One example I want to use is the Japanese animated feature film, 5 Centimeters Per Second, directed by one of my favorite visual artists, Makoto Shinkai. There is a very poignant quality to the film, especially with its themes of lost love and physical distance between people. I want to focus on the art though. Shinkai is known for his stunning and photorealistic landscapes and scenes, but the character art itself is very simplistic, and arguably lacking in detail.
Despite the beauty and attention to detail for everyday objects and landscapes, the characters lack facial features in certain scenes. It may be done on purpose in some aspects, but overall, this combined with the story's lack of "closure" prevents it from being a true "perfect" masterpiece, although it still remains my top favorite Japanese animated film.
(I'll be talking more about this film as future topics relate to it!)
