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alt title(s): Maegamikko
And yet, he's a damn good sheepdog...

A character with Blinding Bangs has a mop of hair that obscures completely his or her eyes — and sometimes the whole face. The character's eyes are covered all the time, to the point we rarely, if ever, see them, and can even wonder whether this personage has eyes.

How such a character could see clearly through such a thick curtain of hair — as is usually the case — is either completely ignored or heavily lampshaded at every turn. A trope much more common in comics and animation than in live-action (since it's a bit hard for an actor to play while blinded by such a hairdo).

This personal appearance trope can be used to convey various things. In western works, a character with such a hairstyle is often a bit of a dumbass; you very rarely, if at all, see permanent Blinding Bangs on a personage with above average intelligence. Since obscuring the eyes also obscures emotion, the character will usually seem a bit cool-headed, if not an outright stoic. Also frequently used in Anime and Manga to illustrate a shy one — girls with this hairstyle are called "maegamikko" in Japan. Unlike the temporary kind of face-concealing hair a character might have when depressed, Blinding Bangs are usually not a sign of depression, although perpetually mopey characters might also have them.

Compare Peek A Bangs, which cover only one eye. Contrast with Hidden Eyes, which is usually just temporary.

Not to be confused with a Flash Grenade.

Examples

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