Supposedly Asian characters with blonde hair and blue eyes.

And I really have never really seen that happen in the majority of stories out there considering most don't even have foreigners in the first place.

I don't think it's the majority. You first said that it never happens, so I gave you examples. The first two I listed at least sound like fairly egregious/racist versions.

As for Black Lagoon and Darker Than Black, those are just ones I've noted that might fit, although it's quite plausible that Revy and Hei are just mixed race individuals with some European ancestry.

I'll also say that the OP title of "Supposedly Asian characters with blonde hair and blue eyes" is kind of an exaggeration.

Hodor

An exaggeration in what sense?

If people learned from their mistakes, there wouldn't be this thing called bad habits.

In that while there are some characters who fit this literally (i.e. Doujima of Witch Hunter Robin), my impression is that it's more common to have dark-haired Japanese characters with European features. The ones with blonde hair and blue eyes are more often examples of But Not Too Foreign.

edited 16th Jan '11 9:48:30 PM by Jordan

Hodor

But all I intended the thread to be about were characters that do literally fit it. It's missing the point if the character doesn't have both features at the same time.

If people learned from their mistakes, there wouldn't be this thing called bad habits.

So you can believe white people can have giant eyes and blue hair...but you can't believe Asian people can have giant eyes and blonde hair.

Huh.

No giant eyes are fine. Giant blue eyes (actually, it's more like any blue eyes) and blonde hair is what gets me.

Also I never really thought of The Simpsons as looking barely human to begin with, so. I thought they were Asian when I was younger because people kept talking about "yellow people"...

Unless you meant to say that to someone else.

edited 16th Jan '11 10:22:07 PM by Edmania

If people learned from their mistakes, there wouldn't be this thing called bad habits.

But that's exactly my point. Exactly. It's no more realistic to consider Marge Simpson or any of the people from Doug or something white-looking than it is to worry about Asian characters with hair and eye colours different to real life.

My take on it is that when a character is pretty unrealistic looking/has a totally unrealistic hair color, you can pretty much take them to be any race you choose, since they don't look like real people anyway.

However, if the character is realistically drawn but doesn't really look like their stated race, it's more noticeable. For instance, YMMV, but Hei◊ doesn't really look like any Chinese person I've met. If I had to guess his ethnicity, I'd probably think he was Russian.

Hodor

I'm not exactly running on realism here. If I was, i'd be saying the same to blue hair and multicolored eyes.

It's just that whenever I look at Naruto my head goes all "Aryan ninja!"

If people learned from their mistakes, there wouldn't be this thing called bad habits.

Naruto. Bleach. One Piece. This trope is really quite common.

Oh, you meant when Japanese characters look more Western than other Asian ethnicities? Erm...Ghost In The Shell has problems with this.

edited 16th Jan '11 10:39:40 PM by Ultrayellow

Except for 4/1/2011. That day lingers in my memory like...metaphor here...I should go.

Bleach had one?

...should we consider people in One Piece "Asian"?

^ I didn't. It works for when any Asian character whatsoever has blonde hair and blue eyes.

edited 16th Jan '11 10:45:14 PM by Edmania

If people learned from their mistakes, there wouldn't be this thing called bad habits.

I'd cut those three more slack. Aren't One Piece and Naruto both set in fantasy worlds that have no connection to our world? I'd think it would be the same for Bleach (depending on the character/where they're from the real world or not).

edited 16th Jan '11 10:39:11 PM by Jordan

Hodor

What about the ones with japanese names born in japan born from japanese parents?

"Every opinion that isn't mine is subjected to Your Mileage May Vary."

I just named those because they're the big three, popularity-wise.

Yeah, One Piece is totally out there. Now, while Naruto is technically a fantasy world, the Land of Fire seems to be a pretty obvious stand-in for Japan, and it's fairly clear how the predominantly Japanese audience will relate. Bleach is completely guilty, though. Let's just discuss the unrealistic hair and eyes in the real world, though, rather than dwelling on the nightmare that is an afterlife which is nothing but an enormous Japanese...well...I guess dystopia is the best word.

Except for 4/1/2011. That day lingers in my memory like...metaphor here...I should go.

I think Naruto characters at least are Asian, and more specifically, very Japanese-influenced. (Except Killer Bee and A and the others from the Land of Lightning.) I mean, they basically all have Japanese names, eat traditional Japanese food, they're steeped in Japanese folklore...

And I think Naruto's blond so he looks all bright and loud and brash (same reason he wears orange), forming a good contrast to Sasuke, who's all subdued and has black hair. Besides, if anything, if the characters were meant to be white, wouldn't they have more consistency of hair colour? Naruto having blond hair kind of makes sense even if his mother had red hair, but Kankuro, Temari and Gaara are all related, and they all have different hair colours.

I wouldn't mind if he didn't have blue eyes. >_>

Also, still don't remember a character from Bleach with blonde hair and blue eyes.

If people learned from their mistakes, there wouldn't be this thing called bad habits.

No, but there's Ichigo, who's red-haired.

That's noted as odd in-series though, isn't it? Again, not a series I read/watch, but it wouldn't surprise me if that was supernatural in origin.

Hodor

Noted as odd by Orihime, his red-haired friend?

Except for 4/1/2011. That day lingers in my memory like...metaphor here...I should go.

Red-hair doesn't count for me. (also I thought it was orange...)

If people learned from their mistakes, there wouldn't be this thing called bad habits.

Secret Asian man, secret Asian man!

You know, I can't help but wonder what would happen if Edmania encountered a real-life Asian person with blue eyes (they exist, you know). I fear his head might implode.

"If there's a hole, it's a man's job to thrust into it!" — Ryoma Nagare, New Getter Robo

Do they also have natural blonde hair and are not mixed?

If people learned from their mistakes, there wouldn't be this thing called bad habits.

Not gonna lie, that's pretty funny.

"Wax on, wax off..." "But Mr. Miyagi, I don't see how this is helping me do Karate..." "Pubic hair is weakness, Daniel-san!"