Ask John: Why Do Anime Use Unrealistic Clothing?

Question:
I seem to notice frequently in modern Japanese RPG games that characters are often dressed in eccentric fashions that seems impractical in real life. Examples includes the Final Fantasy series and more recently “Eternal Sonata” (called “Trusty Bell” in Japan) for the Xbox 360. Is there an explanation behind these unusual fashions often found in these games?

Answer:
There’s a single, simple theory behind the illustration of ornate or exotic wardrobe design in electronic games and anime, but it’s complimented by an additional reason. In any form of visual narrative, costume design is vital to establishing a sense of setting. Exotic clothing creates an immediate sensation that the characters or setting are foreign or otherworldly. Clothing that characters wear should seem natural within its setting, but shouldn’t necessarily seem familiar. It wouldn’t be believable to see people on another planet or in another time wearing recognizable contemporary American clothes. Good clothing design should reflect attire that seems natural and logical within its setting. Effective clothing design helps viewers believe in what they see, allowing them to more readily accept the story being told.

However, while clothing design should reflect the practical and believable realities of its setting, that doesn’t always happen. Beside just creating a sense of believability, clothing design distinguishes characters and helps give an anime or game a distinctive and recognizable flavor. For example, one of the characteristics that makes video game designer Tetsuya Nomura’s works immediately recognizable are his fashionable and sometimes excessive costume designs. Likewise, especially the original Tenchi Muyo OVA series earns part of its memorable visual design from its rich and detailed costume design. In the case of the “Burst Angel” anime, the character’s revealing clothing designed by Ugetsu Hakua isn’t really practical because it offers minimal physical protection, but it does contribute a lot to establishing the show’s futuristic cowboy atmosphere.

While the theory behind exotic and ornate wardrobe design in electronic games is the same as it is for anime, eccentric fashions tend to appear more often in games than in anime for a simple reason. Contemporary anime may be now routinely colored and animated with computer programs, but it’s still all hand drawn at first. Ornate costumes take longer to draw, and require more skill to draw. So anime frequently employs costume designs specifically tailored to be easily drawn quickly and repeatedly. Costumes for digital media like computer and console video games don’t have to be hand drawn as often, so they have more freedom to be more ornate and exotic.