Actually, there are a lot of anime with art that looks nothing like what you would expect of anime art. Unfortunately, a lot of anime fans are reluctant to even give them a watch after glancing at the poster art. That’s a travesty, because they are some of the most highly acclaimed anime to bless this fine earth. They use the art as a story-telling mechanism that is fresh among more traditional anime herd. It’s also normal for such anime to avoid fan service, depending more on storytelling and character development than moe factor. Even though fan service isn’t without merit, sometimes you just want to watch one anime without it. If that’s the case, the weird art group is a good place to look.

One such title is Tekkon Kinkreet (2006), a feature film based on a manga of the same name, in which kids are fighting off the yakuza in Treasure Town. The character designs are praised for—of all things—actually looking Asian, but there’s so much more to Tekkon Kinkreet. In combination with the sprawling urban backgrounds, the overall art gives a surreal feeling that helps the audience take in a slightly dark but wonder-driven tale on human nature. Another prime example is the slice-of-life Windy Tales (2004), which uses a distinctly understated art style to highlight the calm nature of the anime’s story about kids who have the power to control wind.

Yuasa Masaaki and his right-hand woman Choi Eunyoung have created some really unique-looking anime that you’ve probably seen a lot in Top 10 lists across this site and the rest of the internet. If the art style is really out there, there’s a good chance that one or both of them were involved. Let’s take a quick look at some highlights in their collective resume: Mind Game (2004), Kemonozume (2006), Kaiba (2008), The Tatami Galaxy (2010), and Ping Pong The Animation (2014). Not to mention, they have done episode direction or animation for Samurai Champloo (Episode 9, 2004), Space Dandy (Episodes 9 and 16, 2014), and Adventure Time (“Food Chain,” 2014).

We’ll get back to Ping Pong The Animation in a second, but first, a quick observation. Beyond each of these series having a unique look to them, they are also distinctly different from each other. Yuasa and Choi’s works are usually described as “stylish,” but that style will change to match their stories. Kemonozume is dark and avant-garde to fit a human monster tale. Mind Game is crazy and mixes art styles to emphasize its psychological aspects. Kaiba is nostalgic and simultaneously otherworldly in both art and storyline. Most remarkably, they master each art style they take on, effectively negating the “getting used to the art” period that other unique-looking anime can necessitate.

Other works have been able to carve out their own path by mixing art styles to arrive at something truly different. An extreme case would be a short-form anime with a strong following, Yamishibai: Japanese Ghost Stories (2013) and it’s kaiju sister anime Kagewani (2015). The art in the two series has animation that is made to resemble Japanese style of oral storytelling called kamishibai (paper theater), which uses art on paper scrolls. In the horror genre, Yamishibai and Kagewani are both impressive in how well they deliver a feeling of suspense. The ghost and monster reveals are almost too perfect thanks to this art style.

Mixing art styles, however, is nothing new. It’s quite usual for anime to utilize a different art style to present a flashback, deliver narrative information, or recount a character’s history. Yet, some people will disregard this well-known standard and just mix in whichever art style they want. If you haven’t guessed, I’m talking about Shaft. Shaft has reserved a small corner of anime for themselves with works such as Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei (2007) and The Monogatari Series, where they shamelessly and expertly mix different art styles with walls of text and awesomely excessive negative space, which makes us wonder if these animators aren’t actually graphic designers. This notoriety even leads fans to praise other anime based on how Shaft-y they are.

In terms of art, western cartoons and anime have borrowed from each other perhaps since the very beginning. Regardless, at some point, cartoons and anime became two completely different beings aesthetically. That is, until they started to borrow from each other again.

Just as anime-looking western cartoons like Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005) appeared, it came as no surprise when an extremely western-looking anime like Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt (2010) showed up on the airwaves. A raunchy and crude ecchi with very little visual ecchi, Panty & Stocking gained a large following in the English-speaking world.

A few other anime tend to dip their toe into the western pool. Take Katanagatari (2010), for instance. The character designs have a western feel, with eyes that are anything but “anime eyes,” but attractive nonetheless. These characters are in an extremely Japanese story and setting, giving a visually interesting blend inside an action-packed story of a swordsman.

The western influence may be a little subtler, as seen in the currently airing Space Patrol Luluco (2016), a short-form comedy anime that runs 7 minutes per episode. With bold lines, cartoonish props and settings, and sheen that only animation studio Trigger can pull off, Luluco has comedy-ridden action sequences that you would expect from its fun artwork.

The subtle change, though, isn’t restrained to western influences. A small change in the art direction can have astounding impact. Although they may still resemble "anime,” they are definitely outliers in terms of art. Sometimes all it takes is a change in color palette. In No Game No Life (2014), Sora and Shiro are transported to a realm that is high contrast, neon, and very HDR. This intense coloring made No Game No Life one of the best looking anime of that year.

Now in it’s second season, Concrete Revolutio (2015) also employed a very vibrant color palette on patterned backgrounds that are reminiscent of manga screen tones. These anime dare to defy conventional wisdom on color choice and saturation levels, but end up looking mighty stylish. Be it a retro-esque Osomatsu-san (2015), a modern Prince of Stride: Alternative (2016), or a playfully pink JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable (2016), the color palette change-a-roo is definitely an interesting on-going trend in anime.

As mentioned just a second ago, the latest installment of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure has changed its color palette to be as pink as Josuke’s kind heart. JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable just started airing, but its new color palette fits JoJo characters better than its previous iterations. Following an art change in the manga, the fourth installment of JoJo also has the characters’ rough edges smoothed out and slightly less GAR-muscular. This artistic shift is a good way for a franchise to add diversity to their series and breathe fresh air into a long-lived name like JoJo.

Likewise, a new art outsider exists in the ever-popular Gundam franchise. It is the currently running ONA Mobile Suit Gundam Thunderbolt (2015). While character designs and art choices normally fluctuate in the Gundam universe, Thunderbolt is unique-looking in both the Gundam realm and the larger anime realm. The characters’ faces are extremely detailed and let the characters show a good deal of emotion that is necessary for a particularly dark and emotionally deep pseudo-stand-alone tale in the UC universe. Has Gundam found its new art style? Probably not, but Thunderbolt is a welcome addition to the Gundam lineage.