Why do anime characters have big eyes and colored hair?

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RJay123

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#1 RJay123
Member since 2009 • 911 Posts

I mean if most of the settings are in Japan, shouldn't anime characters have mostly black hair?

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Shhadow_Viper

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#2 Shhadow_Viper
Member since 2009 • 2300 Posts

It's just an art style, I'm not sure if there is any reasoning behind it..

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Bedizen

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#3 Bedizen
Member since 2009 • 2576 Posts

They are cartoons

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Ace6301

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#4 Ace6301
Member since 2005 • 21389 Posts
I read somewhere that anime was originally based off of Betty Boop hence the large eyes. Eyes are very emotive too so it makes it easier on the animator to express emotions. Coloured hair is probably either rule of cool or to make it easier to easily identify characters.
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Shad0ki11

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#5 Shad0ki11
Member since 2006 • 12576 Posts

I mean if most of the settings are in Japan, shouldn't anime characters have mostly black hair?

RJay123

No particular reason.

(Really)

:|

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MrsSolidSnake

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#6 MrsSolidSnake
Member since 2009 • 5003 Posts

Hey. Black is a hair colour.

Would you prefer them grey-haired?

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Son_of_Magnus

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#7 Son_of_Magnus
Member since 2009 • 39 Posts

The first cartoon Jaoan saw was Bambi and it kinda stuck with them there

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Faber_Fighter

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#8 Faber_Fighter
Member since 2006 • 1890 Posts

Hey. Black is a hair colour.

Would you prefer them grey-haired?

MrsSolidSnake
A lot of them are grey haired to :P
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Homiegesus

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#9 Homiegesus
Member since 2003 • 5706 Posts

To be honest I see more purple/pink haired girls in Japanese culture then I do in any other culture. I also see it as a way of identifying themselves through style which is very large in their culture as well as parts of American culture

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MrsSolidSnake

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#10 MrsSolidSnake
Member since 2009 • 5003 Posts
[QUOTE="MrsSolidSnake"]

Hey. Black is a hair colour.

Would you prefer them grey-haired?

Faber_Fighter
A lot of them are grey haired to :P

Indeed... well I have nothing left to say!
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br0kenrabbit

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#11 br0kenrabbit
Member since 2004 • 17851 Posts

The eyes never grow, but the head does. This means babies have proportionally large eyes, and is why our 'cute' instincts kick in when we see large eyes.

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andrucks

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#12 andrucks
Member since 2005 • 332 Posts

Big/wide eyes usaly means the character is good, smal/narov eyes usaly means its evil

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Homiegesus

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#13 Homiegesus
Member since 2003 • 5706 Posts

Big/wide eyes usaly means the character is good, smal/narov eyes usaly means its evil

andrucks
While this is a seemingly simple answer it is the most accurate, it appeals to every walk of life imaginable.
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Guybrush_3

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#14 Guybrush_3
Member since 2008 • 8308 Posts

http://www.homestarrunner.com/sbemail57.html

awesomebad

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Zerocrossings

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#15 Zerocrossings
Member since 2006 • 7988 Posts

With some anime, the only thing that distinguishes the charactersfrom one another is the hair.(Since their faces looks exactly the same)So i think they made the hair color different for easier identification.

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Trinners

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#16 Trinners
Member since 2009 • 2537 Posts

Most anime and manga follow the traditional art style which results in many characters faces looking the same. The easiest way to differentiate characters visually is through hair colour/hair style and clothing.

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shinian

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#17 shinian
Member since 2005 • 6871 Posts

It just Japan. We may never fully understand:P

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deactivated-6016e81e8e30f

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#18 deactivated-6016e81e8e30f
Member since 2009 • 12955 Posts
The eyes are just because the style is like that. The eccentric hair colors and cuts are to more or less help viewers distinguish characters easier, since the style makes it hard to tell any difference aside from outfit design.
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RPG-er

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#19 RPG-er
Member since 2003 • 19301 Posts

I mean if most of the settings are in Japan, shouldn't anime characters have mostly black hair?

RJay123
have you ever been to japan? most have bleached or dyed hair. plus it's a cartoon. seen when did cartoons look like people?
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Pixel-Pirate

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#20 Pixel-Pirate
Member since 2009 • 10771 Posts

The better to see you with!

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#21 siddarthshetty
Member since 2008 • 9463 Posts

It will be nice to see different colours rather then black:P

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Silent-Hal

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#22 Silent-Hal
Member since 2007 • 9795 Posts
I think it's weird that the majority of characters designed with that kind of style almost never actually look Japanese, even when the anime/game/whatever is supposedly set in Japan.
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BiancaDK

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#23 BiancaDK
Member since 2008 • 19092 Posts

There is a number of reasons, as far as i can tell:

It´s highly expressive, so in effect it cuts down on the amount of drawings needed to convey ideas

It has some psychological aspects to it, in the way the characters are supposed to appeal to the reader/viewer

It has heavy influences from early western cartoon heroes, astro boy being the most prominent example when emphasizing this aspect IMO.

It has it´s own aesthetical identity now, it became highly "in" during the latter years of the ´90s, which propelled any notions of ever considering a change of visual style entirely out of the question. There is a certain inherent artistical safety in drawing manga or anime now, even in it´s most archetype representations.

It is expected to look a certain way now, and the private sectors playing their cards as safe as ever, usually avoids innovation if a economic succes criteria has already been established, connected and validated to any prior/original form.

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-Vaati-

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#24 -Vaati-
Member since 2008 • 44 Posts

Big/wide eyes usaly means the character is good, smal/narov eyes usaly means its evil

andrucks

Guess that explains why Brock is a borderline rapist.

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Pixel-Pirate

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#25 Pixel-Pirate
Member since 2009 • 10771 Posts

[QUOTE="andrucks"]

Big/wide eyes usaly means the character is good, smal/narov eyes usaly means its evil

-Vaati-

Guess that explains why Brock is a borderline rapist.

I don't know why but I laughed so hard.

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funnilov3

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#26 funnilov3
Member since 2009 • 246 Posts

Why do the powerpuff girls have alien eyes?

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samuraiguns

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#27 samuraiguns
Member since 2005 • 11588 Posts

[QUOTE="RJay123"]

I mean if most of the settings are in Japan, shouldn't anime characters have mostly black hair?

Shad0ki11

No particular reason.

(Really)

:|

Yes there is; expressing emotion.
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Cherokee_Jack

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#28 Cherokee_Jack
Member since 2008 • 32198 Posts
Disney.
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kingdre

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#29 kingdre
Member since 2005 • 9456 Posts

I'm guessing it's just the art style.

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Lonelynight

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#30 Lonelynight
Member since 2006 • 30051 Posts
It is probably because of the radiations from the nukes.
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Murj

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#31 Murj
Member since 2008 • 4557 Posts

Because if they looked real and boring, it would be boring and too real. Plus bright colours, cat ears and tentacles keep our attention longer than none of the previously mentioned items.

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Vandalvideo

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#32 Vandalvideo
Member since 2003 • 39655 Posts
I'm highly skeptical of this claim. I think the most you can say is the majority of shounen has big eyed characters with colored hair. These generalizations, however, don't apply to the truly innovative anime which makes up a good portion of the market. Nor does it qualify those european inspired animes like Berserk or Monster.