So what makes a cartoon character cute? You could reduce the answer down to a few basic characteristics: big eyes and head, fluffiness, warmth and chubbiness. “Cuteness is based on the basic ...

Ultimately, what we find cute is child-like qualities which endear us to the character and "speak to our nurturing instincts", as Chappell Ellison writes on Cartoon Brew. Stephen Jay Gould ...