Shojo Anime Like ‘Honey Lemon Soda’ and ‘A Sign of Affection’ Use Bigger Eyes as a Narrative Tool

When we think about anime, we automatically correlate it to animated characters with big and definitive eyes. This attribute is very common in Japanese animation and has also become an important part of its identification over the years.

However, these eyes do not just serve as a tool to separate Japanese animation from works of other countries. It has another significant role that we often overlook, which is expressing feelings. Whatever a character is going through reflects in their eyes, making us understand their mood and situation.

Big eyes are common in anime, but shoujo anime like Honey Lemon Soda and A Sign of Affection definitely makes the best use of it. This also stands true because shoujo is a genre that deals with feelings, and to voice that, you need eyes.

Anime eyes: A window to your soul

We always say eyes give a glimpse into our hearts, and it is possible to read someone through their eyes. This becomes the most important aspect when we think of anime as just a 2D drawing.

To make the viewers understand what the character is going through, it is instrumental that the eyes are drawn as intensely as possible. Through them, we achieve to see a range of emotions, whether it is wonder, affection, or hatred. It is also a remarkable tool whose slight change can indicate the shift of an entire character’s personality, adding layers to the storyline.

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Though it must be mentioned, the female characters get the longer end of the stick because their eyes are bigger than their male counterparts. Again, this is more prevalent for shoujo protagonists, who usually start their journey as naive and full of hope. They have an inherent thirst for knowledge and wisdom, which gets communicated right away through their eyes.

A return of the doe eyes in Honey Lemon Soda and A Sign of Affection

Eyes were drawn more profoundly in the ’80s or ’90s when you could see the time and effort the animators would put into them. However, this approach was toned down a lot in recent times in favor of a more realistic approach.

Though it is still not as simple as Western animation, we seldom come across the famous doe eyes anymore. Thankfully, we see a return of that trend through recently very popular anime like A Sign of Affection and, more prominently, Honey Lemon Soda.

Ishimori Uka’s big yellow eyes have a personality of their own. It not only portrays the moment she falls in love with Kai but also communicates grief whenever she gets bullied. Even the time she gets a new perspective on life and starts to notice the world through Kai, her eyes are the first ones to change.

70's 80's 90's anime eyes pic.twitter.com/9eiEhoODh3

— classic lady (@ClassicAnime_) May 19, 2022

Eyes are also extremely essential for Yuki Itose from A Sign of Affection. Her inability to hear or speak clearly might be a challenge in her day-to-day life, but it never hinders her expressiveness. They serve their purpose by showcasing exactly what she thinks, thanks to her nature of wearing her heart on her sleeve.

Even though both Honey Lemon Soda and A Sign of Affection have an engaging storyline and complex characters to keep you hooked, the eyes do add to the allure. It makes you relate to the characters and helps us know them more intimately.

Watch Honey Lemon Soda and A Sign of Affection on Crunchyroll.