Why Do Anime Characters Get Nosebleeds When They’re Turned On? (2024)

Ever wonder why your favorite anime character gets a nosebleed when they’re turned on? Because, same.As an art form, anime is known to defy the confines of the physical world. Characters can be in combat, while tumbling mid-air, and land perfectly without so much as a scraped knee. Some can inhale mountains of food that would shock even mukbang stars.

For frequent watchers, the characteristic oddities of anime may seem standard. But taking a step out of the cartoon world, how do we explain the origins of these themes? Where is the logic?So VICE compiled some explanations for the inexplicable; please refer to these the next time you have a burning question.

Why do anime characters have such big eyes?

Ah, yes. Eyes that take up more than half a character’s face. Those big, sparkly saucers that seem endless are a trait most often seen in anime marketed for girls, and started in the 1950s with manga. Some interpretations have suggested that these large eyes indicate a Japanese fixation on Western beauty trends, along with pointy chins and pale skin. But animation historian Nobuyuki Tsugata suggested it was more for the purpose of emotional communication.

“From our facial expression, it’s very easy to express what a person is thinking without verbiage. When you’re talking to someone, you might even be subconsciously looking at their eyes for that emotional response. For anime, eyes serve a similar purpose. A simple change in a character’s eyes can convey their feelings,” he told VICE.Tsugata also added that emotive psychology could play a key part.

“When artists think about making a character or animal cuter, they tend to make the eyes bigger. For anime, the thinking could be similar — in order to make the female character cuter, their eyes could be enlarged,” he said.

Why do anime characters yell each other’s names during battle?

Naruto and Sasuke’s final fight. One Piece’s Luffy vs. Lucci. Dragon Ball Z’s Goku vs. Frieda, which famously lasted 20 episodes and is the longest fight scene in anime shonen history.Some of the most popular anime is founded on fight scenes, and it’s not uncommon for characters to shout their opponent’s name. The announcements may seem redundant, as it’s unlikely they’re confirming that they’re fighting the right person. So, why the name-calling?

According to Tsugata, calling out each other’s names before battle is attributable to Japanese feudal fighting practices.

“You see this during history dramas as well, but during battles, Japanese samurai shouted their opponent’s name before fighting, then they swung their katana.”

In feudal Japan, it was customary to state samurai names and hometowns to know who had been defeated on the battlefield. It was a necessary form of proof to show one had defeated his opponent, as well as a chance to bask in glory. Anime artists adopt a similar technique, borrowing from tradition.

Why are anime always about high schools?

Everyone loves a good teen drama. Since the 1980s, the anime industry has seen an influx of series set in middle or high schools, but in these past 10 to 15 years, shows set in schools have dominated the scene.

“A majority of Kyoto animation’s recent works are actually based in schools,” Tsugata told VICE. “In the 1960s, TV anime was still watched by elementary school children, and was more family oriented. But in the 1980s, a lot of popular manga got turned into anime, and those manga tended to be based in schools. A couple of notable ones were Urusei Yatsura and Tachi. So the demographics of people watching anime changed to middle and high school students. Production companies made shows that were more relatable for that age group.”

Why do anime characters get nosebleeds when they’re turned on?

A bloody nose is not often the image one would associate with sexual excitement. Lower body parts come to mind, but in anime, it’s common for characters to sport a red drip when they’re aroused.

Tsugata has never received this question, and notes that it’s now become a widely accepted form of sexual expression in anime. He suggested that like anime’s big eyes, it’s a form of communication.“Excitement, like other emotions, are things we experience in our hearts. In order to express a character’s inner feelings, anime must use physical symbols. So nosebleeds are an exaggeration of that excitement. It’s also comical, and easier for children to understand,” Tsugata said.

“Nosebleeds are an exaggeration of that excitement.”

Manga artist Yasuji Tanioka is believed to be the first to introduce the motif with his early 1970s manga Yasuji no Mettameta Gaki Dou Kouza. Other manga artists adopted his technique, and soon everyone was sporting a bloody nose.

Why do anime characters run out of the house with bread in their mouths?

Walking while eating is a fairly uncommon sight in Japan. Unless you’re at a festival or a tachigui (standing and eating) restaurant, it’s considered impolite to do anything while eating. But in anime, all manners are thrown to the wind — characters will run out of the house with a slice of toast hanging from their mouths.

The origins of this trope are hotly debated, but some believe that it started in 1968, with Miyoko Motomura’s manga Patty’s First Love. Others think it started a few years later in 1975, from the manga Tsuraize! Boku Chan, a romance series by Ryouko Takahashi.Though it’s difficult to nail down the dawn of the hanging bread symbol, according to Tsugata, it’s another example of dramatizing a character’s inner workings.“If anime characters run out of the house with a piece of food in their mouths, then it’s easy to understand just how much of a hurry they’re in. It’s also comedic, like the amount of food characters eat. To express a character’s emotion in a picture, it’s necessary to be over the top,” Tsugata said.

“To express a character’s emotion in a picture, it’s necessary to be over the top.”

Japanese anime are not the only cartoons to depict characters overeating. Notably, Popeye the Sailor binged spinach. His spinach-eating was so influential, in fact, that a paper published in the Australian journal Nutrition & Dietetics found that 4-and-5-year-olds in Bangkok, Thailand doubled their vegetable consumption in an 8-week study in 2003 that required they watch Popeye cartoons.

Why are there so many stray cats in anime?

In line with your all-knowing grandma, cats may be the most omnipresent creature in Japan. With shrines, cafes, and folklore dedicated to the animals, they symbolize artistic significance.

Though cats are not native to Japan, the first documented sighting of a feline is believed to be in March 889 CE, in Emperor Uda’s diary. From then, cat symbolism took on a life of its own. In the 12th century, stories of bakeneko, or a shapeshifting supernatural cat that transformed into humans, circulated in Japanese art. These fearful bakeneko would sometimes kill their owners to take their place.Other examples of mysterious cats, such as the gotoku neko, a cat spirit that mysteriously stokes fires at night to stay warm, littered Japanese literature and art. To this day, cats are still popular; award-winning author Haruki Murakami utilizes cats frequently in his work. Doraemon, a cat robot, and Hello Kitty, a white cat cartoon, amass global fans.