FLAMBOYANT costumes and engaging characters set to vibrant environs and dynamic action.
Add dramatic storylines to the mix to get a basic description of Japanese animation or anime that has been entertaining fans around the world for decades.
Oh, remember the moving theme songs and catchy music that accompany the smorgasbord of titles which proves to be just as important an ingredient to the success of any particular show.
This was made clear by the excitement of the audience at Kuala Lumpur's Dewan Filharmonik Petronas (DFP) during the recent Symphonic Anime 5 concert.
The Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO) got another chance to showcase its aural capabilities by performing majestic renditions of popular anime titles from the late-1970s to the present day during the two-hour event.
NOSTALGIC BLISS
Led by Singaporean conductor Joshua Tan, the MPO, which also featured an electric guitarist, bassist, keyboard player and drummer, took listeners on a musical journey that straddled multiple genres from straight-up pop, rock and ballads to jazz musings and retro numbers, as well as good-old classical movements.
"You can usually tell the era of the anime by their musical compositions and sounds," said Tan on the versatility of anime music in between songs.
Nostalgia was a key factor for earlier works, too.
"I fondly remember reading the 'Doraemon' manga in Chinese when I was just a boy. I was really bad at learning the Chinese language but reading those books helped me a lot," he added.
As the MPO rendered the familiar strains from the 'Doraemon' theme song, I was brought back to a time in the late 1980s when I used to wait with bated breath in front of the TV to catch the latest adventures of the robotic cat with a portal pocket on RTM.
CLASSIC RENDITIONS
Then there were the groovy retro vibes of the main theme to 'Detective Conan', as well as the vibrant string and brass-driven 'Moon Prism Power Makeup!' and the percussive 'Moonlight Densetsu' from the 'Sailor Moon' series.
Other classics that got the crowd cheering included the rousing 'Lugia's Song' from 'Pokemon' and the pop rock stylings of 'Bluebird' from 'Naruto'.
There was also a tribute to 'Dragon Ball' creator Akira Toriyama who passed away earlier this year, which saw the MPO performing the upbeat 'M-1703' and a 13-minute medley of various tunes that defined the immensely popular series.
The second half of the concert featured music works from more recent popular anime titles which got the mostly young audience, with a sprinkling of families, excited as there were audible oohs and aahs that followed each of Tan's introductions to the songs.
CURRENT HITS
The full might of the MPO was put to good use during renditions of 'When I Remember This Life' from 'The Tale Of Princess Kaguya', 'The Other Side Of The Sea' ('Attack On Titan'), 'Sparkle' ('Your Name'), 'Gurenge' ('Demon Slayer') and 'Thunderclap' ('Jujutsu Kaisen').
Then there was also the theme song from 'Spy X Family', titled 'Mixed Nuts', which was a crowd-pleaser.
The jaunty track with its frenetic and jazzy twists and turns certainly mirrored the outlandish premise of a spy who "assembles a family" to complete a mission.
LIVELY ATMOSPHERE
Some of the songs during the Symphonic Anime 5 concert were also brought to life by local singer-songwriter Rina-Hime who sang in Japanese.
Although looking a little nervous at first, the Selangor-born artiste, who was dressed in a lacy black ensemble, quickly got into the groove and performed in a variety of styles from heartfelt ballads to smooth pop excursions and fast jazz runs.
The youthful energy of the crowd was infectious and a motivating factor as well.
Several of the songs saw certain members of the audience singing along, which only served to enhance the positive atmosphere of the show that night.
The Symphonic Anime 5 concert came to an end with the slow buildup of the moving track, 'Grand Escape', from the quirky 2019 romantic fantasy anime film, 'Weathering With You'.