When the Alita: Battle Angel trailer hit last Friday, it was impossible not to notice the character Alita’s anime-style eyes.
While talking to IGN Brazil, Sin City directorRobert Rodriguez explained the decision to give the character these peepers, saying, “The manga anime eyes that we’ve seen since the 30s and Astro Boy has never been done photorealistically. So, usually when we see an anime translated, it doesn’t feel like that.”
Continuing, he adds, “The early artwork I saw that Jim [Cameron] had, before it was even technically possible, had that in her [Alita]. It was so striking and so arresting, I thought, ‘My god, we have to do that. We have to be the first to bring a true manga and anime character to life.’”
You can see the full response below:
Here is how people have been reacting to the trailer on Reddit
And the response on Twitter:
The Alita: Battle Angel IRL anime eyes are truly horrifying. Some styles only work when drawn. pic.twitter.com/esrguGBshR
— JWittz (@TheJWittz) December 8, 2017
As a long time fan, I get that Alita from Battle Angel Alita has huge eyes, but this (from the upcoming live action movie) is a bit much pic.twitter.com/y2kuhT8HNH
— Zen 🍥 (@ZenAndCyrrene) December 8, 2017
They really gave #Alita anime eyes 👀#AlitaBattleAngel pic.twitter.com/3k2jl9no0B
— Fandom (@getFANDOM) December 8, 2017
https://twitter.com/embed/status/940492691586146304
I’ve never read the manga, but I find it hard to believe that Alita is the only character with large eyes because it’s *manga.* As far as big animu eyes goes, hers aren’t even that large. See reference. pic.twitter.com/k8xe5Si0zs
— Katie (@katiecosplays) December 12, 2017
For those not familiar with the source, this is what I mean. Alita does have really big moe moe eyes.. but Ido and many other characters also have exaggerated features.
Considering she is supposed to have a flesh & blood head, this seriously breaks immersion for me @_@ pic.twitter.com/qM40fRtMPc
— Shattered-Earth (@Shattered_Earth) December 8, 2017
https://twitter.com/embed/status/939234926255157248
https://twitter.com/embed/status/939276966905204736
Uk the more I watch the Alita Battle Angel trailer, the less the eyes really bother me. Instead I just notice how cool the rest of it looks, and it's hard to deny stuff like this gif is what works about anime. :3 pic.twitter.com/p2iCupnQPY
— Dinostephen (@stephenweirdy8) December 12, 2017
https://twitter.com/embed/status/939303303225241600
"Give Alita a chance! the eyes represent blah blah blah"
I see this the same as I would the idea of watching an entire film where the main character is CGI face Leia or Tarkin. Sometimes it just doesn't work.
— LA/ENDER (@LavenderGhast) December 10, 2017
https://twitter.com/embed/status/939450874962829313
Lots of dumb takes going round about Battle Angel Alita. I think James Cameron knows the history, thin & superficial as it is, of ‘anime eyes.’ It’s just an aesthetic choice to give one particular character a particular weird ‘doll look’. Whether it works, now, that’s debatable
— Dreamlander Jason Thompson 🍉 (@mockman) December 10, 2017
Big Eyes (2014) dir. Tim Burton
Alita: Battle Angel (2018) dir. Robert Rodriguez pic.twitter.com/lOCrnaVqvm— Martin Kessler (@MovieKessler) December 9, 2017
Looking at the trailer for Alita again, and I've got to wondering just how much that particular stylistic choice was based on a misunderstanding of the nature and function of why eyes are often exaggerated in anime?
Pictured: Ghost in the Shell 1995. pic.twitter.com/YyVAGfn9xG
— Casey Explosion (@CaseyExplosion) December 11, 2017
Fake woke Twitter is still trying to argue Battle Angel Alita’s big eyes as some form of white washing. Even though it’s a choice ripped from the pages and the typical look of an anime character. pic.twitter.com/86AJk87Y34
— Prodigy (@maskedProdigy) December 10, 2017
you: "Gally/Alita's eyes are too big in the 2018 movie trailer, ugh!"
me: *see image* #BattleAngelAlita pic.twitter.com/jUpo33AhCV
— Lynn Hamilton ( SPOOKYPIXEL ) (@spookypixels) December 8, 2017
Fox heard your complaints about Alita's eyes in the trailer for #AlitaBattleAngel and they've already replaced them with Christopher Plummer. Definitely an improvement. pic.twitter.com/bHROCQbZOq
— Jordan Walker Ross (@TheJordanRoss) December 8, 2017
https://twitter.com/embed/status/940177810454233088
https://twitter.com/embed/status/939268344338771968
Alita: Battle Angel opens on July 20, 2018, big eyes and all.
