A long time ago I had dabbled a bit in computer-assisted animation. It was overall a fun experience – this is yet another area where computers have radically simplified the creative process, and made it more accessible and convenient even for people with very little or no prior experience. However, for decent animation I had to use a lot of different software packages, and it took me a while to get all the components working properly with each other. So when I tried out “Anime Studio Debut” I wanted to see how much can be accomplished with a single modern introductory animation package. My overall experience has been positive, but you really need to understand the limits to what this software can do.

The installation was very smooth and straightforward. The package comes with separate Mac and Windows versions. It is a relatively small program, and it can be installed on even the more dated computers. However, if you want a smoother workflow and shorter rendering times, then I’d recommend that you install it on as fast of a computer as you can. I’d also recommend that you use a fairly large computer monitor, but form my experience even the smaller monitors (such as those on laptops) will be fine for most purposes.

The software comes with a few instructional videos and pdf manual. These are definitely essential, and help you get going with simple startup projects. However, the learning curve for the more independent projects can be steep, and in my opinion there is still not enough instructional material included with this package.

“Anime Studio Debut” is in many respects a stripped down version of a Flash animation studio. As it comes at a fraction of the price of Flash, and it is an acceptable introductory alternative to that more powerful animation software. However, aside form simple 2D graphics and very simple sound effects, you will not be able to do much with it. If you just want to learn some simple animation techniques, or your animation needs are very simple, then it will be something worth checking out. Otherwise, you may want to look for something more advanced – there are many different packages out there aiming at all levels of proficiency.