# Japanese Anime and Those Huge Freaking Eyes **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 28, 2000, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-anime-and-those-huge-freaking-eyes/38758 "2000-10-28T19:10:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2001, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-anime-and-those-huge-freaking-eyes/38758/21 "2001-10-11T03:57:54Z")
I watch a fair amount of anime and I remember one of the things I got a few months ago had a prep for westerners to get into anime and such. And in this short video they explained the exact same thing as has been explained here, that it all comes from the influence of early American animation. This was actually hit home to me in the vert first Dragonball epsiode where this big cat runs of a cliff and does a typical looney tune eye take in that they popped rightt out of his head and got real big, something I’ve never seen in other such stuff. But damn I wish I could remember where I saw that video. ---
**Author:** ![Gozu\_Tashoya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7993a0/32.png) [@Gozu\_Tashoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gozu_Tashoya)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2001, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-anime-and-those-huge-freaking-eyes/38758/22 "2001-10-11T07:53:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Osiris \* > \*\*I watch a fair amount of anime and I remember one of the things I got a few months ago had a prep for westerners to get into anime and such. And in this short video they explained the exact same thing as has been explained here, that it all comes from the influence of early American animation. \ But damn I wish I could remember where I saw that video. \*\* Hm, I think I saw that clip as an introduction to \Venus 5\. Or, um, something that doesn’t make me like a pervert. ---
**Author:** ![quasar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/48db29/32.png) [@quasar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/quasar)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2001, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-anime-and-those-huge-freaking-eyes/38758/23 "2001-10-18T05:06:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ponygirl \* > \*\* > DBZ is hardly a fair representation of the variety of anime out there. It’s repetitive and flat, and the battles get extended to absurdly long proportions. \*\* Yeah, that’s precisely what I don’t like about it; the action doesn’t flow, it overextends itself. It’s like a a damn soap opera. In any case, its popularity is just incredible here in Costa Rica. When DBZ was on, every one watched it; heck, people even brought their portable TV’s to the movies to see the show during previews. > [@](#): > > \*\* > Saying you don’t see the appeal of anime because you’ve seen a few episodes of one show and maybe a movie or something is like saying you don’t understand why American animation is so popular because you’ve seen a few Mickey Mouse shorts and one of the Batman movies. \*\* You are exactly right, my sample is rather small and therefore lacking any significance whatsoever. I am not trying to criticize it as an art form–or whatever you fans of the genre call it, I only wanted to be enlightened as to why it causes such a devout following among people when–from my “uneducated” perspective–it’s not that big of a deal. On the other hand, I omitted mentioning in my previous post how much I like “Knights of the Zodiac”(literal translation from the spanish version, no idea how it is oficially referred to in English). So, it’s not that I don’t like anime per se, it is more not comprehending why people like it so much (what incredibly “seducing” elements does it incorporate in order to cause so much mass appeal) what astounds me. ---
**Author:** ![Daowajan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@Daowajan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daowajan)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2001, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-anime-and-those-huge-freaking-eyes/38758/24 "2001-10-18T05:20:29Z")
I can’t believe no one has brought up that not all anime characters have “those huge freaking eyes.” A trend in recent years, especially with more serious anime series or movies, is to draw the eyes normal-sized and slightly stylize the reat of the face, or just go as flat-out realistic as possible. A few examples: From **Blood: The Last Vampire** [http://www.bloodthemovie.com/charindex.html](http://www.bloodthemovie.com/charindex.html) From **Cowboy Bebop** [http://www.cowboybebop.com/english/session/chara/index.html](http://www.cowboybebop.com/english/session/chara/index.html) Notice that Ed has those huge eyes; that’s 'cause she’s a little kid. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2001, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-anime-and-those-huge-freaking-eyes/38758/25 "2001-10-18T12:17:59Z")
Ever since **The Little Mermaid** , Disney’s human animated characters seem to have HUGE eyes. Compare any post-LM character with the newly-released **Snow White**. Ariel and company have freakishly huge peepers, by comparison. I see this as the influence of Japanese anime on the younger Disney animators, who grew up on this stuff. Eyes _do_ have a big effect on the observer. I spend a good part of a chapter of my book on this. ---
**Author:** ![ScriptAnalyst](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f17d59/32.png) [@ScriptAnalyst](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ScriptAnalyst)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2001, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-anime-and-those-huge-freaking-eyes/38758/26 "2001-10-18T19:23:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Daowajan \* > \*\*I can’t believe no one has brought up that not all anime characters have “those huge freaking eyes.” > > A trend in recent years, especially with more serious anime series or movies, is to draw the eyes normal-sized and slightly stylize the reat of the face, or just go as flat-out realistic as possible. \*\* I’m glad somebody finally got around to pointing this out! You could find lots of examples over the last ten years or so of feature film anime characters without “big eyes.” Steve Biodrowski [http://www.thescriptanalyst.com](http://www.thescriptanalyst.com) ---
**Author:** ![TheMadScientist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c2a13f/32.png) [@TheMadScientist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheMadScientist)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2015, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-anime-and-those-huge-freaking-eyes/38758/27 "2015-08-25T14:43:21Z")
> **[Neoteny](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neoteny)** > > Neoteny (/niˈɒtəni/), also called juvenilization, is the delaying or slowing of the physiological, or somatic, development of an organism, typically an animal. Neoteny is found in modern humans compared to other primates. In progenesis or paedogenesis, sexual development is accelerated. > Both neoteny and progenesis result in paedomorphism (as having the form typical of children) or paedomorphosis (changing towards forms typical of children), a type of heterochrony. It is the retention in adults o... ---
**Author:** ![CoastalMaineiac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e8c25b/32.png) [@CoastalMaineiac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CoastalMaineiac)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2015, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-anime-and-those-huge-freaking-eyes/38758/28 "2015-08-25T15:18:20Z")
> [@quasar](#): > > [Hi Jack] > > Hey, anime maniacs: > > Need your expertise here. What are the differences, if any, between anime, hentai ( sp?) and manga? > > Also, what’s so cool about it? I have seen a few episodes of Dragon Ball Z and 1 or 2 movies and I think its O.K. I just don’t consider it good enough to justify its popularity. Or maybe I am just watching the wrong anime shows. :rolleyes: > > [Bye Jack] _Anime_ is an abbreviation for the Japanese word _animeeshon_, which is just a borrowing of the English word _animation_. When we use the word in English, we’re referring specifically to Japanese animation. When the Japanese use the word, however, I believe it refers to _all_ animation, regardless of origin. Manga is essentially a comic. Many anime storylines come from a corresponding manga. _Hentai_‘is something you’ll here girls in anime say a lot when the guy does something, shall we say, un-gentleman-like, like walking in on them while they’re bathing, or touching them inappropriately. It basically means _pervert_. In English, the word also refers to cartoon pornography. As for the question about eyes, I think it has to do with expressiveness more than anything. If the eyes are exaggerated, then it is easy to make the emotions seem exaggerated as well, which in my opinion, make comedy like [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByEMtJw2uY0) all the more hilarious. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2015, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-anime-and-those-huge-freaking-eyes/38758/29 "2015-08-25T15:28:52Z")
Since this is about animation, let’s move it to Cafe Society, a forum that didn’t exist when this thread was started 15 years ago. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2015, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-anime-and-those-huge-freaking-eyes/38758/30 "2015-08-25T16:19:06Z")
> [@Hanna](#): > > This has nothing to do with anime, but according to a guy who tried to pick me up at a bar, big eyes=likes to party. > :rolleyes: Hey, there… you seeing anybody? ---
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2015, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-anime-and-those-huge-freaking-eyes/38758/31 "2015-08-25T21:21:03Z")
It’s interesting to note that in the anime movie Tekonkinkreet as well as several other anime movies the characters actually look Asian. Of course as pointed out before these are basically fantasy characters meant to look cute and have a world wide appeal. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2015, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-anime-and-those-huge-freaking-eyes/38758/32 "2015-08-26T02:21:33Z")
One of my sources said that the “big eyes” effect came from Japanese animators deliberately modeling their style-sheets after Disney’s Peter Pan. I have no idea if this is true, but it’s a damn fine UL. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-anime-and-those-huge-freaking-eyes/38758.md?page=1)