Ask John: What’s the Purpose of Symbols on Characters’ Foreheads?
Friday, February 22nd, 2008Question:
Is there a reason why anime and manga often feature female characters with markings on their foreheads? Examples from the top of my head are Belldandy from “Ah, My Goddess” and Miharu from “Girls Bravo.” Where did this trend come from? I’ve heard some say this is because statues of Buddha in Asia often have a dot in the center of the forehead, but Buddha is attributed as being male. If this character design practice is indeed Buddhist-inspired, why is it almost exclusively female characters that sport forehead markings?

