Mazda 3 is happy to see you

I was a big fan of the first Mazda3. I thought it set a high water mark for small car design, and was close to buying one. However much better mechanically the new Mazda3 is than the last, I can’t get over it’s maniacally grinning anime face. For one it just looks too damn happy. And for two, it’s just so obviously not actually a grille. This is especially obvious is lower rent models where most of the crosshatch faux grille is blocked off with black plastic. Plus it was a weird little chrome lip that makes it look like the car has braces or is wearing a retainer. Maybe they had to make the low end models look nerdier to make the higher end ones more attractive.