How Studio Orange, the studio behind Beastars and Trigun Stampede, achieves a hand-drawn look in 3D animation

The creators of the YouTube channel Class Creatives, together with Hobbes Sakuga, have released a breakdown of the production pipeline of Japanese studio Studio Orange. The studio is known for Land of the Lustrous, Beastars and Trigun Stampede. The video shows how Orange combines 2D and 3D processes, algorithmic camera technology and the keyframe drawing traditional to anime. The studio also borrows ideas from Western animation.

3D is now used everywhere in anime: sometimes for an entire production, sometimes alongside 2D for backgrounds and complex objects. Examples include Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc, Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender and Ghost in the Shell. When people talk about 3D animation, they usually think of Pixar and Disney. Studio Orange stands out because its 3D looks different.

How Trigun Stampede was made

Studio representatives discussed the production of Trigun Stampede at a Sakura-Con 2023 panel. The speakers were Kiyotaka Waki, lead producer of Land of the Lustrous, Beastars and Trigun Stampede; Kenji Muto, director of Trigun Stampede; and Orange producer Yoshihiro Watanabe, who mainly handles the business side.

According to Waki, the studio used different programs for different elements: one engine is used to check facial expressions, another to create shadows. A 3D model can look odd from different angles, so there was also a separate program that deforms the model as the camera moves around a character. The facial expression technology alone took two years. Production of the whole series took five years, whereas a project at the studio usually takes three.

From storyboard to final frame

The panel showed what scenes look like at different stages. An angular test figure that jumps and runs away became Vash in the second episode. The fight between Vash and Knives was shown in four versions: the storyboard, two intermediate versions and the one that aired. The final version differed noticeably from the storyboard, and some details, including Knives' knife tentacles, were added at different stages. Muto explained that dramatic scenes usually stay close to the storyboard. In action scenes, animators are encouraged to add something of their own and to work with the directing team to make the fights leave a strong impression.

Why it matters

Demand for 3D animation that looks hand-drawn is likely growing along with the number of anime-style stylization tools. Judging by Orange's experience, a single shader is not enough for a hand-drawn look: the studio steps into the process at different stages, from facial expressions to how the model behaves in the shot. That is why breakdowns of Orange's work are probably also of interest to developers of anime-style games, who tackle similar problems in real time.

This approach comes at a cost: series production drags on, and developing in-house tools takes years. Studios that take this path will likely invest more in their own technology, and specialists working at the intersection of 2D and 3D will be in greater demand.