>>12285669I think it's got something to do with falling budgets in the 90s and early 2000s caused by the Japanese economic crisis known as the Lost Decade which made studios use simpler coloring and animation. There was also the cell to computer coloring transition taking place back then so they also had to re-learn everything about coloring for a while. Even though KyoAni was already making stuff with lots of colors, shading, and fluid shading back in 2005 (see Air for example), it took a while for other studios to start adopting the shame sort of bright, sparkling crystal-like color schemes.
