They must spend a fortune on cleaning solution.
In most installments of this series, we’re dealing with some situation that looks cooler in anime than it does in real life. That discrepancy is pretty logical, since animation gives creators complete control over the visual environment, and being unbound from reality allows anime characters to look impossibly stylish.
However, even if they don’t have to match their real-world counterparts, there are times when the various elements of an anime world still have to mesh with each other. Unfortunately, the complete control animators have over the look of their characters and settings means that things which, in reality, would develop organically in accordance with one another are, in anime, actually crafted separately, which can led to some eye-poppingly unusual results.
For example, as Japanese Twitter user @baccano0126 points out, appropriately sized contact lenses for anime characters would be absolutely huge.
漫画の矛盾から逃げなかった灼熱の卓球娘 pic.twitter.com/VIaGq8JEuQ
— 𝗕𝗔𝗖𝗖𝗔𝗡𝗢2024 (@baccano0126) November 23, 2016
In real life, the last segment of your finger is roughly the size of the exposed portion of your eyeball, and a contact lens can sit easily on your fingertip. However, anime’s signature design element, dramatically oversized eyes, aren’t coupled with extra-large hands. For especially doe-eyed character designs, effective contact lenses for them would be closer to the characters’ palms. The alternative, matching the lens’ size to the character’s fingertip (as seen in the bottom right of the image shared by @baccano0126) makes the lens barely big enough to fit over the pupil.
▼ Not as extreme an example as the ones above, but still much larger than a real human’s contact lens.
https://twitter.com/monomomonomo/status/801280076214104064Wearing such large contact lenses has to put an incredible strain on the characters’ eyes, so maybe it’s no wonder that some of them just choose to wear glasses instead.
Source: Hamster Sokuho, Twitter/@baccano0126
Follow Casey on Twitter, where he’s content to wear glasses so that he can suddenly take them off for dramatic effect.

Anime isn’t like reality: Big-breasted fighting edition
Anime isn’t like reality: Terrifying dentistry edition
Anime Contact lenses will give you the shimmering eyes of a manga heroine 【Photos】
Anime isn’t like reality – Shy girl ponytail edition
Japanese sweets shop sells an ohagi so exquisite it sells out by noon
Studio Ghibli store Donguri Republic announces opening of first-ever store in America
Forget Tokyo go-karts – there’s a new way to sightsee on four wheels in Japan
Starbucks Japan releases new limited-edition summer drinks…and a pastry for dunking
Gama Land, the weird Japanese amusement park celebrating toads, is now like a ghost town
Studio Ghibli adds new My Neighbour Totoro music box to its anime merchandise store in Japan
Japanese bento shop touches hearts by selling super cheap boxed lunches for around a dollar
Lawson Japan releases a crazy new product to remind us it’s not just famous for convenience store food
Lawson upsizes convenience store food for a limited time with two must-try Japanese meals
7-Eleven Japan debuts new black-and-white rice ball packaging…but is it because of a naphtha shortage?
New Japanese overnight train coming to connect Tokyo with Tohoku in sleep-travel style
Universal Studios Japan is giving Frieren anime fans the chance to make unforgettable memories.
East Japan Railway announces plans to abolish magnetic-strip tickets
Tokyo’s life-size Gundam is getting a new look before its end-of-summer removal
Japan’s cheap beef bowl chain goes upscale with Matsuya Premium, but is it worth the higher price?
7-Eleven Japan joins the craze for Korean Gamja Cheese Balls
7-Eleven Japan has a new Creamy Iced Cafe Latte that’s a hit on social media
Uniqlo reveals third round of massive 100-year-anniversary manga T-shirts for Jump’s Shueisha
Even at twice regular Daiso price, this handy item is still great for summer travel in Japan
New official Ghibli anime food cookbook will teach you how to make Ponyo’s ramen and more
Japanese convenience store Lawson launches new “mini supermarket” chain, L Minimart
Japan’s real-world Pokémon hot spring’s first photos are here![Photos]
Kanji ice cream becomes a sell-out hit in Japan
Kyoto public junior high school becomes first in Japan with a hoodie school uniform
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa
Japan’s 5.3 million beautiful Hitachi Nemophila flowers are now in full bloom[Photos]
Pokémon and Ikea Japan cross over into each other’s worlds with collaboration events
Anime isn’t like reality: High school days edition
Anime sword fighting isn’t like reality. Why? Biomechanics (again)
Japan’s new “Cunte” contact lenses aren’t pronounced like you’re probably thinking they are
Japanese college students share four ways anime high school is different from real high school
Manga author isn’t so sure about stereotypical image of the timid girl who loves reading books
Life isn’t like anime — Japanese school to close, students must transfer 200 kilometers away
Anime isn’t like reality: Japanese police arrest man holding three knives, one in his mouth
Real Life Yu-Gi-Oh! augmented reality prototype aims to make your duels as cool as the anime’s
What would the cast of Japan’s longest-running anime look like in real life? Kind of terrifying
Anime isn’t like reality – Wannabe drifter crashes car, says he was trying to copy Initial D【Vid】
Anime girls are waiting for you to tell them about your real-life poo for new game’s microtransactions