If you know, you know. That’s the approach I like to take with a lot of my anime fan art designs. When you look at the product, I want it to just look like a random, cool design, not necessarily highly the fact that it’s anime merch. I avoid logos and identifiable characters in my designs, focusing rather on the more minor details of their design. Do they have a cool hat? What elements of their outfit inspires me? The end result is almost always something you could see in the world around you and never bat at eye, but other fans will know. You’ll exchange knowing glances and a nod to express that you both know that cup is based off an anime character, but it’s subtle enough that not everyone else will know, too. Think of it like this. If you see Pikachu, you know that’s Pokemon whether you’re a fan or not. But if you see red and white patterns with Sakura blossoms drawn on top, you might just think it’s a pretty Japanese-inspired piece, not a fan art piece for Genshin Impact.