# Whats the deal with "bronies"?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-bronies/609413>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [January 13, 2012, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-bronies/609413 "2012-01-13T18:59:39Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 30

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**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\
**Post date:** [January 14, 2012, 8:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-bronies/609413/30 "2012-01-14T08:36:20Z")

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> [@MemoryHole](#):
>
> Freakishly large eyes, yes, breasts no.

Okay, maybe this is the wrong thread for this, but seriously, wtf is up with the “big eyes” criticism of anime.

[America](http://pokemymon.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/elmerfudd.jpg) is [not](http://images.pictureshunt.com/pics/c/cartoon_tweety-5194.gif) exactly shy about big eyes. It’s no wonder – eyes are possibly the most expressive feature on people. [Goofy](http://alldisneycharacters.com/images/disney_characters_goofy.gif) has a (singular, I might add) GIANT FREAKING [EYE BLOB](https://encrypted-tbn3.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRf4wpfBsj1VOCbyo3Isaw3RqQlA2qXXmSuVgaDf8P6yMdMMPvl) fer chrissake. Even [Donald’s](http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://profile.ak.fbcdn.net/hprofile-ak-snc4/50287_134229524276_4064715_n.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.facebook.com/DonaldDuck&h=292&w=200&sz=16&tbnid=i2hIBpe-PqFrcM:&tbnh=91&tbnw=62&zoom=1&docid=dhYkdBfUfLg4DM&hl=en&sa=X&ei=KjkRT6TUKYPSiALihYHLDQ&sqi=2&ved=0CEAQ9QEwAQ&dur=694) eyes are freakishly large by any standard. In fact, the mice may be the only Disney characters that really escape it. Look at [Violet](http://data.whicdn.com/images/4269388/film-the_incredibles-violet_large.jpg) from the Incredibles. It’s especially common in [baby](https://encrypted-tbn3.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRDYjcR4IK5kbryOl_F-6IqxiZll0fvr6Qdmerwgf17j4g0xY7d) characters.

And it ain’t just Disney, Pixar, or WB. Here’s [Dexter](https://encrypted-tbn2.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS5Heqrrc29flQ6_gtDc8uFr-SXfR6vPjFKKFP1UGtKpzW418ZCTA) from Dexter’s Lab, or the [Powerpuff Girls](https://encrypted-tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQFBM9MPJktssCf0JSR1om8zzVeTaBpKtBFT1Nmj08wDpGGR9JjvA). And, as noted, My Little Pony. Not to mention eye size varies wildly between anime. Sure, there’s the extreme end like [Azumanga Daioh](http://www.animeultima.tv/uploads/anime_photo/watch-azumanga-daioh-episodes-online-english-sub-thumbnailpic.jpg), but [Bleach](http://i312.photobucket.com/albums/ll351/baokychen/baoseries/Bleach-Live-Action-Movie.jpg) (which is very, very popular as anime goes, even if it isn’t that great) doesn’t have huge eyes (though they’re bigger on the girls). Even some anime like [Fullmetal Alchemist](http://www.phoanime.com/img/img/full_metal_alchemist_926.jpg) or the girls and boobs anime [Strike Witches](http://otakudepot.com/blog/wp-content/gallery/sum2010-will_watch/strike_witches_2.jpg) have eyes that, while big, really aren’t THAT big compared to, say, [Ariel in The Little Mermaid](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/31/Ariel_mermaid.jpg).

They’re maybe a bit more prevalent in anime, but I don’t see it. Especially since there’s so many OTHER good arguments you can make against anime such as: overuse of walk cycles or stock footage – especially in lower budget weekly anime, the inability of many animators to draw more than one face and stack different hair and eye colors on it, hell the inability of some animators to draw more than three distinct bodies, period; poor characterization in the heavily syndicated, long running garbage (with exceptions); doing dubbing separately from animation (no dope sheets?). Some of these complaints can be valid stylistic choices and up for argument as well, but they’re certainly a much better argument than “anime has big eyes, big eyes are dumb,” since that alienates a large amount of the very paragons of American animation people frequently compare it against.

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