Even in anime that take place in Japan, anime characters often look white, with pale skin, and light-colored eyes and hair. So, why don't anime characters look typically Japanese?
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Are Anime Characters Japanese?
Anime can unfold in Japan or anywhere in the globe, and, in the case of many fantasy anime, in secondary worlds.
Anime characters can be from anywhere, though, of course, many works focus on Japan and Japanese people.
It is no surprise that Japan is the setting of many anime. Since most anime writers, artists, and directors are Japanese, they will often prefer to anchor their stories in personal experiences and in places that matter to them.
But even in anime where all or most characters are Japanese, they often don't look that way.
Many anime characters who are undeniably Japanese will still be drawn with light hair and huge, light-colored eyes, as well as very pale skin.
In any other country, this would make sense due to the increased diversity of many countries.
However, Japan is ethnically homogenous, with more than 95% of its population being Japanese.
Therefore, if an anime takes place in a Japanese setting, we would assume that most characters are Japanese unless told otherwise.
Why Many Anime Characters Don't Look Japanese
There are various reasons most anime's Japanese characters look different from actual Japanese people. Most of these reasons have to do with tradition, prevalent animation styles, and marketability.
These points, of course, don't mean that Japanese artists go out of their way to make their characters look non-Japanese.
After all, even in the most homogenous countries, not everyone looks the same.
Experimentation With Various Art Styles
In the early 20th century, animation was a new and exciting medium where everything seemed possible.
Since then, artists have taken inspiration from what came before. At the same time, they take traditions one step further and try new things.
The animation was never meant to imitate life too closely. Rather, like most arts, it's supposed to draw inspiration from reality and encourage us to look at it in a new way.
Anime shows tend to be far more detailed and realistic compared to some Western cartoons. This doesn't mean anime have to be exact portraits of real people.
Animation is still supposed to be whimsical art that presents even existing worlds in ways the creators deem fun.
Hair colors you can't find in real life and big eyes drawn in great detail give anime a fanciful flare and distinguish it from other animation styles.
Influences From Western Animation
Back when animation was a relatively new medium, Disney was going through an unprecedented golden era that influenced key artists from all over the world.
For instance, Osamu Tezuka is considered the "Father of Manga," and he's known to have been influenced by Disney's style especially early in his career.
Tezuka, who has penned Astro Boy, Dororo, and other influential manga, introduced the characteristic large eye, variations of which we still encounter in manga and anime.
Beauty Looks Different on Paper
The face of an animated character would probably look a bit uncanny if it was too realistic.
On the hand, exaggerated features that wouldn't be desirable in real life, such as huge eyes, can look good on paper.
Beyond that, there are practical reasons for the color palettes chosen for manga and anime characters.
The majority of Japanese people have brown or black hair and dark eyes. In black-and-white manga, dark hair and eyes can be hard to shade properly.
Moreover, unusual colors help make each character distinct and immediately recognizable.
In real life, it is very easy to tell people apart even when they have very similar coloring.
In comparison, animated characters, which are often drawn simply in a single style, might end up looking a bit similar.
Giving them different eye and hair colors can make them immediately recognizable even by casual fans, without this meaning that dark eyes and hair aren't beautiful.
Εven then, some works, especially more adult, realistic ones, will stick to a natural palette, with the real-life hair and eye colors you would expect to see in any given location.
For instance, Death Note features primarily dark-haired characters. An exception is Misa, who has blonde hair and is an idol who might have used hair dye.
In Banana Fish, Eiji, the only Japanese main character, is drawn a bit differently than his co-protagonist, Ash, who is American.
The Concept of Kawaii
Kawaii, which means "cute," is more than a word in Japanese; it's a popular cultural phenomenon.
Most anime, even many of the gritty ones, will try their best to draw characters in as cute a way as possible.
This will often include round, wide eyes, pastel or otherwise colorful hair, and a childlike appearance.
This isn't to say that most people want to look exactly like anime characters any more than fans in the West want to look like cartoon characters (though Kawaii fashion is a thing).
Ultimately, the Question Isn't as Relevant in Japan
From a Western perspective, it might seem strange that Japanese anime characters don't look more closely like real Japanese people. But in Japan, people might actually not feel the need to ask this question as much.
First of all, some Japanese people are very pale-skinned, so an anime character with pale skin shouldn't automatically be considered white.
Sometimes, anime that take place in Japan will feature one foreign character who might not look very different from the Japanese characters; it's about style, rather than about portraying anyone in the most realistic way.
Moreover, anime characters don't only look different than their real-life counterparts; they often act in exaggerated ways that aren't the norm in normal interactions.
Therefore, people from the culture where anime are created won't expect anime characters to be exactly like them anyway.
If a show takes place in Japan, it can be assumed that most characters will be Japanese even if their stylized eyes, hair, and other features suggest otherwise.
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