. However, it matches the technological theme.

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    🔥 65 up · 45 down
  • 14
    Etotama

    Etotama.This show is unremarkable. It follows Chinese zodiac-themed girls fighting each other. Nyaa-tan, the cat, is rejected by others. He needs Takeru Amato's help to gain acceptance. It is a weaker version ofFruits Basket.

    This show balances 2D animation and CGI in a specific way. This avoids awkward shifts. When characters talk or hang out, scenes use traditional animation. When a fight starts, CGI animates the action. This clear split lets the anime use both styles effectively.

  • 15
    Kemono Friends

    One cannot argue the CGI inKemono Friends.The CGI in Kemono Friends was well-done. A three-person team made it. They tried hard, but three people have limits with little time and a small budget. The anime, made to push a dead phone game, became a runaway hit.Kemono Friends runaway hit..

    People liked this not for bad CGI; the tiny team put passion into its creation. The show features humanoid animals living in Japari Park. Most of the story focuses on meeting different animals and exploring various environments. Darkness appears in the final episodes, making the show more compelling.

  • 16
    Ronja, the Robber's Daughter

    Ronja, the Robber's Daughter.This is a lesser-known Studio Ghibli production. Gorou Miyazaki, Hayao Miyazaki's son, directed it. Studio Ghibli favors traditional art, explaining why they partnered with Polygon Pictures, a studio known for CGI work.

    CGI was an unexpected artistic choice for the studio. They likely wanted to try something new. The result feels like playingZelda.This anime is not as good as some traditionally drawn masterpieces. Still, it remains a solid, well-done anime.

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    🔥 22 up · 43 down

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