Ask John: Why Do Anime Characters Run Without Moving Their Arms?

Question:
I’ve noticed throughout lots of anime that many characters run without using their arms, such as in Inuyusha, Naruto, and Bleach, for example. Is there a reason for this? Or is it a way of saving money on animation by not animating the whole character?

Answer:
I’ve seen discussions of the unique way anime characters are often depicted running. And those discussions have never concluded with any singular, agreed upon explanation. I don’t know exactly why anime characters often run with their arms at their sides or with their arms angled behind them, but I can offer a few possible reasons. Keeping the arms still may be a method of conserving energy. A ninja may maximize his or her body’s efficiency by only moving the body parts necessary to accomplish a desired action. Minimum exertion that results in maximum result is practical and efficient. Ninja may also choose to keep their arms still and straight while running to make themselves a smaller, less noticeable target, especially if they come to a sudden stop.

Anime characters like Naruto, who keeps his arms angled behind his body when he runs, may visually evoke the impression of birds or an airplane for viewers. Having the arms span out behind the body visually implies tremendous speed. Furthermore, keeping the arms fanned behind the body may reduce the body’s surface area, minimally reducing wind resistance and improving speed.

Mickey Mouse has only four fingers because the amount of time and effort necessary to draw a fifth finger on thousands of individual frames of animation adds up to time worth thousands of dollars. So the idea of anime characters that run with minimal animation being a way of producing faster, cheaper animation can’t be discounted. And, in fact, I have heard veteran Japanese animators complain that many of Japan’s current generation of young animators aren’t technically skilled in drawing basic human movements like walking and jumping. But I’d like to give Japanese animators the benefit of the doubt and presume that the reason why anime characters often run with their arms still has more to do with literary creativity than financial necessity.