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Shelf Life - The Big O

AyanamiRei wrote:

How can a late 90s animated series animation "be dated"? Too many shortcuts? Lack of movement? In the animation department, I don't really notice such a gap between this period of time and nowadays average animation. Movements are usually not more detailed/realistic or I don't know. (I'm not aggressive or defending, I never saw more than an episode a long time ago; I am simply wondering)

During the late 90's, a lot of animation was still drawn on cels, and digital animation was still pretty new. Nearly all animation is done digitally nowadays (the only ones that do have to special-order or manufacture their own cels). The result is that animation during that time had film grain, inconsistencies in things like outline thickness and onscreen text, and other imperfections that aren't present in today's animation. (Of course, today's animation isn't drawn perfectly either, but it's easy to tell digital from analog.) These differences are mainly what makes something look dated, and it seems to be the primary turn-off for viewers who aren't accustomed to it. (Except for film grain.

Unless they are watching it on VHS I can't see how there would be any film grain on a DVD or BD transfer. It is worth pointing out that you don't draw on cels, the lines are transfer on with a machine, you only colour in.