The difference is subtle, but to many fans, it’s significant.

Some of the most exciting events at Tokyo Disneyland happen seasonally, and now that Christmas and New Year’s are long gone and spring has sprung, it’s time to gear up for the next big holiday: Easter! That means new harbor shows, new character costumes, and…a new Mickey and Minnie?

Fans in Japan were a little distraught over recently released images from the Easter advertisements, because they noticed that the faces of their beloved characters, which have remained the same for several years, are suddenly a little bit different.

Can you spot what changed? Casual fans might not notice, but dedicated Tokyo Disney lovers probably saw the differences right away.

For reference, let’s take a look at some photos we took at previous Disney events. In the photo below, which was from Christmas 2018, Mickey and Minnie’s eyes are large and round, and Minnie is wearing red lipstick and blue eye shadow. Their mouths are also wide, with a triangular shape to their smiles.

In contrast, the new photo shows Mickey and Minnie with taller eyes and smaller pupils, and Minnie without any makeup at all. Their faces also look a little bit rounder, and they seem to have a more pronounced, mouse-like upper lip, with deeper dimples. Compare that again to a photo from July, where you can see that there’s a little less detail in the characters’ faces than in the above Easter promotion:

Once you see it, the difference is pretty clear! Though it’s likely that Tokyo Disneyland updated their costumes with improvement in mind, many Japanese fans were shocked and saddened by the change, and the subject quickly became a hot topic on social media.

“I’m so sad.”
“I like the original face better…”
“Was it really necessary to change the faces we know and love?”
“This Mickey looks like he’d always be late for dates.”
“The new faces are scary. They look like they only have one expression…and their eyes look dead.”
“The more I look at it, the more I can’t believe it.”
“The new Mickey is so cross-eyed! Scary!”

Some people, however, were okay with the change, or were trying to be, anyway:

“Mickey’s been around for 90 years. It’s not surprising that something on his face would change.”
“Let’s think about it like he’s growing up!”
“It looks pretty cute to me.”
“I like the new look. It doesn’t have a weird costume smile.”

▼ A side-by-side comparison (old on the left, new on the right)

The chief complaints may very well be from those of the younger generation who have grown up with a single Mickey and Minnie throughout their whole lives. For them, perhaps, the change is depressing, an indication that things won’t always stay the same. But those of use who are older understand that sometimes change is necessary, especially because we remember that the Disney characters once looked like this:

https://twitter.com/ICHIKA67_dffoo/status/1110395383853703168

Whatever you might think about the new faces, I think we can safely say that they’re not going to take away from the magic of a visit to Tokyo Disney, or of the enjoyment of a parade or harbor show. So don’t let them scare you away from enjoying all that Tokyo Disney Resort has to offer!

Source: Twitter/ミッキー 顔
Top Image ©SoraNews24
Insert Images: Press Release (1), ©SoraNews24 (2, 3)
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