History Main / BigAnimeEyes

With "anime eyes", not only does the size increase, the shape is also exaggerated (and usually gives a hint as to whether the character is generally [[TsurimeEyes active]] or [[TaremeEyes passive]]), the iris and the pupil grow in proportion and change shape to compliment the general eye shape, and especially in the romantic genre, the reflections are greatly exaggerated. Horizontal lines above the eyes represent the folds of the upper lid and are not necessarily realistic for Asian characters, but serve as a visual anchor that makes for a lightning-fast distinction between a narrow eye and a half-closed eye. The range and flexibility of the eyebrows is also exaggerated.

* Ty, Inc., the creators of ''Toys/BeanieBabies'' made a new line called ''[[https://www.google.com/search?safe=off&rlz=1C1RLNS_esCL828CL828&biw=1440&bih=753&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=aCfBXPjMI_2i5OUP7NCdoAs&q=Beanie+Boos&oq=Beanie+Boos&gs_l=img.3..0l10.411832.411968..412243...0.0..0.57.110.2......1....1..gws-wiz-img.......0i8i30j0i30j0i10i24.YhH0oxSJPPM Beanie Boo's]]'', a type of beanies that are fantastic animals (like unicorns, dragons and in general animals with a horn) or normal animals with [[AmazingTechnicolorWildlife very different colors]], and all of them provided with big wide eyes.

* Parodied in ''VideoGame/DeathRoadToCanada'' with the [[https://deathroadtocanada.fandom.com/wiki/Anime_Girl Anime Girl]], a rare character you may encounter who can join your team. As time passes, she becomes increasingly 'more anime', with her eyes growing to take up around half her face. Her face will eventually disfigure as though it were melting, and, after the third day, she will [[MadeOfExplodium explode]] from anime overload.

[[folder:Real Life]]
* Creator/RogerEbert [[https://youtu.be/_9WEyuMq0Yk?t=161 gives his opinion on]] anime eyes as a way to exaggerate personality and emotion as part of talking about anime in general.
* Though it's almost impossible to get the eye size for normal humans, there's a way to get the optical effect of "anime eyes" via makeup, with many tutorials about how to make this on Website/YouTube and Website/{{Tumblr}}.
* There's a white cat that went viral because [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAxcc-4OY4I his big, intense blue eyes somehow manage to look like anime eyes.]] Especially see 1:30 in the video.
[[/folder]]

* One of the Anime/UruseiYatsura ovas had Lum’s cousin Jariten get infected with a virus called “Girly Eyes Measels” which gives them exaggerated versions of these eyes, the illness only effects males because females have naturally big eyes, the virus infects Ataru who runs away after Lum gives him the antidote but he has to rest for it to take effect, he refuses to rest because he wants to pick up girls, the girls are terrified of him because the big girly eyes make him look creepy, the virus eventually infects the entire male populace.

* A famous (and non-anime related) example is TheFifties American artist [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Keane Margaret Keane]], who was famous for drawing paintings with big eyes, and mainly paints women, children and animals in oil or mixed media. Her story, as well the case of the trial of her ex-husband StealingTheCredit of her work, was shown in the Creator/TimBurton's 2014 {{biopic}} ''Film/BigEyes'' with Creator/AmyAdams as Margaret Keane.

* One ComicStrip/MotherGooseAndGrimm strip had Grimm and Attila binge watching Anime/{{Pokemon}}, Mother Goose says they’d better stop before they ruin their eyes, they turn around and look at her and they’re drawn with big anime eyes.

Thus big eyes are very very popular for characters intended to be [[CutenessOverload cute]] and [[{{moe}} endearing]], and in genres which rely greatly on emotion and melodrama. Even works that employ more realistic proportions use eyes as a major tool. However, out-of-context- or over-use of large eyes can, intentionally or unintentionally, place a portrayal in the {{Uncanny Valley}}. Only in the gag genre and some more experimental styles are eyes downplayed.

* Semi-{{Averted|trope}} with Creator/LeijiMatsumoto. His heroes and leading ladies often have relatively narrow eyes compared to modern anime looks, and he always has some characters with beady, simple dots for eyes (Dr. Sado in ''Anime/SpaceBattleshipYamato'', Toshiro without his glasses in ''Anime/CaptainHarlock''), usually intended to be background characters, or, if significant, either old or {{Gonk}}s, or both.

* Creator/RogerEbert [[https://youtu.be/_9WEyuMq0Yk?t=161 gives his opinion]] anime eyes as a way to exaggerate personality and emotion as part of talking about anime in general.

* Semi-{{Averted|trope}} with Creator/LeijiMatsumoto. His heroes and leading ladies often have relatively narrow eyes compared to modern anime looks, and he always has some characters with beady, simple dots for eyes (Dr. Sado in ''Anime/SpaceBattleshipYamato'', Toshiro without his glasses in ''Manga/CaptainHarlock''), usually intended to be background characters, or, if significant, either old or {{Gonk}}s, or both.

* Semi-{{Averted|trope}} with Creator/LeijiMatsumoto. His heroes and leading ladies often have relatively narrow eyes compared to midern anime looks, and he always has some characters with beady, simple dots for eyes (Dr. Sado in ''Anime/SpaceBattleshipYamato'', Toshiro without his glasses in ''Manga/CaptainHarlock''), usually intended to be background characters, or, if significant, either old or {{Gonk}}s, or both.

->''"Give me those eyes! Big eyes! Big eyes! Give me [[TitleDrop big anime eyes!]]"''

[[caption-width-right:349:Here at TropeCo/TropeCo, we have anime eyes available in sizes ranging from "peephole" to "porthole"!]]