10 Unbelievably Beautiful Anime Art Books For Otaku

Guide to the most stunning anime art books that every otaku will love. Learn about anime illustration art and style from the best anime artists. Explore some of the most beautiful anime art ever created and learn more deeply about the process.

RELATED: Guide To The Best Anime Gifts for Anime Lovers

We collected some of the most unique and rare anime art books for collectors. As well as some of the most popular ones that are more affordable but equally important in anime history.

Every anime fan knows that art plays a crucial part in most shows and movies and can make or break them. Hayao Miyazaki is the most well-known anime artist who won countless international awards and his name is so well known even non-anime fans are familiar with it.

However, there are countless classic animes and new anime shows that inspire and leave fans in awe with their remarkable art. Many fans get ideas and motivation to get started and become anime artists themselves but there are plenty of relaxing and beautiful anime coloring books as well.

Stunning Anime Art Books

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10| Violet Evergarden Chronicle [official fan book] Brand: Kyoto animation

Violet Evergarden is filled with sad but beautiful adventures and you can watch this gorgeous anime on Netflix. The light novel was adapted into an anime and released in 2018. It is a very interesting series, even if a second season hasn’t been announced yet, fans cannot get enough of it.

The story is incredibly touching and makes viewers think about war and how veterans deal with their experiences.

This amazing book gathers a lot of information about the series and showcases its magnificent art.

The book is in Japanese, so if you are learning the language it would be a great way to improve. However, you don’t need any Japanese language knowledge to enjoy the breathtaking art.

Violet Evergarden Chronicle is a beautiful collection of the best works from the anime and it is one of the best anime art books especially for girls.

9| Yoshitaka Amano: The Illustrated Biography-Beyond the Fantasy by Florent Gorges (Author), Luc Petronille (Author), Yoshitaka Amano

Anime lovers are going to be familiar with Yoshitaka Amano’s name as he is among the most celebrated artists in the industry. He has won multiple awards and both critics and fans love his work.

He has been active since the 70s and besides being a fine artist, he worked on books, games, and anime too. He was responsible for Vampire Hunter D and a number of popular classics.

This book is intended to celebrate Yoshitaka Amano’s fascinating career. If you are new to his works then this is a great start. Otherwise, if you love his works, then it is a must-have.

Yoshitaka Amano: The Illustrated Biography-Beyond the Fantasy is surely amid the most beautiful art books for anime lovers.

8| Akira Art Of Wall by Katsuhiro Otomo – Japanese Edition

Akira manga and anime movie was a huge hit in the 80s and it is still beloved by fans. The industry speaks very highly of it as it was much more than an exciting story. The influential piece had an impact on future comics and anime for a while.

This anime art book intends to pay respects in a rather unusual way. Fans get a huge collage of Akira art on a large foldable page. The four books can be unfolded into an over 22-meter (72 feet) long artwork. There are also behind the scenes photographs and interviews besides the breathtaking art.

Watch Akira on Amazon Prime Video.

The Akira Art of Wall is certainly one of the most unique collectible anime art books for anime lovers.

7| Art of Satoshi Kon Hardcover by Satoshi Kon

Manga artist and director Satoshi Kon is widely beloved as he was part of some superb projects since 1993. He also directed live-action movies, however, his most notable works are anime. He brought to us Paranoia Agent, Tokyo Godfathers, and Paprika.

He worked a lot behind the scenes to improve creators’ working conditions by helping establish the Japan Animation Creators Association.

This beautiful book is going to be a perfect present for anime lovers as it is packed with amazing art. If you want to learn more about one of the most significant anime creators, this is a great start.

Art of Satoshi Kon is without a doubt a superb anime art book that makes a great gift for art lovers too.

6| Duel Art: Kazuki Takahashi Yu-Gi-Oh! by Kazuki Takahashi

Yu-Gi-Oh! was unquestionably on everyone’s favorite anime list, because it was an interesting series. First, it was a hit manga, later various series were created and fans collected playing cards too.

There wasn’t one corner newsstand where you couldn’t buy a deck of Yu-Gi-Oh! cards.

Now fans can relive some of the most exciting moments. They get to see conception sketches and read an article with the genius behind it all.

The art is naturally beautiful and thanks to the rough sketches fans can get much closer to the anime and manga.

Watch Yu Gi Oh! on Amazon Prime Video.

Duel Art: Kazuki Takahashi Yu-Gi-Oh! is surely one of the best anime art books collectors will love.

5| Sunrise Art Works Cowboy Bebop Tv Series 2012 Edition Anime Art Book (Japanese) by Sunrise

Science fiction anime lovers are going to be obsessed with this amazing book. It is a superb collection of all the favorite characters and fans get to explore props as well. The book is in black and white, but that doesn’t mean it’s not detailed enough to offer a proper experience.

Artists wanting to improve their drawing skills and once become an anime or a manga artist would appreciate this book too. This impressive encyclopedia lives up to the original anime, it is also great every anime lover is going to love.

While this art book is truly beautiful it’s also one of the most pricey ones. However, it can make an excellent anime gift or a unique piece in your anime art book collection.

Watch Cowboy Bebop on Amazon Prime Video.

Sunrise Art Works’ Cowboy Bebop is technically a visual encyclopedia with incredible details and beautiful works and is a perfect choice for collectors.

4| Der Mond: The Art of Neon Genesis Evangelion Hardcover – Illustrated by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto

Neon Genesis Evangelion was such a huge hit, people were talking about it for many years. Following the anime’s release fans got to enjoy another two movies. There are talks about a new Neon Genesis Evangelion movie to be released in 2021.

Until then, fans can get lost in the pages of this superb collection. There are 74 pages just for the Neon Genesis Evangelion anime and another 50 pages showcase Yoshiyuki Sadamoto’s other works.

He had worked on a number of fascinating projects over the years. Eric Clapton fans will be delighted to see the cover for Pilgrim (1998), which Sadamoto created.

You can get the DVD on Amazon. 

Der Mond: The Art of Neon Genesis Evangelion is among the best anime art books not only anime lovers would love.

3| Dragon Ball: A Visual History Hardcover by Akira Toriyama

Dragon Ball is certainly one of the most significant anime in history. Fans now have the chance to explore the manga that ignited all the love millions of people felt.

In the pages, Dragon Ball fans get to learn about Akira Toriyama, the person behind the best selling manga. There are a number of commentaries, sketches, and even promotional materials.

If you or your loved ones enjoy reliving some of the most iconic moments in manga history, this is the best book for you. This high-quality collection is going to mesmerize every manga fan as well as those who appreciate art.

Get Dragon Ball DVD on Amazon.

Dragon Ball: A Visual History contains some of the most interesting Dragon Ball moments and allows fans to look behind the scenes.

2| The Complete Art of Fullmetal Alchemist by Hiromu Arakawa

Anime and manga lovers were obsessed with this exceptional story. As the Elric brothers set out on an epic journey, everyone was cheering for them. The characters were remarkable and the story always had some exciting twists.

While it is a great manga art book, anime lovers can get closer to their beloved series as well.

Fans can explore all the marvelous art and even get to read a lengthy interview with Hiromu Arakawa. There is even more; you can read a step-by-step illustration creation tutorial, that could help artists master their skills.

Watch Fullmetal Alchemist on Amazon Prime Video.
Get the Manga.

The Complete Art of Fullmetal Alchemist is surely among the most remarkable art books for anime lovers and aspiring artists.

1| The Art of Spirited Away by Hayao Miyazaki

Spirited Away was deservedly regarded as one of the most beautiful animated movies of the decade if not the century. It is a beautiful story of Chihiro, the fearless ten-year-old girl, who doesn’t shy away from anything to save her parents.

Viewers met all sorts of supernatural creatures, who became iconic beings in the past twenty years.

Now fans can learn more about the movie, from its director, the legendary Hayao Miyazaki, and even read the full script. Thanks to the commentary, it is much more than an art book, it is the perfect Spirited Away fan book. It would surely be the best gift for Hayao Miyazaki fans.

Watch Spirited Away on Amazon Prime.

The Art of Spirited Away is among the best anime art books as it has everything fans are looking for.

Thank you for reading!