The large, expressive eyes characteristic of anime characters are hard to miss. Why are they such a prominent feature in this popular style of animation?
For starters, these exaggerated cartoon eyes are often drawn as the window to a character’s soul, allowing viewers to truly connect with them on an emotional level. In anime, it is important to portray characters’ feelings, thoughts, and intentions in an obvious manner to maximize their relatability. Even minor movements in characters’ eyes can convey so much about what they are thinking or how they are feeling.
Anime eyes have also developed into a part of the genre’s distinctive aesthetic beauty. In most anime shows, physical beauty is showcased in a unique way that doesn’t limit itself to typical features often highlighted in Western animation, like a pretty face or alluring figure. Instead, anime eyes serve as a key element of its visual appeal.
With their vivid colors and unconventional shapes, anime eyes are a whimsical blend of fantasy and reality, famous for being almost supernatural in their display. Perhaps one of the most iconic anime symbols, these eyes take on various forms and styles, but their exaggerated size and vivid tones have become a key component in the visual identity of the anime world.
All in all, anime eyes are about more than just appearance. They have become a fundamental part of the genre, allowing characters to express themselves in a unique way, and have contributed heavily to the expressive and highly stylized aesthetic of this type of animation.