Dramatic lighting.  I am SUCH a sucker for those 
harsh lines thrown by a close proximity lighting 
source (which, in anime, is usually an incoming 
spell or energy weapon ;).  Hell, one of my 
absolute favorite cels is just a floating head 
(poor Val, no shoulders for you... if anyone else 
has a cel from this sequence, could you please 
photocopy it at full size so I can paint a new 
layer with shoulders for the poor boy?), but I 
couldn't care less... the lighting is exquisite, 
and that makes it allllll worthwhile.

Floating Head Val: