<p>Depending on the series, the <em>fact</em> that these eye highlights appear can be exploited to add the effect of unhappiness, shock, horror, or any other emotion outside of "normal" for a stock character.  The general trope for this is called <a href="http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DullEyesOfUnhappiness" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Dull Eyes of Unhappiness</a>, and has prevalence not just in anime, but in other media as well.</p>

<p>For a particularly jarring example, let's take Kotonoha from <em>School Days</em>.</p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/IpMHX.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/IpMHX.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></a></p>

<p>In this shot, Kotonoha is at a bare minimum in a "normal" state; she's happy and in general, relatively in her right mind.</p>

<p>I won't go into the details of that series, but let's just say...she goes through some things<sup>1</sup>.  And we can tell <em>due to the lack of eye lights.</em><sup>2</sup></p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/3HEHS.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/3HEHS.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></a></p>

<p>Almost immediately, even those of us who aren't familiar with this story, we can see that this character is acting or feeling outside of the norm, which is a strong plot-driving point.</p>

<p>In other cases, it can be used for comedic effect.  In the series <em>Morita-san is Taciturn</em>, the main character <em>always</em> has eyes like this.</p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/WO2ep.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/WO2ep.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></a></p>

<p>However, <strong>very much unlike</strong> any stock example of this trope, Morita is a very happy-go-lucky person, even with her eyes in this shade (and everyone else's <em>without</em>).  In this scenario, we could even call this "normal", and if her eyes were to go suddenly include eye lights, we'd have a similar reaction.</p>

<p>This doesn't even include scenarios in which the eye lights are exaggerated for a character that is crying, either.</p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/BivC0.gif" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/BivC0.gif" alt="enter image description here"></a></p>

<p>Here, the <em>overabundance</em> of eye lights gives the illusion of tears forming, which can be either the emotion of sadness...</p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/GKzvv.gif" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/GKzvv.gif" alt="enter image description here"></a></p>

<p>...and with this example from <em>Trigun</em>, the overabundance of eye lights gives the illusion of frustration or anger.</p>

<hr>

<p>All of this to say that this effect <em>very much</em> has a purpose and very much has a place.  In series that mandate it, the <em>lack</em> of it can (and often should) shift a person's perception about a scene or the state of a character, and is used for theatrical effect as well as a plot device.</p>

<hr>

<p><sup>1: I'll accept my <em>Understatement of the Century</em> award, thank you very much.</sup></p>

<p><sup>2: Oh, and the tears are a dead giveaway, too.</sup></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-08-12T08:23:21.570Z
of course, Makoto would understate Kotonoha's feelings... :p
Toshinou Kyouko
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-08-12T08:35:30.123Z
That poor Pikachu.. smh.. that makes me sad :(
Arcane
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-08-12T05:20:23.587Z
2016-08-12T07:15:41.883Z
2016-08-12T07:15:41.883Z
Makoto
<p>Because when you look at a person, generally you will see the light from the environment reflected back <em>from both eyes</em>.  Even in low light situations, photographs of people reflect the ambient light sources.</p>

<p>It's there because the absence of the reflection looks more unnatural and flat than the "lazily" as you call it drawn in reflections.  I would suggest that it would be prohibitively expensive for every frame of every face to be checked with every scene to accurately depict every strong light source.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-08-11T21:42:05.537Z
Yes- but it could be there for personality purposes or at least be a standard glow like number 3 example or not include it all together.
user2617804
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-08-12T12:27:19.700Z
Yes, you pointed that out in your first post.  The animators use the eye glow for personality and/or emotions.  But I thought you were referring to when they were NOT specifically trying to call out an emotion or personality.  So in that case, I'm saying they would look "off" without an eye glow, rather than the eye glow being lazy or distracting.
JPicasso
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-08-12T12:28:41.720Z
Further, perhaps you are seeing something wrong with the three pictures that you posted that I am not.  They look fine to me.
JPicasso
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-08-11T14:52:02.423Z
2016-08-11T14:52:02.423Z
JPicasso
<p>It is a circle on the eyes. Often lazily drawn in that is fixed without reference to lighting. Totally detracts from any quality of the drawing. For some characters, it used for personality showing but generally it is just of no value. What I mean is something like this.</p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/Fv5hkl.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/Fv5hkl.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></a>
Why do  nearly all human-like characters have it in both eyes?</p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/tFy5V.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/tFy5V.png" alt="enter image description here"></a>
Here is another terrible eye glow. The first example just this looks eye  cancer. </p>

<p>People are giving answer examples for when the animator gave a damn about drawing eye glow for a point whereas the question is more about the enormous of examples where the animators added an eye glow for no point- to really answer the question what is guiding junior animators e.g. is it that senior animators say you have to add eye glow. Maybe there are better guides to animation but this particular one doesn't eye glows at all.<br>
<a href="http://kotaku.com/a-serious-look-at-big-anime-eyes-1737751337" rel="nofollow noreferrer">http://kotaku.com/a-serious-look-at-big-anime-eyes-1737751337</a></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-08-11T08:46:28.703Z
Are there any example images you could add to your question?
Matt
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-08-11T08:46:37.550Z
Would you mind adding a picture showing what eye trope you are talking about?
Ikaros
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-08-11T08:47:29.183Z
http://kotaku.com/a-serious-look-at-big-anime-eyes-1737751337 Are you probably talking about the white spots on the Iris for the eyes. Use the images in the link for reference?
Arcane
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-08-11T09:23:19.643Z
Because it is moe!
絢瀬絵里
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-08-11T10:31:30.920Z
did you mean something like this http://anime.stackexchange.com/questions/9434/what-are-the-highlights-in-eyes-called
Darjeeling
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-08-11T10:47:49.873Z
Yes Arcane that is an example and the character labelled cannard is example of starting to be really bad- put another dull circle  at 9 o'clock position. They have in western animation but the circle isn't too much.
user2617804
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-08-11T12:14:03.303Z
because your edit, @AyaseEri for a moment I thought this was my question and I wonder where is the vote and why the answer is gone
Darjeeling
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-08-12T05:54:57.777Z
I will point out the same thing I did when answering http://anime.stackexchange.com/questions/9434/ - photographs of actual eyes invariably have catchlights whenever there are nondiffuse light sources in front of them. By default, animation tends to imitate this for realism's sake. The question you should be asking is: **why aren't catchlights _always_ present?** - and that's more interesting to think about, as [Makoto's answer](http://anime.stackexchange.com/a/35753/) addresses.
senshin
<tropes>
Why do anime always have an eye glow arbitrarily drawn in
# Why do anime always have an eye glow arbitrarily drawn in
Posted by: username_0 on 2016-08-11
It is a circle on the eyes. Often lazily drawn in that is fixed without reference to lighting. Totally detracts from any quality of the drawing. For some characters, it used for personality showing but generally it is just of no value. What I mean is something like this.

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/Fv5hkl.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/Fv5hkl.jpg)
Why do nearly all human-like characters have it in both eyes?

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/tFy5V.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/tFy5V.png)
Here is another terrible eye glow. The first example just this looks eye cancer.

People are giving answer examples for when the animator gave a damn about drawing eye glow for a point whereas the question is more about the enormous of examples where the animators added an eye glow for no point- to really answer the question what is guiding junior animators e.g. is it that senior animators say you have to add eye glow. Maybe there are better guides to animation but this particular one doesn't eye glows at all.  
<http://kotaku.com/a-serious-look-at-big-anime-eyes-1737751337>
**Tags:** tropes
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Are there any example images you could add to your question?  
> **username_2**: Would you mind adding a picture showing what eye trope you are talking about?  
> **username_3**: http://kotaku.com/a-serious-look-at-big-anime-eyes-1737751337 Are you probably talking about the white spots on the Iris for the eyes. Use the images in the link for reference?  
> **username_4**: Because it is moe!  
> **username_5**: did you mean something like this http://anime.stackexchange.com/questions/9434/what-are-the-highlights-in-eyes-called  
> **username_0**: Yes Arcane that is an example and the character labelled cannard is example of starting to be really bad- put another dull circle  at 9 o'clock position. They have in western animation but the circle isn't too much.  
> **username_5**: because your edit, @AyaseEri for a moment I thought this was my question and I wonder where is the vote and why the answer is gone  
> **username_6**: I will point out the same thing I did when answering http://anime.stackexchange.com/questions/9434/ - photographs of actual eyes invariably have catchlights whenever there are nondiffuse light sources in front of them. By default, animation tends to imitate this for realism's sake. The question you should be asking is: **why aren't catchlights _always_ present?** - and that's more interesting to think about, as [Makoto's answer](http://anime.stackexchange.com/a/35753/) addresses.  
---
## 2 answers
### Answer by username_7 on 2016-08-12. Score: 8
Depending on the series, the *fact* that these eye highlights appear can be exploited to add the effect of unhappiness, shock, horror, or any other emotion outside of "normal" for a stock character. The general trope for this is called [Dull Eyes of Unhappiness](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DullEyesOfUnhappiness), and has prevalence not just in anime, but in other media as well.

For a particularly jarring example, let's take Kotonoha from *School Days*.

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/IpMHX.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/IpMHX.jpg)

In this shot, Kotonoha is at a bare minimum in a "normal" state; she's happy and in general, relatively in her right mind.

I won't go into the details of that series, but let's just say...she goes through some things1. And we can tell *due to the lack of eye lights.*2

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/3HEHS.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/3HEHS.jpg)

Almost immediately, even those of us who aren't familiar with this story, we can see that this character is acting or feeling outside of the norm, which is a strong plot-driving point.

In other cases, it can be used for comedic effect. In the series *Morita-san is Taciturn*, the main character *always* has eyes like this.

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/WO2ep.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/WO2ep.jpg)

However, **very much unlike** any stock example of this trope, Morita is a very happy-go-lucky person, even with her eyes in this shade (and everyone else's *without*). In this scenario, we could even call this "normal", and if her eyes were to go suddenly include eye lights, we'd have a similar reaction.

This doesn't even include scenarios in which the eye lights are exaggerated for a character that is crying, either.

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/BivC0.gif)](https://i.sstatic.net/BivC0.gif)

Here, the *overabundance* of eye lights gives the illusion of tears forming, which can be either the emotion of sadness...

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/GKzvv.gif)](https://i.sstatic.net/GKzvv.gif)

...and with this example from *Trigun*, the overabundance of eye lights gives the illusion of frustration or anger.

---

All of this to say that this effect *very much* has a purpose and very much has a place. In series that mandate it, the *lack* of it can (and often should) shift a person's perception about a scene or the state of a character, and is used for theatrical effect as well as a plot device.

---

1: I'll accept my *Understatement of the Century* award, thank you very much.

2: Oh, and the tears are a dead giveaway, too.
> **Comments:**
> **username_8** (2016-08-12): of course, Makoto would understate Kotonoha's feelings... :p  
> **username_3** (2016-08-12): That poor Pikachu.. smh.. that makes me sad :(  
---
### Answer by username_9 on 2016-08-11. Score: 3
Because when you look at a person, generally you will see the light from the environment reflected back *from both eyes*. Even in low light situations, photographs of people reflect the ambient light sources.

It's there because the absence of the reflection looks more unnatural and flat than the "lazily" as you call it drawn in reflections. I would suggest that it would be prohibitively expensive for every frame of every face to be checked with every scene to accurately depict every strong light source.
> **Comments:**
> **username_0** (2016-08-11): Yes- but it could be there for personality purposes or at least be a standard glow like number 3 example or not include it all together.  
> **username_9** (2016-08-12): Yes, you pointed that out in your first post.  The animators use the eye glow for personality and/or emotions.  But I thought you were referring to when they were NOT specifically trying to call out an emotion or personality.  So in that case, I'm saying they would look "off" without an eye glow, rather than the eye glow being lazy or distracting.  
> **username_9** (2016-08-12): Further, perhaps you are seeing something wrong with the three pictures that you posted that I am not.  They look fine to me.  
---
