I personally never favored Kagome portrayed with blue eyes because I believed she was being made out to be something other than herself... like her plain yet gorgeous brown eyes (I am most familiar with from the anime) weren't good enough. Now I understand where the blue eyes came from, hehee. I have to admit I only read the ending of the manga and had no idea the blue eyes originated from there. Oops! Silly me for not knowing my facts. I still personally like the brown eyed Kagome though... I know she is anything but ordinary, but I feel her portrayal as ordinary is more relatable and empowering... after all one shouldn't have to look special to be special. Beauty is within! And Kagome is all about finding whatever see needs within herself. But maybe that’s just me.

Personally, I'm open to either eye color. Brown eyes are very beautiful, especially when the sunlight reflects in them. And blue eyes are just as nice. I guess it all depends on how descriptive the author is when describing her appearance. But I think gray is a good, happy medium between them.

And if we're using eye color to describe her: blue makes her exotic in an Asian standard, I suppose - I'm no genetic professional. It gives the author a chance to add a backstory as to how she got blue eyes in her family line. Brown eyes makes her appear like everyone else, but with a hidden power, making her unlike everyone else. So, I suppose I'm on both sides. lol


ladybattousai wrote:
... since blue eyes are predominately a western eye color.

Not to rail on you ladybattousai, but brown eyes are actually the more predominant color. I suppose it's more common in Europe because there is not an extensive mixture of races, but I can say that the dominant eye color in the United States is brown, making blue eyes a recessive trait in many Caucasian or Biracial children. I'm mixed and my dad has blue eyes, but my brother and I both have brown eyes, like our mom.

- CA

ladybattousai wrote:

I actually get irked when people call it some sort of brilliant blue, because then it really doesn't seem as much like her. Instead she appears as someone for who the author can relate better, since blue eyes are predominately a western eye color.



Oh! Oh! Oh! Your response reminded me of an incident, but I digress.

Kagome is an Asian. Ninety-nine percent of Asians have brown eyes, therefore I write her with brown eyes which tend to engender warmth by their look alone (looks like your irises are permanently dilated). I find it contrasts nicely as compared to a certain dog demon’s tendency towards cool amber/yellow what have you.

Now to the aside that might amuse some...

Entirely different premise, of course, than the subject at hand but the blue brown question came into play from a reviewer, who was a young Germanic woman (yes, it is relevant as you REALLY CANNOT GET MUCH MORE ARYAN THAN THAT) who took me to task about “immediately” correcting this egregious error, which she was willing to forgive me for, darling girl that she was, if I promptly went back and made all references to her eyes as blue - ASAP. Why you might ask? Simple really. You see she could not really “get into Kagome” with this look (brown eyes).

A bit of digging and backing and “forthing” later, it turned out she simply didn’t like being reminded that Kagome was Asian…oh dear, what part of the fact that we are talking about Japanese people did she miss?

Not surprisingly, I have never changed the eye colour of Kagome in anything written.

Personal preference is one thing – blue, brown, green, chartreuse (wink) go for it. Tell me an enthralling story.

Adhering to manga or anime equally valid, but sometimes, just sometimes it is a very fine line. In that individual’s case, she erred in assuming that I would change simply to accommodate her own inherent stupidities.

More info than you wanted, just another perspective on blue and brown. See what you started lol!?

EP

Word.

I'm kind of a blue eyed person when it comes to Kagome. Maybe because I'm from an area of the states that was populated by an odd mix of both extreme northen Germans and Germans from the far southern/western end of the country. Meaning- a huge part of the population here has dark brown hair and true blue eyes. Naturally. Since I read the manga before I ever saw the anime (and I kinda hate the anime)and I find it normal to have dark hair and blue eyes, I tend to like that combo.

ElegantPaws wrote:

Personal preference is one thing – blue, brown, green, chartreuse (wink) go for it. Tell me an enthralling story.

EP

here here.

the r0o tends to make the blue, b/c of the manga, though i have made them brown, and i often want to make them Shikon jewel pinkish purple... sue me... as for what i like?

well i personally have dark brown eyes, and i feel that its hard to see depth in eyes like my own b/c they are so very dark. I once took something, a test of some kind, and they said my eyes were black.

While i think that might actually be cool IRL they aren't and it peevs me a bit that no one gets to see my pupil b/c my iris' are so very dark as well. Only in bright light shined directly at them do they even look brown, but when that does happen its a nice warm chocolate color.

I dunno i don't feel common to have dark eyes, i feel like i'm left out sometimes b/c my eyes don't "pop." B/c my eyes seem to be "black."

Maybe that gives a good reason for it. maybe not. - r0o

Not to rail on you ladybattousai, but brown eyes are actually the more predominant color. I suppose it's more common in Europe because there is not an extensive mixture of races, but I can say that the dominant eye color in the United States is brown, making blue eyes a recessive trait in many Caucasian or Biracial children. I'm mixed and my dad has blue eyes, but my brother and I both have brown eyes, like our mom.

I'm not going to argue that, because what you are saying is reasonable. However, you cannot say that blue eyes don't have a strong association with a western culture. Again, I honestly don't have a problem with gray or dark blue as a reference for her eye color. It's simply when it is a bright cobalt or some similar color that I question how much the author is truly channeling Kagome as a character.

In the end, it's a preference and an opinion, so take it as such.

And that's funny, Elegant Paws. I've encountered similar requests for similar reasons, although that one is by far the most hilarious one. So blatant...

@ladybattousai: You know, I honestly didn't think about that way. You're right about the connection between western culture and blue eyes. And I guess, as far as characterization preferences go, it's to each their own.

@sugar0o: That would be interesting if her eyes were the color of the jewel. ^^


- CA

I know that Kagome has brown eyes in the anime and I'm told she has blue eyes in the manga. Personally, I however love to write Kagome with blue eyes because it makes her more unique and exotic because Asian people don't usually have blue eyes so that make her much more of a rarity that Sesshomaru loves to uncover the mystery of

I've written both in; brown eyes feels sweet and innocent, while blue is unique and sexy. I love the concept of both the eye colors.

@Katie: Although it's been ages since this was relevant I'll just say:
I thought the colouring style looked kinda washed out too, but then I read somewhere that Takahashi uses water colours to colour these pages... It makes sense, but dang that woman must be a master with those colours - I remember my last water colour attempt in 5th grade and.. uh... it didn't end well

I always think of Kagome as having blue eyes - like many others I think it makes her stand out... And it also kinda suggests that she may have some foreign blood in her veins too which I always thought would make a nice connection to InuYasha (IN THE CANON MANGA! I'm a KagSess supporter through and through ).

I don't really mind, much, but I tend to prefer the manga colour, just because it came first I guess.

SHIKON PINKISH LILIACY ICY BLUE-GREY MUDDY BROWN....

usually i go with blue.

wait...

I ALREADY ANSWERED THIS THREAD!!!

I go with neither.
From the start I went with grey eyes. I guess I couldn't make up my mind, and I thought blue was too different, but brown was not the right color either...so I went with a mix, but that's me...

I like Kagome with blue eyes because that make her diffrent from Kikyou, but if I came on the story where she has brown eyes that makes me no diffrence. I just like when she has some color- perhaps it's because I have grey eyes myself and I'm not very happy with that. It's annoying when people can't name that color, but perhaps I just have them too dark. Light grey would look nice too.