I think this is simpler than people make it out to be. …

• Tags: 2D vs 3D, Character Design, Comparison, K-ON!, Moe
  

Comment on “Why Do Anime Characters Have Such Huge Eyes?” by Kitsune9Tails:

I think this is simpler than people make it out to be.

This is all IMHO, but as far as I’ve figured out:

Children have disproportionately large head to body ratio and a larger eye area to face ratio than do adults. So, the proportions used in anime (and a lot of Disney and other American animation) are meant to capture that same child-like feeling. Children are endearing to us at an instinctual level. Even people who say they “hate children” would be drawn to such features (likely the things they “hate” about children are noise, behavior, etc., not physical features).

I think child-like qualities, physical to some extent, but mostly behavioral, drive most of human attraction (especially true for filial IMHO, but maybe even romantic). Innocence, curiosity, kindness, honesty, and lack of guile are all generally positive qualities in relationships between people, and hence attaches us to characters in stories we watch/read. And the large eyes/large head proportions are one good way to subconsciously evoke that child-like attachment in animation.

If you look at cats and puppies, you’ll notice very similar eye proportions to human children. And people adore cats and dogs. Coincidence?

anyway tldr: IMHO it’s all about making anime characters look like kittens, puppies, and kids.

Kitsune9Tails made other comments on this post:

• “Why Do Anime Characters Have Such Huge Eyes?”:
  

  You mean like Hybrid engines? Lessee, developed by..? Oh, TOYOTA. Licensed for reuse by lessee… oh FORD. Oops. As far as anime goes, it’s pretty clear that Japanese animators haven’t been drawing in one style since the 60′s. Same for American animators. One would wonder why, while Americans are so inventive, most of U.S.-based animation still has characters drawn with larger eyes and other “childish/feline” features (Dreamworks, Pixar, Don Bluth, even goddamned Ralph Bakshi) just like Snow …

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