3D animation in Anime is lazy and cheap.

No need to apologize! In fact, I should congratulate you--ERRR, I MEAN!!! DON'T EVER USE CAPS OR MY PERSONAL HASHTAG IN MY FACE EVER AGAIN!!! YOU HEAR ME?!?! :P It seems we share a similar goal! In terms of 2D animation, I too would like to use 3D environments in place of 2D backgrounds/props cause MAN I sure as hell ain't gonna ask some poor soul to fully paint/render one for like minimum wage (#WOMP) (sad, but likely true...). I haven't checked current 3D-to-2D trends (I think the last time I checked was after Disney's "Paperman"), but hopefully a Japanese-centric company can make it a thing/super-easy-to-use-and-mainstream. I bet it'd help anime studios, too. "live2D Euclid" Ahhh, so that's what those "Tales of" folks use :P

I'm actually really curious on the process they used in Bubuki Buranki. I usually avoid the mecha genre, but I couldn't not watch this one after seeing how great the visuals were. I might have also watched just to see the Anger/Anger ending theme (there aren't enough loli villains in the world, but Reoko... Reoko is awesome...) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIS05b8rArU http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1E4O5YFarYQ

That Bubuki Buranki looks pretty cool. I was checking out screenshots and immediately thought "Wait, are those designs by Yuusuke Kozaki?" Sure enough, it was :P (the Fire Emblem guy, btw) (the recent ones)

@Khadrian You bring up some interesting points. I actually like the 3D animation in that Bubuki Buranki clip you showed. They use 3D animation yes, but they push it with artistic finesse. A lot of other companies, like previously metioned, use 60 fps and let the auto-tweening do all the work, which makes for crappy animations. Live 2D is awesome. I was planning to use it in my planned video game app.

Live2D is awesome, but I haven't done much more than experiment with it. I thought about arguing the point that with the improvements in the industry, we could look forward too some better 3d animations in anime, but after thinking about it, that's likely only true for anime that are completely 3d. Settling with 3d to handle a scene because it's cheaper kind of makes improving its quality pointless, considering adding more time = adding more money. But with better templates and tools, I suppose it's still possible. The transition from traditional animation to digital animation was pretty gradual, and, apart from shows like One Piece, most of them use a hybrid process of tradition frames that are colored digitally. (One Piece being both drawn and colored digitally). 3D art might just be like computers in the past, "We have this new tool that makes things easier" but it still takes time to figure out the best ways to go about using it. Luckily the use of 3D seems to mostly be limited to the anime masses, rather than the hidden gems, with a few exceptions of course.

I think the real problem is with how experienced the people are when doing the 3D and just how much they are cutting corners. I don't think the problem is with using 3D at all. When you cut corners with the process or even with the staff itself. You're gonna end up with something that looks bad. I think in 2D it may be a little easier to hide. But in 3D, it's really really obvious. Shytaku is right. There's a big learning curve with anime starting to use 3D. They are gonna fail a lot before the process and styles get polished. And the biggest hurdle right now is style. Knowing when and how to use it without subtracting from the experience. And unfortunately that takes a lot of trial and error. But I also agree with Arc. I don't want to see them using 3D just to cut cost and cut corners. Use it properly when it's called for. Not just cause the producer wants boost profit margins and cut their bottom lines. That will ruin anything.

"Lazy and cheap" That could be said about a lot of Anime's animation nowadays that aren't from a really good and consistent studio (Not the Pierrot's and the Toei's) CGI or not to be honest. I think CGI can be good if stylistically used correctly. Sometimes (or most of the time) it's just really distracting like in Berserk. The CGI in an anime should blend perfectly with the 2D animation not detract from it.

I generally dislike 3D animation, but if its used on inanimate objects such as cars, planes, etc. it can actually work extremely well. Another part where it can work is in horde of zombies as the jagged movement of the 3D fits with zombies' movement quite nicely (example: School live)

I agree with @PrinceOfJunes, I don't think it works for Berserk It may be nostalgia speaking, but there's something more artistic and beautiful in 2D animation. You appreciate it more because you can tell a lot of time and effort has gone into it.