Moe Stare

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.
She just baked your rabbit into that waffle.

It's delicious.


So you're a male loner in high school, and you've been single for such a long time that you can only imagine a sweet Moe girl (of the Manic Pixie Dream Girl bent, of course), could save you from loneliness. Now you intend to draw her.

Well, we know what you think. There's no denying that this is your first basic idea of what she will look like:

  • she is going to cheer you up → smile
  • improve on your social skills → open mouth
  • be interested in you → wide-open eyes

That's why this vaguely coquettish facial expression is now worn by almost every female character in Moe series and has become ubiquitous in series' promotional materials.

The next facial expression you will draw is going to be the Moe Squint, because she is full of wacky quirks and idiosyncrasies.

Examples of Moe Stare include:


Anime and Manga

Film

  • All of the covers and ads for the Yogi Bear movie have had the epynomous bear and Boo-Boo wearing this expression, though it doesn't come across as cute so much as vapid.

Video Games

Western Animation

  • Dubois's wife in The Boondocks has this as her default expression.
  • This is also the default expression for Cornchip Girl in Recess
    • T.J. uses this trope in "A Great State Fair" in order for Gretchen to help him.