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ANIMATIONANIME

How to Make an Anime

33 contributors

Co-authored by 33 contributors

Community of editors, researchers, and specialists

July 17, 2020 References Approved

Making an anime is no simple task. It’s an entire process of building and illustrating a world, finding
motivations, weaving stories – this is a major undertaking! However, it’s also a great exercise in
creativity. If you’re passionate about anime you’ll probably really enjoy making your own.

Method 1 of 6:

Outlining a World

Image titled Make an Anime Step 1

Figure out where you want your story to be set, is it going to be on an alien planet? Is it going to be in a
place that is relatively similar to places on earth? You don’t need to figure out everything about the
entire world, but you do need to figure out where you want your story to occur.

For example, maybe you want the major action of your story to occur in a world where most people live
in caves because outside of caves there are a ton of dangerous slime pits that you could fall into.

Find interesting things about your world. Like slime pits! Animes often have parts of their world that are
slightly magical or strange in some way. Maybe pianos talk and give people lots of advice. Maybe there
are flying beasts that people use to get from place to place. It doesn’t have to be something incredibly
fantastical or something out of a science fiction novel – just pick something that works with your world
and your story.
For example, the magic of the world could be a simple folk tale that may or may not be true. Maybe on
the slime pit world, there is a story that if you fall into a slime pit and survive you’ll be granted special
powers but no one knows if this is true or not.

Decide the technological advancement of this world. Are the residents of your world living in apartment
complexes or in wooden huts? Are they hunting for their food, or can they go out to dinner are
restaurants? Obviously, there are a ton of other possibilities in between and beyond these examples.
The technological status of your world will inform a lot of the ways that your characters interact with the
problems that face them.

For example if someone falls into a slime pit in a technologically advanced world, maybe it’s no big deal
because everyone wears anti-slime suits.

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Method 2 of 6:

Creating Characters

Decide on what they look like and their personalities. You should try to decide what they look like at the
same time that you decide on their personalities. Try drawing the characters and then jotting down
beside them what their personality traits would be. Maybe you have one character that is really
intelligent and perceptive but prone to losing their temper. Maybe you have another character that is
very loyal but very unkind to strangers. Sketch drafts of your characters.

The way the characters look is important because it can play into their personality. For example, maybe
the very muscular character is the hero. Conversely, maybe the very muscular character is a total
coward. Either way, his body informs his personality in an interesting way.

Decide on a protagonist. You don’t need to have just one main character, but it’s nice to give the reader
somebody to root for. Most anime have a protagonist. [1]

Consider giving them special abilities. Anime often feature characters with special abilities accomplishing
extraordinary things. It might be a good idea to give your main character some sort of power that will
help him or her deal with whatever the problem in your anime is going to be. Your character doesn’t
have to be able to fly or have super strength – find something small and interesting that helps the
character deal with unique challenges. [2]

For example, maybe your character is incredibly brave! That’s a special ability, but it isn’t magic.
4

Create relationships between the characters. Family members, love interests, and friends of your
protagonist should all play a major role in your story. These are the strongest connections that people
have with others and they help motivate, inspire, and create conflict. All of those things are positive
attributes in a fun story.

Figure out each character's motivation. The other characters can play into your characters' motivation,
but find a unique thing that drives them. It can be getting educated or getting the girl, it just has to be
something that the protagonist is very passionate about.

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Method 3 of 6:

Beginning to Animate Your Anime

Start by drawing your world in an animation program. You can find many free web animation programs
online that allow you to easily create a world and character. You’ve already decided what you want the
world the look like, so now you just need to bring it to life. Take your time and don’t worry if it changes
from your original plan. [3]

Draw your characters. Make your characters in the same animation program. Refer to the drawings and
sketches that you have already done in order to inform your final product.

Draw your characters interacting with the world. Now all you have to do is combine the characters and
the world. This will immediately start to give you ideas for stories and potential plot lines to follow.
Maybe your characters want to explore those massive cliffs out in the distance that they have never
been to before. Maybe the sun is getting dimmer and dimmer each day and they have to figure out what
is going on. The environment can be a huge impetus in any story, and anime is no different.

For example, maybe your world has giant slime pits all over the place. Maybe your main character's little
brother falls into one of these slime pits and the other characters have to figure out a way to save him.
Now you have the beginning of a plot!
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Method 4 of 6:

Incorporating Plot and Dialogue

Incorporate dialogue that matches the motivation and personalities of the characters. Once you have
characters and a world you can start turning the characters interacting with the world into a story. This
involves creating dialogue. Use dialogue that matches the situation and the character. Try to make the
dialogue as realistic as possible. Think about the way you talk and create conversations like that.
Conversations are rarely 100 % directed. They sway and change the subject constantly. Figure out a way
to add authenticity, and humor to your dialogue. [4]

Make sure that you have a beginning, middle, and end. The beginning, middle, and end don’t have to be
incredibly distinctive, but keeping this organization in mind will help you plan out your plot. Take a look
at other classic books and start to figure out what the beginning middle and end of those stories are.

For example, maybe the beginning of your anime has the protagonist’s little brother falling in a slime pit.
The middle could be when your protagonist deciding to travel alone into the slime pit wearing an anti-
slime suit to try to find his little brother. The end would be the thrilling conclusion where the slime
demons living in the slime pit allow only one of the brothers to leave, and your protagonist stays behind
so that his little brother can go home. [5]

Include a character arc. Character arcs don’t need to be really simplistic and dull. Not every story has to
start with a sad character and end with a happy character. Rather, a character arc should allow the main
character to undergo some sort of minor transformation or come to a realization. Even if that realization
is that nothing changed from when the story started, that still adds a dimension to the story. What you
don’t want is your character just running around doing assorted activities without any chain of logic. [6]

For example, maybe your protagonist is selfish at the beginning of the story but after helping save his
brother he starts to realize that he really does care about other people but that he was shutting himself
off to the world. Now you can address why he was shutting himself off to the world in the next episode.

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Method 5 of 6:

Finishing Your Anime

1
Think of a good title. The title is what catches people's attention. Make sure the title has something to
do with the plot.

Decide if you want your anime to be one story or a series. This may determine how your story ends, or if
it ends at all. If you want your stories to be a series then you have to figure out a way to keep people
interested. If everyone is satisfied with the way the first story ended, then there is no reason for them to
watch your next episode. Create cliffhangers. [7]

Add an exciting climax and conclusion. This is a big part of creating a cliffhanger. If you’re making
multiple episodes you want to balance the line between concluding the previous episode and setting the
next episode up. They shouldn’t feel like they watched the first episode for nothing, but the viewer
should also be excited to see what happens next. Find this balance.

Tie the knots in your story. If there was a love interest at the beginning of the story, there should be
some acknowledgment of that at the end of the story. Not everything needs to tie up perfectly, but you
want your anime to look well planned and professional. If you have a bunch of untied storylines it feels
messy. [8]

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Method 6 of 6:

Spreading Your Anime to Others

Share with family and friends. This is the easiest way to make fans. Your family and friends are bound to
be supportive and they will probably share your work with others that they know. This can help you
build a small base.

Create a blog or website. Publishing your work on the Internet is a great way to start to build an
audience. You can’t expect to get paid for the stuff you create immediately, but if it becomes popular
then you might be able to! Try to market your blog through social media by creating a Twitter and
Facebook page for your anime.

3
Contact a publisher. Try to find someone who is excited enough about your story and anime to consider
publishing it. You can find a publisher near you online. Look for someone who specializes in anime and
who has a history of getting other young artists started. Who knows, they might love your work.

Send out your anime to competitions. If you don’t want to send the whole story you can just send out
chapters of your anime to shorter competitions. There are plenty of film and writing-related
competitions that accept anime, as well as anime specific competitions that you can find online.

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Community Q&A

Question

I'm too shy to ask for help, I'm afraid they will think it's stupid and not want to be a part of it. How do I
get more confidence?

Community Answer

Community Answer

Just ask for help. That's the only way you'll get better. If someone makes fun of you, they're not a good
friend. Most likely anyone you ask will just say yes or tell you they're not interested. Sometimes you
have to step out of your comfort zone if you really want something. Just give it a try, I bet you'll be glad
you did.

Not Helpful 5 Helpful 63

Question

Can I be a solo anime producer?

Community Answer

Community Answer

You can go solo for almost any job, but for producing it would be almost impossible.

Not Helpful 14 Helpful 72

Question

What programs can be used?

Community Answer

Community Answer
For drawings, you can use a free digital paint software like FireAlpaca, which has an animation feature.
For audio, Audacity paired with Levelator works well. For animation, any free movie maker will work
when you start out, but you will want to upgrade later on.

Not Helpful 8 Helpful 55

Question

Does anime need to be made in Japan?

Caeiia

Caeiia

Top Answerer

No - take RWBY as an example. It's considered an American anime, and has actually been translated to
Japanese! It's just that anime typically is made in Japan, and that's what you see most of the time.

Not Helpful 12 Helpful 61

Question

How many episodes should I make per season?

Community Answer

Community Answer

Typically a season has about 20. But it's better to have a shorter season than to include a lot of pointless
filler. It's up to you!

Not Helpful 9 Helpful 45

Question

What type of software should be used by someone who is totally new to animation?

Community Answer

Community Answer

If you're a total beginner, try Flipaclip (available on Android and iOS). It has all the basic tools for
animation and it's great for practicing.

Not Helpful 3 Helpful 25

Question
Can I make an anime on my own?

Life attache

Life attache

Community Answer

Yes, but it will be a tedious process. You could consider getting help from other talented people.

Not Helpful 6 Helpful 38

Question

How much does it cost to make an anime?

Community Answer

Community Answer

It depends on how many frames you use and which programs and equipment you have rented or
bought.

Not Helpful 9 Helpful 30

Question

How do I make an anime as a kid with no money?

Community Answer

Community Answer

You should (if you have not already) develop your art skills, and then use an animation app to start
practicing until you feel like you are ready to start working on a bigger project.

Not Helpful 4 Helpful 27

Question

Can you suggest the best computer specifications for creating an anime?

Community Answer

Community Answer

This very much depends on the software you will use. The sites for the software will tell you what
requirements your computer will need to run them. There is no "one size fits all" type of number for
this.
Not Helpful 3 Helpful 15

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References

↑ http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/feature/2012-03-05

↑ http://marshnaylor.kinja.com/5-easy-steps-to-making-your-own-hit-anime-1583626070

↑ http://marshnaylor.kinja.com/5-easy-steps-to-making-your-own-hit-anime-1583626070

↑ http://marshnaylor.kinja.com/5-easy-steps-to-making-your-own-hit-anime-1583626070

↑ http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/feature/2012-03-05

↑ http://marshnaylor.kinja.com/5-easy-steps-to-making-your-own-hit-anime-1583626070

↑ http://marshnaylor.kinja.com/5-easy-steps-to-making-your-own-hit-anime-1583626070

↑ http://marshnaylor.kinja.com/5-easy-steps-to-making-your-own-hit-anime-1583626070

About This Article

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by
multiple authors. To create this article, 33 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over
time. This article has been viewed 121,111 times.

119 votes - 78%

Co-authors: 33

Updated: July 17, 2020

Views: 121,111

Categories: Anime

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Ethan Jacobs

Ethan Jacobs

May 1, 2018

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