Anime Trains in Anime

[zaphod]

Isnt it interesting that a lot of trains in anime shows, at least in contemporary ones, seem to be drawn from photos and are prototypically drawn.

I like trains and this is what really got me into anime. Its too bad nobody has ever drawn american or european trains in that fashion. The Simpsons have done a good job drawing amtrak trains, and so has king of the hill, but thats about it.

[Dagger]

What precisely do you mean by "prototypically drawn"?

I can't say I've ever paid that much attention to the trains themselves, although I have found some scenes [i]involving[/i] trains to be memorable (such as the various subway scenes in Koi Kaze and Vampire Princess Miyu TV, as well as the train-centric mystery in Detective Academy Q).

One of the aspects of anime that I particularly like is that even in low-budget shows, background elements--trains and cars as well as general scenery, although this applies more to static things like landscapes--are often drawn/painted with a good degree of photorealism. Even when heavily stylized, backgrounds & background elements come across as being more Impressionist (that's not the best term for it, but ah well) than cartoony. This is something that one rarely sees in American television animation.

~Dagger~

[Godelsensei]

Strange as it may seem, I often feel disappointed when a more whimsical series is not coupled with whimsical scenery. It can add a certain charm to the whole world the story is taking place in. This applies mostly to kids' shows, of course.

However, I agree with Skip: the backgrounds in anime series [i]are[/i] really, really sweet. Even people who couldn't give two craps about the anime itself notice:

[i]Dad walks into room.[/i]
"Wow, that forest looks really realistic."
[i]Dad leaves room.[/i]

I think this could be a product of how "under-animated" most anime is. Comparing most anime to most North American cartoons, you'll find there's a lot more movement in the latter. The background tends to play a more active role in the scene: people run through it or the trees sway in the wind; clouds roll across the sky; cars are more frequently featured in it at all. And when things are required to actually [i]move[/i] in animation, they're drawn in a less "photorealistic" way, to make them easier to, well, animate.
Ever known exactly what was going to happen in an old Disney movie because one part of the scenery was brighter than the others?

Also, it's because whimsicalness appeals to children, the target audience of North American cartoons. (Most of them, anyway.)