[Falkor]

Originally Posted by JKL

I don't really see that. It isn't moe so that's a plus from my perspective.

"moe is in the eye of the beholder"

sometimes I wonder how people decide whether the visual aspect of a work is "moe" or not. I think the quote defines well the ambiguity of the term.

personally, defining an artwork (or in this case the character designs) as moe is unfair and often misjudged. There are things in the visual aspect that work, regardless of stylization and personal values, which are not addressed by the simple mention of the word.

Although his output has been the opposite of that (to be fair he didn't work on the majority of Lucky Star which pandered like hell), it takes someone to realise there is a problem before something can be done about it.

The point being made is that he strives to create a work that reaches a wider audience. I remember an interview where he explained how Kannagi was at its heart a romantic comedy about a boy and a girl living under the same roof; he hoped this basic premise could be enjoyed by everyone. Personally, I could see how Kannagi was something anyone could enjoy. I also felt the humor was very "accessible", like the karaoke episode for example, where it's all about the characters' "bad singing". I did enjoy Kannagi and there's a lot more to it than a romantic comedy, but I would sort of expect Fractal to be something along these lines, with a basic premise anyone can enjoy.

Originally Posted by yellowscarves

I adore the character designs. If someone showed me this image and didn't tell me where it came from, I would have mistaken it for an anime that came out many years ago.

The emphasis on fanservice and moe and whatever else describes recent anime really turn me off. It's been a long time since I've been excited about a new anime title, and it feels great.

sincerely speaking, there's nothing impeding the work from turning into one of those "fanservice" and "moe" anime that turns you off, based on the picture/character designs.

Originally Posted by Mizuno

lol indeed. Yamakan probably insisted the art to look retro because he's trying to prove his point. This better be as good as Howl's Moving Castle... yeah right.

what makes the artwork retro, though? I'm willing to bet that Fractal will be anything except retro, but I can be wrong until we see a PV or more pictures.