Introduction
Puppy dog eyes are a popular trope in anime where characters make pleading, tearful eyes to get what they want. They involve wide, glistening eyes and an overall cute, childlike facial expression. This look aims to pull at viewers’ heartstrings and make characters appear innocent, helpless, and irresistible.
Puppy dog eyes are an exaggerated technique used in anime and manga to make characters look extremely sad, cute, and vulnerable. By enlarging and watering up the eyes, giving a pleading look, and sometimes including whimpering sounds, characters try to get their way or soften up other characters and the audience.
The appeal of puppy dog eyes in anime comes from their ability to make characters look adorable while also humanizing them. Even villainous or hardened characters become more sympathetic when giving puppy eyes. Viewers want to comfort the characters and give them what they desire. This trope adds cuteness and emotional impact to stories in a simple but powerful visual shortcut.
History
The trope of puppy dog eyes in anime can be traced back decades to early examples in manga and anime. Though the large, pleading, tear-filled eyes of young characters is common across many cultures in visual media, it became a widespread staple within anime and manga. According to the trope database website TVTropes, this technique possibly originated from Disney’s Bambi in 1942, where Bambi’s large, stunned eyes after the death of his mother elicited sympathy from viewers (Source). However, Japanese anime brought the trope to new levels starting in the 1970s and 1980s with popular shows featuring cute child characters with exaggerated pleading eyes, such as Heidi and Candy Candy.
This aesthetic extended into the 1990s and 2000s with magical girl anime like Sailor Moon depicting characters with large, dewy, sparkling eyes. The rise of moe anime, focusing on feelings of strong affection towards cute female characters, further popularized and exaggerated the puppy dog eyes in characters designed to evoke protective instincts in viewers. Even adult characters in anime aimed at older male audiences sometimes employ puppy dog eyes for comic effect. Over the decades, the distinctive puppy dog eyes have become a widespread visual shorthand in anime and manga for conveying that a character is vulnerable, innocent, and in need of empathy.
Popular Examples
Some of the most well-known anime characters that utilize puppy dog eyes include:
Puss in Boots from Shrek is probably one of the most iconic examples. His wide eyes and pouty expression is his signature move for getting what he wants (see https://www.pixivision.net/en/a/7467).
Mimi from Digimon Adventure frequently makes puppy dog eyes when she wants something or is trying to get out of trouble. Her cute appearance makes it very difficult to say no (see https://www.pinterest.com/pin/puppy-dog-eyes-tbh-in-2023–308426274494490553/).
Chopper from One Piece is a reindeer with an inherently cute design that lends itself well to puppy dog eyes. He uses them to get what he wants from other characters.
Manaphy from Pokémon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea has an extremely kawaii appearance and large sparkling eyes that give it a puppy dog look.
Effect on Viewers
Puppy dog eyes have a powerful psychological appeal and emotional effect on anime fans. The large shimmering eyes elicits a nurturing response and protective instinct, triggering the same biological reactions as seeing an actual puppy or baby (1). Viewers feel an instinctive urge to comfort and care for vulnerable-looking characters, even if they are dangerous or standoffish in reality.
Psychologists note that the puppy dog eyes trope ties into the “baby schema” effect, where humans are drawn to childlike features like large eyes and round faces. Anime characters with puppy dog eyes hijack this innate nurturing reflex in viewers (2). Audiences find it hard to resist their innocent, pleading gaze.
Reddit fans widely acknowledge the “unfair” power puppy dog eyes have over them. They admit feeling compelled to be nicer and more forgiving towards characters who deploy this look, even if the character is written as brusque or villainous. The vulnerability implied in the puppy dog stare makes viewers more receptive and open-hearted (3).
In summary, the outsized eyes of puppy dog eyes anime characters act as an emotional amplifier. Fans feel more empathy, tenderness and protectiveness towards characters, even if this contradicts their normal personality. This nostalgic trope continues engaging audiences by tapping into deep-seated parental instincts.
Criticisms
The puppy dog eyes trope in anime has received some criticism over the years for seeming manipulative or overly playing on cuteness. Some argue that it portrays female characters as helpless and relying on their “cuteness” to get what they want from male characters (Source: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/PuppyDogEyes). This trope may reinforce gender stereotypes if used carelessly.
Others have pointed out that the exaggeration of making a character’s eyes suddenly become enormous and shiny when begging or trying to curry favor can come across as a cheap gimmick. Overusing the puppy dog eyes in anime to immediately get other characters to comply may be seen as a crutch by some viewers (Source: https://tropedia.fandom.com/wiki/Puppy_Dog_Eyes).
There are debates around whether the puppy dog eyes trope infantilizes women and whether it’s being used in a clumsy or inappropriate way in certain anime. Some argue it’s just lighthearted but others see it as playing too much on regression to childlike facial expressions and mannerisms.
Use in Storytelling
The “puppy dog eyes” trope serves an important narrative purpose in anime storytelling. Anime characters with big, wide eyes displaying innocence and vulnerability allows viewers to empathize with them. By eliciting a protective instinct in the audience, puppy dog eyes are commonly used on female characters to indicate their purity or need of saving by a male protagonist.
For example, in classic anime like Sailor Moon, the heroine Usagi uses puppy dog eyes to express her sensitive nature. When faced with danger, her teary eyes garner concern from fellow characters and viewers, highlighting her role as an innocent character in need of protection. This vulnerability is an endearing quality, allowing the audience to root for her success.
However, puppy dog eyes may also be used by villain characters to falsely portray innocence or remorse, manipulating other characters’ emotions for their own gain. For instance, the character Monokuma in Danganronpa initially appears harmless with his large, tear-filled eyes. But he turns out to be a sinister, scheming antagonist who cannot be trusted. His deceptive use of puppy dog eyes underscores his duplicitous nature.
So while primarily utilized to emphasize innocence and stir empathy, puppy dog eyes have narrative potential for subversion as well. Their prevalence in anime storytelling allows authors to play on audience expectations for dramatic effect.
Cultural Impact
The puppy dog eyes trope has had a significant influence on anime fandom culture, becoming widely recognized and referenced across the anime community (https://www.reddit.com/r/Komi_san/comments/ysgr1p/excuse_my_ignorance_but_is_this_a_real_thing_in/). Fans often point to popular characters like Hinata from Naruto as quintessential examples of the trope. Some argue the prevalence of the trope has reinforced certain gender norms, portraying female characters as passive, delicate, and in need of protection.
However, others note the trope’s popularity reveals viewers’ affection for characters exuding innocence, sweetness, and sincerity. The puppy dog eyes have become a shorthand for conveying these desired qualities across various anime titles and fanworks. Fans frequently replicate the look in cosplay or fanart to immediately communicate a character’s personality and nature. Overall, the distinctive aesthetic has certainly left its mark on anime culture.
Memorable Scenes
The puppy dog eyes are a common trope in anime that tugs at viewers’ heartstrings. Some of the most memorable puppy dog eye scenes include:
In the romance anime Fruits Basket, Tohru gives Yuki puppy dog eyes when asking him to accompany her to the school fair. This vulnerable expression convinces Yuki to go against his usual solitary nature (source).
In My Hero Academia, Uraraka uses her big round eyes to plead with Izuku to team up during training. This helps humanize the normally reserved Izuku (source).
In the comedy anime Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid, Kanna Kamui melts hearts when she looks at Kobayashi with watery puppy dog eyes, wordlessly asking for a snack. This shows her childlike nature (source).
These emotional scenes tap into viewers’ protective instincts and desire to comfort vulnerable characters. The puppy dog eyes trope is an effective storytelling device in anime.
Artistic Style
Anime artists use various techniques to depict the iconic “puppy dog eyes” look. Large, round irises and pupils help convey a sense of innocence and emotion. The eyes are often drawn much bigger in proportion to the face compared to realistic human eyes. This stylization allows for more exaggerated expressions.
Watery, glossy highlights in the eyes and tears welling up at the corners are common visual motifs used to evoke a sad, longing, or pleading look. Subtle blushing around the cheeks or eyebrows tilted upward can further emphasize the vulnerability of the character.
Soft, fuzzy outlines around the eyes give a soft, dreamy aesthetic. Valued gradations in shading are used to suggest depth and realism despite the cartoonish proportions. The cute style contrasts with the emotional depth it aims to convey.
Overall, abstraction of form, exaggerated features, and emotive details come together to create an iconic moe aesthetic that aims to tug at viewers’ heartstrings.
Conclusion
The puppy dog eyes trope has enduring popularity and appeal in anime for several reasons. First, it taps into the innate human response to cute things like puppies, making viewers feel protective and affectionate. Second, it allows characters to express vulnerability and innocence, which elicits sympathy. Third, it provides a visual shorthand for sincerity and earnestness. The big pleading eyes cue viewers that the character’s request or feelings are genuine. This trope endures because it is an effective and shortcuts way to make characters seem pure, guileless, and induce caretaking feelings in the audience. It will likely continue as a staple of anime character design and storytelling.