What is settei?
Settei (設定) is production reference material. The most familiar type is the character model sheet, which shows a character from several angles with notes on proportion, costume detail, and expressions. Other settei cover props, vehicles, and locations.
How settei is used
Dozens of animators may draw the same character across an episode. Settei is the shared standard that keeps the character on-model, defining the exact shapes, color notes, and details everyone must follow.
What to look for
- Multiple views (front, side, back, three-quarter) of the same subject.
- Measurement and proportion guides.
- Copies are common — settei was distributed to the whole crew — so originals versus printed distribution copies is an important distinction.