Why do the characters in Japanese manga and anime never look asian?

Question

The eyes are big and round. Naruto for example.... very caucasion looking... especially with the blue eyes and blonde hair.

Answer 1

I've always wondered that too.

Answer 2

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Answer 3

The large eyes are because Japanese culture says the eyes are the window to the soul. Most characters that usually have their eyes shaded or closed are evil, or at least unprincipled. Also it is harder to do subtle things with eyes if the eye is smaller and harder to see.

Hair color is also used for two things, instant character recognition, and sometimes to show personality. Exotic hair colors make characters easy to spot in a crowd, and blond hair amongst mostly black hair is easier than most without going into non-human hair colors.

If you watch a lot of anime, you'll find that blond hair is actually a bit of a rarity on anyone who is actually supposed to be from outside Japan, most have brown hair instead.

Answer 4

because the style was developed from cartoons done in the 50's, when Japan depended on being able to sell their cartoons to European markets, so the characters had to look generic. also, that why their mouths move like that, they knew how to do traditional and accurate mouth movement, but it was thought that a more generic movement would make it easier to dub in other countries.

and the rest of you are wrong. its not WINDOWS to the soul or some other bs crapola. its what i said, its the only and correct answer.

Answer 5

If you ask any asian who watches anime, they don't view anime characters as being "foreign" or "western." Like us, they see the characters as being close to resembling themselves.

The eyes are big and round you say? Look at a caucasian's eyes. Anime eyes are HUGE in comparison. You think they are caucasian, because you are caucasian- no other reason.

You also say Naruto is caucasion looking because he has blue eyes and blonde hair. Well the biggest female lead has natural pink hair. That's not really caucasion, is it? When they are throwing out all kinds of different hair colors from pink to blue to green, we can't really say that that same anime is caucasion influenced because one character happens to have blond hair.

If you watch an anime where all the hair colors are completely natural in this world, you find that the people from Japan all have dark hair. Like Azumanga Daioh, Kaiji, and Darker than Black, for example.

So yeah, they don't look caucasion, they are just made so that they we are easily able to identify with them- no matter where we come from.

Answer 6

A lot of Asians are attracted to/fascinated with Westernized features, so it's not surprising that this shows up in anime and manga too.

Answer 7

Hi,the same as how many people really have blue eyes and blonde hair im not talking bleached hair.

Answer 8

it is because of their look as an asian especially the japanese which have sharp and small eyes they had the obssesion of those big eyes normally used in girls.
but there are some of them who normally have sharp eyes which the guys have which makes them a bit look tougher.
Remember Kenshin Himura of Rurouni Kenshin? He normally has large eyes but when he gets into battle his eyes suddenly turns into those sharp eyes which makes him look tough and deadly.

Answer 9

Because Japenese guys have an obsession with blonde hair and blue eyes (and very innocent looking young girls hence big eyes). Probably cos it is very exotic for them.

Answer 10

i think that is the most important part of an anime but there r some animes where they have a jappanes eyes like in Ruoruni Kenshin when he turns into a mans slayer and he changes hes eyes...

Answer 11

well, you can't say they NEVER look asian. every mangaka has his own stile and that's it.
There are loads of mangas with VERY japanese looking guys, i think death note is one of them. and some people just 'd like to have pink hair so they draw girls with pink hair or something, it may not be real, but it looks good.
and the one who made skip beat obviously likes long legs.but not even european people have legs that are THAT long.
And It's not as if italian comics like "Witch" look like italian people , do they???it's comic world guys, they have to look good , not authentic^^