Complementary Eyes in Koisuru Asteroid

The first episode of Koisuru Asteroid aired today, and the character designers at Dogakobo Studio are again showing their prowess. This time the animation is more subtle, with the emphasis being put on character action and colour design. In particular I noticed the eyes.

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Mira, right & Ao, left

First is the protagonist, Mira. Her genki enthusiasm for astronomy drives her character, she is a person driven by passion rather than analysis. Her love of stargazing is mostly aesthetic and her knowledge of the subject is small (for now), but the emotions she feels towards it are stronger than the more analytically inclined can muster. Her eyes are the most striking in the show, befitting of the main character. They depict the moment of the appearance of the first star over a sunset in a darkening sky, a moment of mystery and wonder. Immediately captivating but not complex, this is contrasted with her bashful counterpart, Ao.

Ao's eyes reflect a more subtle image. One of the deep-blue serene night sky and the possibility of a coming sunrise. Being complementary to Mira's colour-wise, her single highlight-cum-star is orange, possibly the final star of the night. The night sky is only truly visible when the sky has fully darkened, which her blue eyes depict. This more complex image is one of Ao's analytical mind and her vast knowledge base on the topic, one that Mira is sure to coax out of her.

Inose, left & Sakurai, right

Next are the two Geologists of the club, Inose and Sakurai. While their eyes are individually simplistic, together they form a married couple. Inose's are emerald with a maroon tint, while Sakurai's are inversed: maroon with an emerald tint. This is a beautiful little visual marker of the link between the two and their relationship as boke senpai and tsukkomi kouhai.

Other characters elicit less interest in their eyes, with more focus on colour as generic indicators of their types. The relaxed (ara ara) club president has relaxed, "boring" brown eyes, while the Tomoyo-esque over-protective best friend character has purple eyes; which in the world of anime often indicates a depraved insanity. But I would assume a suppressed version in this case.

The show really is something pretty to look at, and it's nice seeing Dogakobo keep building on their past works to become moe gods. The Dogakobo girl (and specifically eyes) will define the next few years's moe, taking the reins from the KyoAni girl of the previous decade.