The so-called “Anime Eyes” have been the hallmark of the art-style largely used in modern Japanese works. From anime to video games to manga to mascots and commercials, “Anime Eyes” have been a part of Japanese pop culture.

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Now, these “Anime Eyes” have evolved through the years, and renowned Japanese illustrator, Naoki Saito, has taken a look at them. Saito has done artworks for several video games, including Pokemon, so he knows his stuff. He discussed the evolution of “Anime Eyes” through a tweet:

By taking out the hair, the illustrator showed how much the art style has changed. Rocket News 24 has said that:

“According to the illustrator, the image on the left shows how eyes were drawn long ago, with a vertically long oval shape and lots of white space around the pupils. The portrait in the middle shows the transition to more angular eye shapes that are larger in general, with a focus on strong, dark eyelashes. On the right, we have the image that’s commonly in use today, with less white space inside the eye and features that are more conservative and low-key by comparison.”

One twitter user found the comparisons really accurate, and pointed out that the left image represented the art styles in 90’s anime like Slayers while the middle image looked like the ones used in the 2000’s moe revolution, and is found in anime like K-On!. The right image showed the latest one for the 2010’s, which was used for Sound! Euphonium. The evolution is better given to light as both Sound! Euphonium and K-On! are from the same studio, Kyoto Animation.

Kinda makes you wonder what sort of anime eyes will be shown in the 2020’s, huh? Well, one thing is for sure, art style is sure to evolve through the years, and like all forms of art, anime is no exception.

Source: Rocket News 24