>>107389950Simpler shapes make for easier, and cheaper animation.
This is something Hanna Barbera figured out after leaving MGM having worked on the famous Tom & Jerry theatrical shorts. The likes of Huckleberry Hound and the Flintstones was much cheaper to produce for the sake of television syndications.
This never exactly changed with television either, some shows would be higher budget than others.
The original run of The Powerpuff Girls in particular is a key example of stylization done well, and a majority of Adult Swim's early content from Williams Street shows you can make entertaining content on even less production value.
Akira was made for theatrical release, but it took several years to get the job done. The end result however is outstanding.
