<p>Because some people like women with big breasts. As usual, anime exaggerates; it can't just have a woman with big breasts, it has to have a woman with ridiculously gigantic breasts.</p>

<p>This isn't purely a Japanese thing. Actually, I would argue that it came in origin from American media that were exported to Japan. In the US, large breasts are often considered more attractive. The supposed ideal of American young men's fantasies is 36D-24-36: 36 inches around the chest, cup size D, 24 inches around the waist, 36 inches around the hips (the "hourglass" shape). There are even <a href="http://theviewspaper.net/36-24-36-debunking-the-social-construct-of-beauty/" rel="noreferrer">articles</a> using these three-sizes as a shorthand for the tyranny of societal beauty standards. </p>

<p>The epitome of this standard of beauty in American media is Jessica Rabbit from <em>Who Framed Roger Rabbit?</em></p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/wdLK3l.jpg" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/wdLK3l.jpg" alt="jessica rabbit"></a></p>

<p>Women with large breasts are also common in American comics:</p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/PQq2f.jpg" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/PQq2f.jpg" alt="American comics women"></a></p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/Z22H8m.jpg" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/Z22H8m.jpg" alt="elektra"></a>
<a href="https://i.sstatic.net/WKYxmm.jpg" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/WKYxmm.jpg" alt="ms marvel"></a></p>

<p>Anime and American comics both tend to exaggerate everything, so essentially they took a preference for large breasts and massively exaggerated it, to the point that characters have J-cup breasts. (US readers, keep in mind <a href="http://www.sizeguide.net/bra-sizes.html" rel="noreferrer">a Japanese J cup is an American H cup</a>.)</p>

<p>Japan gets a ton of American media, so there have been ample opportunities for this American love of big boobs to seep into their culture. My theory is that it started during the US occupation with pinup posters brought over by the servicemen:</p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/i27lwm.jpg" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/i27lwm.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></a>
<a href="https://i.sstatic.net/dThRCm.gif" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/dThRCm.gif" alt="enter image description here"></a></p>

<p>Then it was refreshed with every Hollywood movie that came in showing men lusting after women with big breasts.</p>

<p>Speaking of Jessica Rabbit, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgobMBRyqdY" rel="noreferrer">Cracked</a> has an interesting theory on psychological and evolutionary reasons why animated women with ridiculously exaggerated boobs appeal to viewers. They're obviously a humor website and not a peer-reviewed scientific journal, so take it with a grain of salt.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-08-11T16:02:32.887Z
2016-08-11T16:16:37.723Z
2016-08-11T16:16:37.723Z
Torisuda
<p>Today while reading "Mushoku Tensei" I once again got confronted with a character with (in my opinion) an insanely large chest. It even got mentioned that it could easily be a J size chest.</p>

<p>I understand that there will off course be some difference per person in their preference in size. But seeing as a D cup is already considered "big" where I live, a J size would be considered insane. Hence my question: Why are anime girls often depicted with a huge chest?</p>

<p>Is this just another part of the culture gap between western countries and Japan? Or does it maybe serve as an additional sales point towards a specific fandom? </p>

<tropes><culture>
Why do anime girls have huge chests?
# Why do anime girls have huge chests?
Posted by: username_0 on 2016-08-11
Today while reading "Mushoku Tensei" I once again got confronted with a character with (in my opinion) an insanely large chest. It even got mentioned that it could easily be a J size chest.

I understand that there will off course be some difference per person in their preference in size. But seeing as a D cup is already considered "big" where I live, a J size would be considered insane. Hence my question: Why are anime girls often depicted with a huge chest?

Is this just another part of the culture gap between western countries and Japan? Or does it maybe serve as an additional sales point towards a specific fandom?
**Tags:** tropes culture
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## 1 answers
### Answer by username_1 on 2016-08-11. Score: 22 | Accepted answer
Because some people like women with big breasts. As usual, anime exaggerates; it can't just have a woman with big breasts, it has to have a woman with ridiculously gigantic breasts.

This isn't purely a Japanese thing. Actually, I would argue that it came in origin from American media that were exported to Japan. In the US, large breasts are often considered more attractive. The supposed ideal of American young men's fantasies is 36D-24-36: 36 inches around the chest, cup size D, 24 inches around the waist, 36 inches around the hips (the "hourglass" shape). There are even [articles](http://theviewspaper.net/36-24-36-debunking-the-social-construct-of-beauty/) using these three-sizes as a shorthand for the tyranny of societal beauty standards.

The epitome of this standard of beauty in American media is Jessica Rabbit from *Who Framed Roger Rabbit?*

[![jessica rabbit](https://i.sstatic.net/wdLK3l.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/wdLK3l.jpg)

Women with large breasts are also common in American comics:

[![American comics women](https://i.sstatic.net/PQq2f.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/PQq2f.jpg)

[![elektra](https://i.sstatic.net/Z22H8m.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/Z22H8m.jpg)
[![ms marvel](https://i.sstatic.net/WKYxmm.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/WKYxmm.jpg)

Anime and American comics both tend to exaggerate everything, so essentially they took a preference for large breasts and massively exaggerated it, to the point that characters have J-cup breasts. (US readers, keep in mind [a Japanese J cup is an American H cup](http://www.sizeguide.net/bra-sizes.html).)

Japan gets a ton of American media, so there have been ample opportunities for this American love of big boobs to seep into their culture. My theory is that it started during the US occupation with pinup posters brought over by the servicemen:

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/i27lwm.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/i27lwm.jpg)
[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/dThRCm.gif)](https://i.sstatic.net/dThRCm.gif)

Then it was refreshed with every Hollywood movie that came in showing men lusting after women with big breasts.

Speaking of Jessica Rabbit, [Cracked](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgobMBRyqdY) has an interesting theory on psychological and evolutionary reasons why animated women with ridiculously exaggerated boobs appeal to viewers. They're obviously a humor website and not a peer-reviewed scientific journal, so take it with a grain of salt.
---
