One thing anime fans love to comment on is the tendency for creators to frame shots in a unique and sexy way. Anime camera angles have become a huge meme — even your normie friends probably know about them. In this post, let’s explore why camera angles in anime are so weird and rank the best anime fanservice!
It’s a very special time for us at J-List, because 30 years ago this week, we started the first anime and hentai shop selling to fans around the world. And we’ve been able to make it this far thanks to our wonderful customers. We’re celebrating with a huge 20% sale on all in-stock Japan products, through October 7th. Start browsing now!
Why Are Anime Camera Angles So Sexy?
Why do creators love to include impossible camera angles in anime, even in mainstream anime? Let’s explore some reasons!
- Anime fanservice can help bring fans into a show. A quick pantyshot or other form of visual fanservice gives fans a jolt of dopamine, which helps them feel positively about the characters they’re meeting for the first time. And it works! Would Rikka from SSSS.Gridman have become such a famous character without her amazing thighs?
- Fanservice is popular. Given the right anime and the right audience, well-balanced camera angles can make a show more fun. If an especially clever shot becomes a meme on the internet, it can only be a good thing for the anime studio.
- Animating butts is easier than faces. I’m sure there are different tiers of animators, and only the most skilled are allowed to work on facial details. The younger staff can gain experience drawing anime butts and boobs!
- The camera allows the director to become a character in the story. In a live-action work we know there’d be camera operators, a lighting crew, and a director working behind the scenes. In an anime that focuses on sexy camera angles, we can feel the director is right here with us, showing the characters from the angles we want to see them!
What Are the Best Camera Angles in Anime? Let’s Explore!
Ass Focused Shots (Shiri Angle)
One fun camera angle that’s impossible for anime studios to pass up is the ass-focused shot (shiri anguru in Japanese). These place a female character in the foreground with her posterior in a suggestive position on-screen, while another character reacts to her.
Camera Angles in Anime: Butt Close-Ups
We all like butts (and we cannot lie) and animators know this. That’s why certain studios have made including unique sexy views of their characters their hallmark. This is a variation of the “worm’s eye view” angle, but raised just enough for us to get the perfect fisheye shot of Karen Arararagi’s backstory.
It’s great when anime focuses on the little details, like how half a girl’s panties can get stuck inside her butt. It’s the simple things in life you treasure…
Can zooming in on a character’s ass motivate fans to learn about science? Sure! The outstanding Ruri Rocks used the power of Nagi’s thundering buttocks to promote interest in mineralogy and geology. All in the name of science!
More Camera Angles in Anime: the Ecchi High Noon Shot
Another fun trend is when animators “film” characters through another character’s legs. This is an updated version of the High Noon shot from the classic Western film.
Of course, since anything that can be imagined can be animated, why only shoot through a girl’s legs? The view from between her boobs would be perfect!
Anime Fanservice: Female POV Shots
Every guy wonders what it would be like to suddenly find himself in a girl’s body. Thanks to fun camera angles in anime, we don’t have to wonder.
There are quite a lot of female POV shots showing characters on the other side of a pair of breasts, the way they would look from a girl’s field of view. These are incredibly creative and always fun for fans.
It’s great when sexy camera angles can define a whole era of anime. 1997’s Agent Aika — a spy action anime that somehow managed to sneak panties into 90% of shots — was a lot of fans’ introduction to the wonderful world of ecchi anime.
One anime creator who understands the importance of creative camera angles is Hideaki Anno. To make the fourth and final Eva film, he created an innovative computer system that would simulate a 3D version of whatever space he was working with, allowing him to send the camera through it at different angles to test the overall shot.
We’ve all got our favorite fun and unique camera angles in anime and hentai. Here’s my personal favorite!
Thanks for reading this blog post exploring the amazing world of anime camera angles. What are some of your favorite views in anime? Tell us in the comments below!
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It’s a very special time for us at J-List, because 30 years ago this week, we started the first anime and hentai shop selling to fans around the world. And we’ve been able to make it this far thanks to our wonderful customers. We’re celebrating with a huge 20% sale on all in-stock Japan products, through October 7th. Start browsing now!
