I’ve been watching One Piece as of late, and one episode that stood out to me based on its animation style was special, the One Piece: Fan Letter (2024) episode. It was an episode directed by Megumi Ishitani, an Animation Director under Toei Animation. Her art style simplifies the linework, focusing on the fluidity of the animation and the volume of the drawings despite its simplistic art style, creating complexity through its movement.
While there are no awards for the standalone episodes that she has directed, in my opinion, the episode heavily impacted me as the loose adaptation of Tomohito Ohsaki’s writing of the side story emphasized an outsider view into this fantasy world emotionally, even though being inside of it, as it focuses characters that would normally be in the background of the story. It creates a moment of resonance as being this grounded, almost puts you in this world. Complemented by Ishitani’s directing and the animation of her team, it became a story that held a lot more emotional weight through the fluidity and composition.
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One animated show that truly captivated me is Arcane, a Netflix series released in 2021. Created by Christian Linke and Alex Yee, the show was produced by Riot Games and animated by the French studio Fortiche Productions. Arcane is based on the world of League of Legends, but it stands on its own as a breathtaking story of power, ambition, and the bond between two sisters, Vi and Jinx. What draws me to Arcane is its stunning animation and deep storytelling. Fortiche’s animation style is a seamless blend of 2D and 3D, creating a painterly, hand-crafted look that feels unique in the world of CGI animation. The level of detail in the characters’ facial expressions, the fluidity of the fight sequences, and the cinematic lighting all contribute to an immersive experience. The characters are another major reason Arcane stands out. Vi and Jinx’s relationship is beautifully complex—filled with love, regret, and heartbreak. Every character in the show, from Caitlyn to Viktor to Silco, fully realized, their motivations and struggles. The voice acting, combined with the emotional depth of the writing, makes them feel incredibly human.
Nate Ragland
Hello, I’m Nate and I’m a Animations and Motions Graphics Major, I joined this class it’s a requirement and want to also learn more about the history of animation around the world. I mainly to 3d since it’s what I’m good at but I do study 2d as well. Career goal I want to be a animator or something in that field
