Why are anime eyes drawn in certain way?
Anime refers to the style of animation that originated in Japan. It goes without saying that everyone is familiar with anime series, cartoons, and movies. The creators of anime are successfully appealing to the world’s audience and generating a handsome amount of revenue with it. Their distinct features and ways of expression make them stand out and influence the imagination of viewers. The big expressive anime eyes shining with emotions and vibrant colors are mostly associated with innocence, cuteness, and a sense of curiosity
The anime lovers must have noticed that their eyes are way bigger and exaggerated than in real life. These eyes have become an anime trope with certain eye types being associated with certain traits of characters. Lets talk about some examples.
Big anime eyes
The anime characters with big open eyes have one of the two probabilities:
Girls with big anime eyes
They are sweet, enthusiastic and innocent about life. Such eyes show a wider range of emotions to be conveyed. Big eyes show surprise, excitement, or even sadness more effectively, making it easier for viewers to connect with the characters. Such eyes have a certain aesthetic appeal which make the characters appear more attractive and loveable. The character of Eru Chitanda from Hyouka is the perfect example of anime character with bigger attractive eyes with all the qualities mentioned above.
Young men with big anime eyes
Villainous characters often have such eyes that radiate a strong and intense gaze. Such eyes may be depicted with heavy shadows, emphasizing their dark and sinister nature and accentuating their villainous appearance. Their examples are Aizen Sōsuke from “Bleach” and Frieza from “Dragon Ballz”. These eyes also contribute in manipulative, cold, calculating and menacing demeanor.
Small anime eyes
Generally the smaller eyes predict crueler character. Assassins, bullies and villains have smaller eyes. Levi Ackerman from “Attack on Titan” is a skilled soldier and captain in the Scout Regiment who is known for his exceptional combat skills and stern demeanor. This character has relatively smaller eyes compared to other characters in the series. Vicious, a prominent antagonist in the anime series “Cowboy Bebop” is one of the such character with smaller anime eyes. Such characteristic eyes add to his distinctive visual design and formidable combat skills.
Anime characters with black pupils or sclera
There are characters that have black sclera or pupil which emphasize their dark and possessed nature. Dark naruto from “Naruto” and majin buu character from ”Dragon ballz” are such characters whose eyes show trait for corruption, darkness and power exploitation. These visual cues in anime villain eyes create monstrous look and a sense of fear. Such type of eyes are pro in giving a dangerous glare.
Why eyes are so important?
The size of iris and pupil help in showing emotions of fear, anger, surprise, happiness and concentration. The position and movement of eyebrows add in showing emotions through eyes perfectly. The direction of a character’s gaze communicates various emotions e.g. looking downward conveys sadness, shame or guilt. The direct eye contact expresses confidence, determination or confrontation. Tears or moisture in the eyes show sadness, happiness or empathy.
Eyes speak louder
Along with facial expressions, body language and dialogues; eyes play vital role to convey a message. The shape and color of the eyes express character traits enhancing storytelling. The intricate details of eye traits of characters help us distinguish protagonist and antagonist by watching just a few episodes. The eyes of anime serve as a bridge between the viewers and the fictional world which contributes in creating a sense of intimacy and emotional investment in the story and its characters.
Founder of EyesMatterMost- an optometry student who loves talking about eyes. I tend to cover topics related to optometry, ophthalmology, eye health, eyecare, eye cosmetics and everything in between. This website is a medium to educate my readers everything related to eyes.