New Retro Illustrations

This book bearing the title of New Retro is a collection of illustrations by artists whose style is inspired primarily by the manga comics and anime of the 1980s and '90s. With its distinctive vivid neons, and pale pastel hues, theirs is a style that is easy to spot. Other clues are lightly drawn lines, the design qualities of the hand-drawn lettering, and motion lines, all stemming from shoujo (girls') and seinen (men's) manga. The artists' choice of motifs is another delight: locations, and clothing for their characters, redolent of the Showa era, or recalling the heady years of the bubble economy. Experimenting with this style has been especially noticeable since the 2010s. It is clearly distinguishable from the computer-game-like design, and bishoujo anime featuring cute young girls, that gained popularity from 2000 onward as otaku style. That is to say, it references an earlier time. Retro crazes that revive styles and formats from the past occur frequently, and are...