Big Eyes, Small Mouth (BESM) is a tabletop role-playing game originally produced by Guardians of Order in 1997 that was designed to simulate the action of anime and manga. The title alludes to the common anime drawing style of characters with large expressive eyes and comparatively small mouths. Gameplay BESM uses a point-based character creation system. Players roll two 6-sided dice, add 10 to the total and then divide the resultant sum between Mind, Body, and Soul, against which all action checks are made. These are supplemented by Attributes, which can be positive (Acrobatics) or negative (Easily Distracted), giving the characters unique abilities. First edition The initial edition, designed by Mark C. MacKinnon, was released by Guardians of Order in 1997. Soon after that, RPG writer David L. Pulver began writing supplements for what was essentially a fairly simple game, adding a detailed system for the creation of mecha with his book Big Robots, Cool Starships. Skills were added with the next supplement, a genre book called Hot Rods & Gun Bunnies. At the same time MacKinnon and his colleagues were using BESM's system (now referred to as "the Tri-Stat System") as the basis for licensed games based on anime properties such as Sailor Moon, Dominion: Tank Police, Demon City Shinjuku and Tenchi Muyo! All of these innovations were incorporated into a second edition, which was released in 2001 to a very strong reception. The first edition was a slim, grey-covered book. A vast promotion and beta test was organized, and included a number of demo-team members from around the world. Since then, the other anime licenses that Guardians of Order obtained used the BESM system as their core rules. Instead of publishing complete games as they had done previously, the licensed books were published as "Ultimate Fan Guides". In addition, several genre based supplements were published for the game, as well as two original settings: Centauri Knights and Uresia: Grave of Heaven. Reception In the January 1998 edition of Dragon (Issue 243), Rick Swan dismissed BESM as "a stripped-down, entry-level RPG." Swan pointed out that the rules were primarily focussed on character creation, "but that’s pretty much all you get. There’s little in the way of background material, campaign outlines, or staging tips, making this more of an introduction to roleplaying than a ready-to-play game." He did not recommend the game, saying, "Hardcore anime might be better off investigating