Anime Studio is an animation app that makes it easy to draw backgrounds, create and animate 2D characters, insert dialog and soundtrack and, if you want, publish everything online.

A pinch of Adobe Photoshop, a handful of Adobe Illustrator, and a hint of Adobe Flash. This is the magic formula behind Anime Studio, a program with a steep learning curve but which will keep you entertained for hours.

Thanks to the Anime Studio tutorial, you'll be able to start with basic animations very soon after installation. For practice, you can use the characters and sounds from Anime Studio library. The workflow is intuitive, because the program uses a method that designers are already used to: working with layers, a timeline, vector graphics (light and malleable) and a simple and effective palette.

If you're not familiar with such programs, there's no doubt that Anime Studio will take a while to get used to. Some determination and a while spent with the program should see you right, however, and you'll very quickly see why Anime Studio is a winner. The bone-rigging system is innovative and time-saving, the character wizard makes life easy, and Anime Studio's upload to YouTube/Facebook feature means the whole world can see your fantastic creations.

For non-professional but serious animators, Anime Studio is a great option and worth the work you'll need to put in.