Is Anime Artistic?

[Amarok]

Anime, as visual art, has been stagnant for decades.  Even with Studio Ghibli's prowess, the overall look of anime has changed little since the 1970s, mostly just following cultural trends of fashion and hair than anything else.  I mean:

Akira Kogane/Keith (~1981)


Ryo Sanada (~1988)


Edward Elric (~2001)


There's some differences with eye and nose shape, but the overall style has remained the same.  More modern anime follows the trend.

Anime, as a storytelling medium, is like all others.  There's lots of absolute shit, and some things that range from entertaining to smart.  I'm a big fan of Ghost in the Shell, as it pokes at the ideas of gender, individuality, what actually makes a person them, etc.

Only because it has not needed to change . I don't call that stagnation . I call it not fix what's not broken .