Why do short round versions of Anime characters appear in most Japanese made Anime?
I have noticed that the Japanese are fond of using short round versions of their Anime characters in their Anime games, Manga and movies. In ‘’ Gunbuster’’, characters appear in very small round forms at the end of an episode to explain the pseudoscientific aspects of the episode. It also appeared in ‘’ Video Girl Ai’’- The postscript segments and in ‘’ Dirty Pair’’- The closing credits of the 10 episode OAV series. What are those versions and why are they always used?