Not just the anime style, but the over-all format. I miss the unique arcade modes, the cutscenes and rival battles, the beautiful stages, the bright colors, everything. DOA5 got rid of everything about DOA that I loved. It's why I could still play DOA4 for hours but 5U is becoming a chore for me. I think I'm gonna drop it.
Lol, DOA4 looks cute but the game is so bad. SF4 looks bright and colourful but it just feels so "meh" now after the 5+ years that the game and it updates have been out. 2D fighter stages are always boring compared to DOA's stages which actually have some value to them along with interactivity.
I don't hate SF or anything but the game only really seems great now if you've just jumped on it as opposed to have been playing it since 2009, 2010, etc. I.e. it just seems boring now (and I get tired of the announcer yelling for everything). I'm guessing that you mostly play single player modes? Visually DOA5U kicks the shit out of all other fighters except KI, especially with the interactivity of the stages.