Modern 2D anime productions integrate 3D CG extensively but with varied visibility. Some productions hide 3D work entirely; others display it openly as part of the visual identity. The integration spectrum runs from 3D used purely as a drawing aid (modelled props that are then traced over by hand) to fully 3D characters cel-shaded to look hand-drawn. This page describes the principal techniques.
The integration spectrum
Five common levels of 3D usage in nominally 2D anime:
- Reference only — 3D models built in pre-production for the layout artists to reference; never appear in the finished frame.
- Traced — 3D models rendered in wireframe or simple shading, then traced by hand to produce the finished line art. Common for vehicles and complex architecture.
- Composited but stylised — 3D models rendered with cel-shading, post-processing applied to match the 2D aesthetic, then composited into the finished frame. Common for cars, planes, and machinery in modern productions.
- Visibly 3D, deliberately — 3D models displayed as 3D, with the contrast between 2D characters and 3D environments treated as a stylistic feature rather than a flaw. Trigger's Promare and BNA deliberately mix the two registers.
- Full 3D, cel-shaded — the entire production is 3D, rendered to look hand-drawn. Polygon Pictures' productions (Ajin, Knights of Sidonia, Levius) work in this mode.
Specific applications
- Vehicles — cars, trains, mecha. 3D allows consistent perspective at low animator effort.
- Crowds — large groups of background characters; rendering crowds in 3D is substantially cheaper than animating each figure by hand.
- Mahjong tables, chess boards, complex geometry — anything where perspective construction must be consistent across many shots.
- Idol-anime concert sequences — many idol-anime productions (Love Live!, The iDOLM@STER) use full-3D characters for concert sequences and 2D characters elsewhere.
- Camera moves — virtual-camera moves through 3D environments are now standard in feature anime.
The 3D-as-stylistic-choice school
Several recent productions have made the visibility of 3D part of their identity rather than something to be hidden. Studio Orange's Land of the Lustrous (2017) and Beastars (2019) use full 3D openly, with character design decisions made to suit 3D rendering rather than to disguise it. The Trigger / Studio Khara / Studio 4°C productions of the late 2010s and 2020s frequently use 3D as a deliberate visual feature.