Ask John: Why do Anime Characters Have Unnatural Hair Colors?

Question:
Why blue hair? Don’t get me wrong, I love it, just why?

Answer:
Actually, I’ve heard it explained that wild colored hair is actually used only to distinguish characters and is not really supposed to be considered anything unusual. It’s been said that because there are so many anime characters, and because there are only so many distinguishing features that can exist in a plain 2D drawing of an anime character, colorful hair is used to help differentiate characters from one another. Thus, anime characters themselves, and even Japanese viewers don’t really “see” wild colored hair. They see only a distinct character. Yuri of the Dirty Pair, at least on her brief “autobiographical” description on her Lovely Collection action figure, actually refers to herself has having blue-black hair. That would suggest that in the world of anime, what we would consider strange or unusual hair colors are actually both natural and normal. We may see odd colored hair, but anime characters see each other and don’t see anything out of the ordinary. Japanese viewers, according to the theory, are simply used to odd colored hair. They take for granted that the coloring may not be intended to be a representation of reality. The brightly colored hair is simply an artistic license that Japanese viewers accept and allow without question or reaction. Furthermore, as you’ve proven by stating that you “love it,” bright, unnatural or multi-colored hair is as much a character of anime as gigantic eyes and hyperbolic action. Wild colored hair creates an additional level of fantasy and visual stimuli while the “realistic” characterizations of the characters in question create a basis in verisimilitude that allows for viewers to emphasize with the characters and see beyond the superficial. A great example is Gall Force: Eternal Story. Gall Force features Pony and Catty, who both have bright pink hair, Patty, who has purple hair, Rumy, whose hair is lime green, and Lufy, whose hair is yellow and deep green. Yet this rainbow of colored hair, and the fantastic war in deep space setting never hinder the viewers total empathy and connection to the characters because the tragic story and carefully crafted personalities make us see just people rather than people with odd colored hair.