Anime “Large Eyes” Style
Written by PeterHave you ever watched an anime and wondered why all the anime characters have strikingly large eyes? And why do Japanese anime and their characters actually look more European/Caucasian then Asian?
Well the large eyes apparently were greatly influenced/invented by Dr Osamu Tezuku who is known as “the father of manga” and even “the god of manga.” The distinctive large eyes style that characterizes almost all Japanese animation is credited to Tezuku as the creator. However he was also influenced by cartoons of Mickey Mouse and Betty Boop by Disney. The Large Eyes style also serve a very practical purpose, it allows animators to more easily and better express emotions of their anime characters.
Now, why do Japanese anime characters look more Caucasian then Asian? Well, apparently to the Japanese animators and the Japanese audience, they do not perceive any difference. To the Japanese, the anime characters do not seem as more Caucasian or foreign then Japanese or oriental looking.
There are many opinions on this topic. Some Western/Caucasian scholars hypothesizes that the Japanese want to deny their “asianness,” and instead associate themselves with “white” or Western culture. In my opinion this idea seems really biased.
I personally find this following hypothesis most sound. Japanese artists and animators believe that through different clothing, architecture, props, customs, and names, they can clearly portray their characters as foreign or in a foreign setting. So instead of being burdened and constrained to create all their characters with stereotypical characteristics, they can freely create distinctive characters. These Japanese characters may have large round eyes and blond hair, but are easily identifiable to readers and viewers.
On a side note it is in Western and Caucasian culture and cartoons where we find the most seriously stereotyped cartoons. Stereotypes which are seen here, depictions of Asians by popular clothing line Abercrombie and Fitch.
