Fair, there are several examples of characters acknowledging the shift in very specific circumstances. Often said circumstances are plot related one way or another.
But usually that’s not the case, and if you have a change of art because now it’s a different studio producing the animation or they release a new season with a different art director and budget then no, it’s implied that the aesthetic status quo has always been the same.
I believe they don’t. They don’t realize there was ever a change.
Inside Out is a great example of just that. While I couldn’t find the scene, here’s an excerpt from tvtropes.com:
*Entering the Abstract Thought Chamber in Inside Out caused the characters to turn into 2D figures with increasingly less defined shapes. *
If I remember correctly, the characters actually acknowledge the shift to less detailed artstyles.
Fair, there are several examples of characters acknowledging the shift in very specific circumstances. Often said circumstances are plot related one way or another.
But usually that’s not the case, and if you have a change of art because now it’s a different studio producing the animation or they release a new season with a different art director and budget then no, it’s implied that the aesthetic status quo has always been the same.