Why do anime characters have such distinctively large eyes?

The answer

The oversized eyes iconic to anime and manga originate with Osamu Tezuka (1928–1989), often called the 'Godfather of Manga.' Tezuka was deeply influenced by Disney animation, particularly the 1942 film Bambi, which he reportedly watched over 80 times. He admired how Disney used large eyes to convey emotion and adopted the style for his groundbreaking manga Astro Boy (Tetsuwan Atom), first published in 1952. Tezuka believed large eyes were the most efficient way to express complex emotions in the limited space of manga panels. His influence was so profound that nearly every manga artist who followed adopted variations of this style. Ironically, Disney's large-eye technique was itself partly inspired by earlier Japanese art traditions, creating a fascinating cross-cultural feedback loop.