CORE STYLE LOCK
Create a bold anime-pop / Western-cartoon hybrid illustration.
The CHARACTER ITSELF must visibly carry the graphic style.
Do NOT create a conventional modern anime character with Y2K graphics simply added around it.
Be careful NOT TO LET THE WEAPON DISAPPEAR.
Keep weapon and character proportions visually similar to the reference.
Ignore any text box located below the character.
STYLE LANGUAGE
Combine:
Japanese anime facial appeal
early-2000s Western TV-cartoon shape language
arcade / rhythm-game promotional graphics
Y2K pop advertising
sticker-sheet graphics
screen-printed poster design
simplified comic-book color blocking
The face may remain anime-inspired.
BODY, HANDS, FEET, SILHOUETTE, POSE, and LINEWORK must feel much more graphic and cartoon-driven.
SHAPE LANGUAGE
Prioritize bold graphic shapes over realistic anatomy.
Use:
compact torso
simplified limbs
exaggerated gesture
slightly oversized hands and footwear
sharp elbows and knees
strong tapering
dramatic curves
angular accents
clear negative spaces between limbs
exaggerated but readable perspective
Keep the silhouette readable at thumbnail size.
Avoid delicate fashion-illustration anatomy.
Avoid standard contemporary bishoujo proportions.
LINEWORK
Use thick, confident dark-navy or deep-purple exterior contours.
Use sparse, selective interior lines.
Strongly vary line weight.
Prefer:
thick outer contours
thinner interior lines
sharp tapered endings
strong graphic edges
occasional cyan / magenta offset contour accents
Avoid thin, uniform anime lineart.
HAIR
Treat hair as large graphic masses, not individual strands.
Use:
large curved clumps
bold hooks
ribbon-like shapes
angular tips
simplified highlights
exaggerated silhouette volume
Avoid detailed strand-by-strand rendering.
COLOR & SHADING
Use flat, saturated color blocking.
Prefer:
1 main local color
1 shadow group
1 highlight group
occasional accent reflections
Keep shadows large, simple, and graphic.
Avoid:
soft painterly gradients
glossy gacha-game skin rendering
delicate subsurface shading
excessive gradients
POSE & PERSPECTIVE
Use energetic promotional posing, not elegant fashion posing.
Allow:
exaggerated foreshortening
limbs projecting toward camera
tilted torso
off-center balance
bent knees
stretched arms
asymmetrical body rhythm
strong diagonals
playful action poses
cropped limbs near frame edges
The pose should feel designed for a poster, game splash screen, or animated opening frame.
Avoid neutral catalog poses.
GRAPHIC COMPOSITION
Integrate the character and graphic design as one composition.
Use:
overlapping starbursts
thick arrows
checkerboard fragments
halftone dots
sticker-like icons
chunky geometric cutouts
diagonal panels
frame graphics
UI-like symbols
pop-art bursts
large flat color blocks
Do NOT make the character look pasted onto a decorative background.
IMPORTANT STYLE TEST
Imagine removing the background entirely.
The character alone should STILL read as a bold Y2K arcade / rhythm-game / pop-cartoon illustration.
If the character becomes ordinary modern anime without the background, the style is too generic.
AVOID
generic modern anime
generic gacha-game rendering
light-novel illustration
delicate bishoujo lineart
painterly skin
realistic anatomy
fashion-model anatomy
thin hands and feet
tiny shoes
six fingers
soft airbrushed shading
highly detailed hair strands
excessive gradients
cinematic realism
glossy mobile-game rendering