Girls Get the Anime Look with Extra-Wide Contact Lenses

by Steve Levenstein

Wide-eyed and not-so-innocent?

Anyone who's seen Japanese comics, cartoon videos, anime art or - Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance" video - will instantly be struck by the uncommon look of the girls - big eyes that, by making the rest of the face look small, add the cuteness and sex appeal prized by many Japanese men. Since no amount of cosmetic surgery will make actual human eyes larger, some girls are trying another way to up their cute quotient: extra-wide contact lenses!

These are no ordinary contacts - they're not only tinted, but tinted prominently in the extra-wide outer ring. The result is the appearance of a bigger, wider iris.

To quote the sales copy, "Wanna get big, watery shiny eyes without any surgery? CRAVE AND ENVY NO MORE!"

The extra-wide contact lenses are made by a variety of companies including Geo and Dueba, and cost in the $30-$50 per pair range. It seems they're not just cosmetic - send in your prescription and the lenses will be made to order.

This lens site has a great collection of crazy contact lenses for you to check out, including some anime contact lenses in their Anime and Fantasy section. As well, the site featuring Big Circle contact lenses sells a few other beauty aids including a painful-sounding "nose clipper" that demands a posting of its own - keep a big, watery, shiny eye on this blog!

Steve Levenstein
J A P A N O R A M A
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Comments

Aug 11, 2008
by Anonymous

Yes/No

Yes, the eyes have that effect
No, the expression on her face ruins the moment

However, if she'd smile or something, I'd gladly date her.

Aug 11, 2008
by Anonymous

really?

am i the only one who thinks this is just a doll? i know these contacts are sold and worn, but i feel like this is just a mannequin... and thus scary looking. her head doesn't even seem to be on right and her skin doesn't look real either.

Aug 11, 2008
by Anonymous

Epic

Fail.

Aug 11, 2008
by Anonymous

Those Damn Jabs

If they want something they will do it no matter what ?

Aug 11, 2008
by Anonymous

warning

product may cause major skull deformities

Aug 11, 2008
by Anonymous

Vivas

That is scary, really hope this idea fails horribly. If all women looked like that, I'd go gay in a second

Aug 11, 2008
by Anonymous

God, that ugly bitch looks

God, that ugly bitch looks like half the tee-hee-kawaii! Asian princess bimbos that go to my university. I'd like to give her a couple black eyes to match her freaky contacts.

Aug 11, 2008
by Anonymous

She's not hot you stupid

She's not hot you stupid douchebag.

Aug 11, 2008
by Anonymous

great concept...

and i can't wait until they get it right. the girl used in the picture already has wide eyes (almost looks shooped) the lenses don't appear to make much difference. back to the drawing board i say, great idea!

Aug 11, 2008
by Anonymous

limits

we should leave some barriers between reality and fiction. Animation is here to explore our imagination, not to practice it.

Aug 11, 2008
by Anonymous

Live and let live

Some people's mind is so closed, I wonder whether blood is still flowing through.

Aug 11, 2008
by Anonymous

David Lee Roth

BIBADEE BOP!!

Aug 11, 2008
by Anonymous

slap

too much, just too much. I will poke your eyes out with my chopsticks :P

Aug 11, 2008
by Anonymous

bizarre...

Elle m'semble un peu étrange...mais...chacun son truc, j'suppose.

Aug 11, 2008
by Anonymous

Phil Nguyen

Hybrid breed alien, people don't even know alien existed and they just created hybrid breeds to be on earth.

Aug 11, 2008
by Anonymous

Too bad ...

Too bad it's only going to be the overweight, socially awkward chicks wearing these. Hot nerds are M.I.A. these days. Call me shallow, but ... well, just call me shallow.

Aug 11, 2008
by Anonymous

ebaums

THIS LOOKS SHOPPED
I CAN TELL BY SOME OF THE PIXELS AND BY HAVING SEEN MANY SHOPS IN MY TIME

Aug 11, 2008
by Anonymous

Totally Unauthentic

She's asking for trouble when she wants to date guy(s). LV Purse as a side?

Aug 11, 2008
by Anonymous

I hate to do the usual 'photoshopped' cry

but if that first picture isn't photoshopped, I'm going to have nightmares about it.

Aug 11, 2008
by Anonymous

still, I would hit it

Who cares about the eyes, I would definitely hit that hard

Aug 11, 2008
by Anonymous

Funny!

hahahahahahaha!!!!

Aug 11, 2008
by Anonymous

Not Anime Eyes, WESTERN Eyes

Unfortunately, this article is woefully lacking in a very key bit of information: these contact lens are NOT to give girls an anime look, but a WESTERN look. Folks, this is NOT a new development. The Japanese, and in fact, many Asians (as another commenter wrote in) are enamored with the 'large' look of Western eyes. Some have surgery, some use tinted contacts, now, it looks like the wide-eyed look is in. (Frankly, I would like to see a picture of her with normal contacts in to compare before and after shots.) The anime look of characters' eyes is in fact, a mimicry of the Western look of eyes. This is something that people who are into anime have been discussing for some 25 years now. Again, nothing new here. So let's try and keep this in perspective. --Made in DNA,

Aug 11, 2008
by Anonymous

Dude, I'd hella wear them

Dude, I'd hella wear them for halloween :D
haha.
Anime Cosplayss for suuure lmao

Aug 11, 2008
by Anonymous

jeusus

jeusus !!! what has this world come to?

Aug 11, 2008
by Anonymous

Razekiel

Cute, but creepy.

hahahahahaha.

Aug 11, 2008
by Anonymous

ugly bitch

asians and their damn anime. she looks like a retard

Aug 12, 2008
by Anonymous

bottomline is:

the constant lack of success (mainly in your early teenager life) and the frustration from being uncapable with the surrounding people could lead to serios disruption. thats why your are jerking off in the front of your pc watching this sick crap.
get a life!

Aug 12, 2008
by Anonymous

CAPTAIN OBVIOUS

THIS IS A SIMPLE FUNNY STUFF, !!!11 WITH LOVE... CAP. OBVIOUS

Aug 12, 2008
by Anonymous

i like them

i think they are cute to wear for a cosplay :)

Aug 12, 2008
by Anonymous

splendid doe eyes

very cute... I think big eyes are beautiful..

PS. The girl isn't ugly either.. you creeps...
She is pretty..
I think some of you would prefer the contacts on the normal, overweight American girl/cow.