Tricks I recently learned to make 3D characters look more anime:
✍️Painted Wrinkles: Don't rely on geometry. Paint those folds to add detail to otherwise flat characters.
⚡ Particle Speed Lines: Perfect for adding kinetic energy in a few clicks.
🎞️ 2D Planes: I’m using simple animated images for dust and flow. Old school, but it works.
🌬️ Fake Wind: Vertex displacement beats cloth sim every single time for stylized movement.
🦴 Only add bones where they're absolutely necessary for the pose.