Why do so many anime girls have knocked knees?

glennmagusharvey

This is so stupid.

FYI "knocked knees" is actually a real medical condition in which the knees are turned inward toward each other when a person is standing.  This thread is complaining about how animesque-style girls are frequently depicted with their knees turned inward.

Cross-posted in the TV Tropes forums: http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=13444039910A90466700&page=1#1

fourteenwings

Character designers find it moe and moe=cash?

ClockworkUniverse

FYI "knocked knees" is actually a real medical condition in which the knees are turned inward toward each other when a person is standing.

Oh, hey, there's a term for that? Because I definitely have that.

-googles-

Wait, no, nevermind, my mental image of what you were talking about and what you were actually talking about are different things.

glennmagusharvey

Wait, it's actually called "knock-knee".  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genu_valgum

It's also not really how anime girls are drawn like this.  When drawn like this, they usually have not just their knees but also their feet turned inward toward each other, which isn't the case I can see from a quick Google image search for "knocked knees".

DYRE

It's more like... they're usually pigeon-toed, though I guess knocked knees also applies too, or something.

Anyway, it's considered cute.  Possibly because it's a condition common in childhood, or something.  Or just because it's like the opposite of a stereotypically masculine stance... or something.

 

Or something.

It's like 4 in the morning I am too tired to think.

JHM

I'm both knock-kneed and pigeon-toed; my knees go backward and my feet naturally splay. Apparently it's a side-effect of a mild congenital scoliosis. It's kind of funny when people first notice it.

I think that it's an attempt to duplicate how some people's knees turn in when they're nervous, like a dog with a tail between its legs. It's a bit strange.

Bee

Just thought I'd leave this here.

"I'm bow-legged and my girlfriend's knock-kneed.  When we walk together we spell 'OK'."

-Cowboy proverb

 

Seriously though, actual medical conditions aside, it's a token cute thing.  It's a stereotypically defensive reaction that flags the character as the adorable nervous type and would probably give a couple hours of wank fuel for evopsych people.

It's also a great way to completely destroy any sense of a combat character because the stance provides awful balance.  It's right up there with the Ass And Boobs pose.

JHM

Thank you.

glennmagusharvey

> completely destroy any sense of a combat character

Funny why I kept on seeing this in Fire Emblem fanart.

Bee

I know >_<

Then again this is a series where a barely-pubescent girl

http://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb57525/fireemblem/images/a/af/Amelia-1-.jpg" alt="" height="300" />

can go about eight battles and turn into a hilariously overpowered walking pile of steel death.

http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20110421233333/fireemblem/images/4/41/Amelia_general_sword.gif" alt="" width="140" height="99" />

 

Granted her stance...improves somewhat.

nohaynicklibre

ZUN art is best

DYRE

               

Malkavian

I don't think it's supposed to be reminiscent of the medical condition, so much as indicative of a kind of carefree posture.