Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Anime Architecture presents the most breathtaking environments created by the most important and revered directors and illustrators of Japanese animated films. From futuristic cities of steel to romantic rural locales, the creators of anime have conjured memorable and painstakingly detailed worlds, the influences of which have been felt across cinema, literature, comic books and videogames for decades.

This volume offers a peerless survey of these cinematic arenas - including materials from Akira, Ghost in the Shell, Patlabor, Neon Genesis Evangelion and Tekkonkinkreet - through original background paintings, storyboards, drafts, sources of inspiration and film excerpts.

A celebration and resource produced in direct collaboration with the original Japanese production studios, Anime Architecture offers privileged views into the earliest conception stages of iconic scenes, through to their development into finished films. Anyone who has been touched by the beauty and imagination of classic anime will find page after page of revelation and inspiration. Containing the often secretive creative processes of the major anime studios, this enthusiast's treasure trove will have its significance for future generations of artists, illustrators, architects, designers, videogame makers and dreamers.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

CHOICE Review

This stunning visual guide to the 2016 Anime Architecture exhibition at the Tchoban Foundation--Museum of Architectural Drawing (Berlin) presents a treasure trove of cityscape backgrounds from cinematic anime produced between 1988 and 2010. Each film included had some element of traditional, paper-based art in it, from the fully poster-color painted backgrounds of Aklira (1988) to the hybrid layering of painted elements with digital rendering that became the norm in later anime like Ghost in the Shell (1995) and Tekkonkinkreet. (2006). A succinct introduction provides important context of the anime production process. The book's 386 illustrations were gathered with meticulous care from different stages of the production process. Original concept designs, layout sketches, art boards, and final production backgrounds are showcased alongside final stills, allowing the viewer to see how these elaborate and detailed backgrounds were incorporated into the action sequences of the anime. Each image is captioned with information about the artists and creation techniques; Japanese annotations on the drawings are translated into English. Although many books showcase anime art, Riekeles's focus on early artistic stages of the production process provides a glimpse into a world that is seldom seen. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readers. --Rachel Tait-Ripperdan, Florida Gulf Coast University