mesen 目線

In Japanese, mesen 目線, literally "eye line," can mean various things: one's "line of sight," their "gaze," the direction toward which they're looking, their viewpoint, how they view things, and black lines covering someone's eyes.

Manga: Seitokai Yakuindomo 生徒会役員共 (Chapter 8)

• Meaning
  • Line of Sight
  • Viewpoint
    • 上からの目線
  • Censor Bars

Meaning

Line of Sight

The word mesen 目線 is similar to the word shisen 視線. Both translate to "line of sight" or "gaze." Except that the former has the kanji for the word "eye," me 目, while the latter has the one for "sense of sight," shikaku 視覚.

Generally, shisen is used instead of mesen for "gaze."

• dare-ka no shisen wo kanjiru
  誰かの視線を感じる
  To feel someone's gaze.
• dare-ka no mesen wo kanjiru
  誰かの目線を感じる
  (same meaning, but less likely.)

Some ways mesen is used include:

• mesen ga au
  目線が合う
  Gazes meet.
  For two people to look at each other in the eye.
  • This is how love pokémon battles start.
• mesen wo sorasu
  目線をそらす
  To avert [one's] gaze. To look away.
  • me wo sorasu
    目をそらす
    (same meaning.)
    To avert [one's] eyes.
• kamera mesen
  カメラ目線
  "Camera gaze."
  When an actor, or subject of photo or film, looks at the camera, in the sense that normally you're supposed to ignore the camera, and they aren't ignoring it..

Manga: Seitokai Yakuindomo 生徒会役員共 (Chapter 8)

• Context: the student council president Amakusa Shino 天草シノ, who has a complex about her breast size, sees Hagimura Suzu 萩村スズ, who has a complex about her stature, drinking milk.
• Hagimura wa gyuunyuu ga suki nanda na
  萩村は牛乳が好きなんだな
  Hagimura, [you] like milk, don't you?
• gyuunyuu wa {seichou wo unagasu} mono dakara ii koto da
  牛乳は成長を促すものだから良いことだ
  Milk is a thing [that] {stimulates growth}, so it's a good thing.
  • A jab at the fact Hagimura is a shorty.
• *Hagimura stares at the student council president's chest.*
• kaichou wa gyuunyuu kirai desu ka
  会長は牛乳嫌いですか
  Do [you] hate milk, president?
  • kaichou
    会長
    [Student] council president. (used as a title. translated as "you" here.)
• yokumo mesen shita ni mukete kureta na
  よくも目線下に向けてくれたな
  [You have some nerve] to point [your] line of sight downwards [and say that].
  [You have some nerve] to [look] downwards [and say that].
  
  • shita ni mukeru
    下に向ける
    To point below. To point down.
  • ~te-kureta
    ～てくれた
    To be given or done something by someone. (in this case, it refers to the act of Hagimura of looking downwards. How dare you "give" this to me? How dare you "do" this to me?)

Viewpoint

The word mesen 目線 can also refer to someone's "viewpoint," as in how they see things.

• kodomo-mesen
  子供目線
  Children's viewpoint.
  How a child views this.
• {aite no mesen kara} dou mieru ka
  相手の目線からどう見えるか
  How does [it] look {from the other person's viewpoint}?
  How does the other person views [it]?
  What does the other person think of [it]:

上からの目線

The phrase ue kara no mesen 上からの目線, "viewpoint from above," refers to viewing something or someone as if you were superior to that thing or person, in other words, viewing them as inferior to you.

This phrase is specially used when they sound arrogant or pompous about it.

• "On your high horse" has similar meaning in English.

For example, when someone talks as if they were morally superior, or doesn't take something seriously because they don't view it as important in their own personal opinion.

• mi-orosu
  見下ろす
  To look down at.

Censor Bars

The word mesen 目線 can also mean literal "eye lines," as in, actual lines on one's eyes. Black censor bars. These are also called kuro-mesen 黒目線, "black eye-lines," or me-kakushi sen 目隠し線, "eye-covering lines."

Main article: kuro-mesen 黒目線.

Character: Matsuya Misaki 松屋美咲
Anime: Excel♥Saga, エクセル♥サーガ (Episode 6)

• kao-dashi enu-jii
  顔出しＮＧ
  Showing [one's] face is no-good, out of limits, not allowed, etc.