Anime characters often get nosebleeds when aroused, a phenomenon that puzzles many viewers. Despite its surreal nature, anime often portrays characters defying physical laws, engaging in combat mid-air, or consuming vast amounts of food.
While these quirks may seem normal to avid fans, the logic behind them remains elusive. Here, we offer explanations for these peculiarities, providing insights into the mysteries of anime.
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The Mystery Behind Anime’s Oversized Eyes
Anime characters often sport disproportionately large eyes, a distinctive feature that originated in manga during the 1950s and is prevalent in genres targeting female audiences. While some theories suggest a cultural fascination with Western beauty standards, animation historian Nobuyuki Tsugata proposes that these exaggerated eyes serve as a tool for emotional expression.
According to Tsugata, enlarging eyes enhances the character’s ability to convey feelings without relying on dialogue, echoing the way humans intuit emotions through eye contact. Furthermore, the concept of “babyface” aesthetics, characterized by round faces and large eyes, is commonly employed in anime to enhance cuteness.
Scientific studies, such as one conducted by social psychologist Leslie Zebrowitz in 2009, support the notion that certain facial features trigger neurological responses associated with attractiveness, providing insight into the enduring popularity of anime’s big-eyed characters.
The Battle Cry Tradition in Anime
In iconic anime battles like Naruto vs. Sasuke and Goku vs. Frieza, characters often yell their opponent’s name before engaging in combat. While this practice may appear redundant, it finds its roots in Japanese feudal fighting customs.
Historically, samurai would announce their opponent’s name before battle as a form of identification and acknowledgment of the impending conflict. This tradition served as both a means of establishing victory and an opportunity for warriors to claim glory on the battlefield.
Drawing inspiration from this historical practice, anime creators incorporate character name-calling as a nod to tradition and a dramatic prelude to intense battle sequences.
The School Setting Phenomenon in Anime
Over the past few decades, anime has witnessed a surge in series set in middle and high schools, with Kyoto Animation notably producing many school-based works. This trend can be traced back to the 1980s when popular manga adaptations like “Urusei Yatsura” and “Touch” propelled school-centered narratives into the spotlight, catering to the evolving demographics of anime viewership, which shifted towards middle and high school students.
Today, while children aged 5 to 7 remain the primary audience for anime, nearly 50 percent of viewers aged 10 to 19 contribute significantly to the demand for school-themed shows. This alignment between audience preferences and content creation underscores the enduring popularity of school settings in anime.
Deciphering the Anime Nosebleed Phenomenon
In anime, characters often exhibit nosebleeds as a visual cue for sexual arousal, a trope that has become widely accepted within the medium. According to Tsugata, this exaggerated portrayal serves as a form of emotional expression, akin to the use of big eyes in anime.
Believed to have originated in Yasuji Tanioka’s manga during the early 1970s, the motif quickly gained popularity among other manga artists and became a recurring comedic element in anime. However, while the nosebleed trope is prevalent, its scientific validity remains questionable.
Dr. Onishi from the Onishi Internal Medicine Heart Clinic states that while sexual arousal can elevate heart rate and blood pressure, there is no direct physiological link between arousal and nosebleeds, challenging the accuracy of this portrayal in anime.
The Quirky Tradition of Bread-in-Mouth Dash
In anime, it’s not uncommon to see characters dashing out of the house with a slice of bread clenched between their teeth, a behavior rarely seen in real-life Japanese culture where eating on the go is considered impolite.
The origins of this trope are debated, with some attributing it to Miyoko Motomura’s manga “Patty’s First Love” in 1968, while others cite Ryouko Takahashi’s “Tsuraize! Boku Chan” in 1975. Regardless of its inception, this comedic symbol serves to exaggerate a character’s urgency and inner emotions, according to Tsugata.
By depicting characters in such exaggerated scenarios, anime effectively communicates the intensity of the situation while adding a humorous element. Interestingly, similar themes of overeating can be found in Western cartoons like “Popeye the Sailor,” whose influence on vegetable consumption among children in Bangkok was documented in a study published in the Australian journal Nutrition & Dietetics in 2003.
Unraveling the Enigma of Stray Cats in Anime
Cats hold a special place in Japanese culture, symbolizing artistic significance and embodying mysterious qualities rooted in folklore and literature. Despite not being native to Japan, cats have been a part of the cultural landscape since at least the 9th century, with stories of supernatural cats like the bakeneko circulating in art and literature.
Even today, cats remain prominent in Japanese culture, with authors like Haruki Murakami and popular characters like Doraemon and Hello Kitty. In anime, stray cats often make appearances, serving as advisors or companions to protagonists, showcasing their ability to understand human emotions and engage in meaningful relationships.
The portrayal of cats, whether as strays or household pets, carries symbolic weight, as seen in anime like Sazae-san, where the presence of a large bell on Tama signifies his status as a bought creature. These depictions, along with anime’s penchant for bending rules and exploring the whimsical, contribute to the enduring mystery and allure of cats in the medium.