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"Itome Character" is a term for a character who is drawn with 2 thin threads for eyes and appears to always have their eyes closed.
Etymology
Meaning of the Term
Itome character (糸目キャラ) is a combination of "ito" (糸), meaning "thread, string", "me" (目), meaning "eyes", and "chara" (キャラ), meaning "character". The term refers to a unique facial expression found in Japanese manga and anime where a character appears to have thread for eyes.[2][3]
History
Official Media
The most popular example of this character type is Brock from the 1998 series Pokémon. Throughout the entire anime series Brock is only seen with his eyes open 3 times.[4]
Another popular itome character is Mei Meido from the 2019 romance gag comedy series The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You. Throughout the entire series she was never seen with her eyes open, until the rest of the main characters pointed this out and tried to get her to open them. Meido revealed that she kept her eyes closed because a maid must always be smiling at their master, however, when she tried to open she realized that she couldn't because she'd be doing it for too long. When Kurumi stated she has always wondered how itome characters in manga are able to see, Meido said she actually couldn't see and relied on her other senses to get around.[1]
Characteristics
Yukari Takara from Lucky☆Star
Itome characters are drawn with 2 thin threads for eyes and appear to always have their eyes closed. It is often a huge plot point in the show when an itome character finally decides to open their eyes.
The reason for an itome character having these kind of eyes differs depending on the character, but generally they are used to express:[2][3]
- To show a character is always smiling.
- To make a character seem mysterious.
- To express stereotypical Kansai dialect characters.
- To make expressionless characters seem more expressionless.
- To make a character seem very scary when angered by smiling in an aggressive manner.
- To hide a dark character's true nature by constantly squinting their eyes, but when they open their eyes their face turns vicious. This is also sometimes used as a reverse plot device to make a character seem wicked at first glance, but then it is later revealed they are actually kind.
List of Characters
Gallery
 Brock from Pokémon  Gin Ichimaru from Bleach  Gin Ichimaru from Bleach  Yukari Takara from Lucky☆Star |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Life of Itome Chara. The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You (2025/01/26).
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 What is Itome. Pixiv Encyclopedia. “An expression that describes eyes that are long and thin like a single thread. It also describes a character with such eyes. It is a unique expression found in Japanese manga and anime, and is a form of symbolism. It is an expression that is almost never seen overseas, and at first glance, it is often mistaken for "no eyes". Itome eyes can express many things other than just the physical feature of narrow eyes, but generally they are used to express: 1. Simple expressions such as smiling or sleeping. 2. To express stereotypical Kansai dialect characters. 3. To make expressionless characters seem more expressionless. 4. To express a dark character's true nature by squinting their eyes. When they open their eyes, their face turns vicious. 5. To express a tennen boke or ahonoko's inner flower garden. = Always smiling. 6. To express a state beyond normal anger. A smile is inherently aggressive.”
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Who Comes to Mind When You Think of "Itome" Characters?. Excite (2022/01/10). “In anime, the expression of a character's eyes drawn like a single thread is called "itome". There are many types of itome characters, from those who are always smiling, to those who are somewhat mysterious, to those who are very scary when angry.”
- ↑ Pokemon: 10 Things You Never Knew About Brock. GameRant (2021/03/21). “There are long-running jokes about Brock never opening his eyes in the anime but they are simply not true. In fact, he opens his eyes in three separate episodes — A Crowning Achievement, Who Gets To Keep Togepi?, and The Ninja Poké-Showdown. The few times they are open are for comedic gags and it does look a bit disconcerting.”