Ask John: Why do Anime Noses Look the Way They Do?

Question:
Why do anime/manga noses look like the way they do? In most anime, characters have either a sharp point nose or, for most female characters, a tiny sliver of a nose barely noticeable. Also, I noticed a trend (that I really like, mind you) in most 80’s to early 90’s anime/manga of having charcters with a triangle for their nose (like a chipmunk) and a diamond shape on the side of their nose but where and why did that come about? Who started it?

Answer:
I recieve variations of this question more often than many readers would probably guess.

I don’t have a definite answer to give, only speculation. I’ve personally never read or heard detailed explanations or analysis of most specific characteristics of typical anime and manga character design styles. So although I don’t know for certain, I suspect that the small noses of anime characters are a reflection of actual Asian physiognomy. Asians typically have a more flat face and a subdued nose compared to Westerners, who tend to exhibit greater facial contours and a more pronounced, protruding nose. I imagine that Asian artists are most familiar with Asian facial features, so the physical characteristics of Asian faces tend to work their way into Asian art.

I’ve never been certain, but I suspect that the triangle nose typical of especially 80s anime character design is actually not a nose at all. In some cases, a triangle may be intended to be a stylized representation of the undersurface of the nose where the nostrils are located. I’ve always assumed that an upside down triangle shape is actually the shadow cast by the nose. The darkened shape along the side of the nose is, I believe, the shadow cast by the bridge of the nose. I don’t know for certain if my speculations are correct, and if they are, I don’t know which artist originated these stylized drawings nor when they first appeared.