Why do anime and manga use the same faces? Many shows use the same face template throughout.  Why do they use this?
This is a matter of artistic style and a branding strategy.

As a prime example: Studio Ghibli films are arguably the highest-quality anime produced. They painstakingly aim for realism in the movements of characters and objects and the backgrounds are lush and extremely detailed.

The balance of light and shadow accurately matches real life, and every cell is intentionally still hand-painted in the studio to preserve the high quality (Roger Ebert's interview with Miyazaki Hayao reports, "Miyazaki, who is suspicious of computers, personally draws thousands of frames by hand. 'We take [handmade] cell animation and digitize it in order to enrich the visual look, but everything starts with the human hand drawing. And the color standard is dictated by the background. We don't make up a color on the computer'"). 

Not only do the Japanese think so, but Studio Ghibli's work has been internationally acclaimed for its impeccable quality. Without any interest in a computer-generated template, Studio Ghibli uses the same face character designs over and over.









There are four main points:


Studio Ghibli doesn't do this because they are lazy, cutting corners in the production process, or not creative enough. Similar and even nearly-identical faces are not a result of mangaka and animators feeling limited by their mediums, as if a wider variation in facial design would be too hard for them to pull off, or not worth bothering with. Studio Ghibli has never been interested in trading a drop in quality in exchange for a time-saving measure. Though many anime studios now animate by computer, the tradition of crafting and amply using a trademark facial design for multiple characters predates the technological possibility of mixing-and-matching hairstyles onto a basic "doll" head, and did not arise in the art form in order to make that the standard once animation software could be invented.
The character designer is a prominent position in an anime's staff roster, as some character designers, such as Tadano Kazuko and Nobuteru Yuuki, draw such recognizable faces that the designer can be billed as a feature of the series. Character design is all done in pre-production (before the animators start painting cells), so increased/decreased variation in the character design does not create a large impact on the production schedule once animating begins, unless the character's costume is extremely detailed. Once the designs are established, the character designer draws official settei (設定, meaning "materials") sheets which show the character from various angles and includes notes for the animators about details not to overlook. These usually utilize very clean lines, though some character designers distribute sketchy ones. The settei are photocopied and each animator receives one copy for reference while animating, so that the character designer's intent is realized even across a large number of animator staff.





Each mangaka or character designer has a style that he/she personally likes. It may get honed over the course of the beginning of her career, but once he/she captures his/her Ideal, the artist becomes a pro at making it consistent. Unless it is a rare manga or anime in which that character designer does not intend to draw attractive-looking characters, it stands to reason that the design perceived as most attractive will be used time and again. This may mean the same face for nearly all female protagonists, the same face for nearly all male love interests, and the same face for amicable, friendly men. As an example, Takeuchi Naoko can be counted on for consistency.




Only one of these blue-haired girls is Sailor Mercury:



Chiba Mamoru (Tuxedo Kamen) and his dead ringers from other series:




Tenou Haruka (Sailor Uranus) and dopplegangers:




Branding (also known as Visual Identity, Brand Management, or Corporate Design), is very important in successful marketing. Mangaka and character designers who provide immediately recognizable faces grant fans the ability to know in an instant that this is a title they are interested in, and whenever they hear an announcement that the same creator is starting a new series, they can know exactly what to expect. Studio Ghibli has crafted simple character designs that strike a chord, make the protagonist easily likable, and garner sentimentality from the viewers. This strategy ensures repeat consumers more than if they changed up the character design from film to film. A good example of strong branding that evolved from the time of her debut is Yazawa Ai:


early work → 

middle period →

distinct branding →



Although many mangaka and anime character designers do this type of branding very well, it should be noted that this is not specific to manga and anime, but can be seen in other mediums in other countries. 

For example, even while Disney intentionally adds hints of traditional cultural art styles into its films (eye shapes for Jasmine, Pocahontas, Mulan, Megara), facial design for Disney protagonists is, for the most part, easily recognizable as being Disney, regardless of the ethnicity of the characters.



Disney women of color: