Semiotics of Anime and Manga

Sydney Botts
SUNY Oswego, CAS 444: Semiotics
When it comes to expessing emotions and fee!ings, diffeent c"!t"es ha#e diffeent stategies$
Some of these diffeences can seem stange to othe c"!t"es$ %owe#e, especia!!y in Ameica,
the foms of expession fo"nd in &apanese Anime and Manga ha#e fascinated, and sometimes
p"''!ed, many$ (he gest"es and fee!ings ae not on!y expessed in a diffeent way, )"t the
fee!ings that ae c"!t"a!!y accepta)!e to expess ae a!so diffeent$ *n this pape, we wi!! disc"ss
the c"!t"a!!y diffeent foms of expession of &apan$
*ntod"ction
+aphic no#e!s, othewise ,nown as -comic )oo,s,. ha#e )een a de!ight to peop!e of a!!
ages and a!! c"!t"es fo h"ndeds, e#en tho"sands, of yeas$ (he oigin of pictoia!
epesentations of stoies goes )ac, as fa as ancient /gypt and the paintings of ca#emen$
Whi!e Ameican comics ha#e do#es of fo!!owes a!! o#e the g!o)e than,s to s"pe heo genes,
in moe ecent yeas, the pop"!aity of &apanese comics 0,nown as -Manga.1 has gown to i#a!
in pop"!aity$ &apanese manga has a comp!ete!y diffeent !oo, and fee! than Ameican comics,
d"e to the c"!t"a! diffeences )etween o" two co"nties$ (hese diffeences ma,e it so that an
Ameican manga eade may not "ndestand the denotation 0o -intentiona! meaning.1, o
connotation 0o -extended2sym)o!ic meaning.1, of many of the ideas )eing expessed, fom
facia! expessions down to s")t!e fami!ia gest"es that Ameicans wo"!dn3t noma!!y pic, "p on$
*t is impotant to note that the opposite is a!so t"e$ 4eop!e of othe c"!t"es who wo"!d ead o"
comics wo"!d a!so miss o"t on s")t!e c"es that we wo"!d easi!y identify, possi)!y witho"t e#en
thin,ing$
Most of the diffeences occ" d"e to c"!t"a! diffeences in e!igion, language 0which
efes to means of comm"nication, not specifica!!y the spo,en wod1, grammar 0the "!es )y
which we ogani'e !ang"age1, expessions, and what is deemed -accepta)!e. to the tageted
eade$ Ameican c"!t"e tends to )e #ey po!itica!!y coect, and shie!ds chi!den fom what is
tho"ght of to )e -ad"!t. s")5ects$ %owe#e in &apan, chi!den ae exposed to these s")5ects at a
m"ch yo"nge age$ Beca"se of this )ig c"!t"a! diffeence, manga can ha#e a m"ch hea#ie
fee!$ /#en some of the moe c"te and innocent stoies wi!! dea! with #ey diffic"!t iss"es, s"ch as
death, heat)ea,, and n"dity$
(his pape3s goa! is to )ea, down the meanings, fom a semiotic 0st"dy of why things
mean what they mean1 pespecti#e, of the #aio"s pictoia! signs of gaphic no#e!s, foc"sing on
manga and anime, and the diffeences )etween them and Ameican catoons and comics$ A
sign is something that stands fo something e!se in some capacity$ (his can )e anything fom
the things we ca!! !ettes that ma,e "p wods, to facia! expessions and pictoia! epesentations
of #aio"s phenomena$ %"mans dei#e meaning fom signs, in the sense that we ta,e a
con#eyed o signified idea fom whate#e is )eing shown, s"ch as teas indicating sadness, o a
ed !ight indicating -stop$.
6o the p"poses of this pape, a culture efes to the inteconnected system of
meanings encoded )y signs and texts, whee a text is an aangement of signs into what is
sometimes ca!!ed a -!age sign$. &apanese manga is a text, as ae Ameican comics, o any
othe co"nty3s fom ofnpictoa! epesentation7 as is !ang"age, pose, and any othe s")5ect yo"
can thin, of$ (his pape wants to )ea, down 5"st what the meaning of the c"!t"e8specific signs
of manga and anime ae, and compae them to o" fami!ia Ameican c"!t"e$
A 6ew (ems to 9now
Befoe di#ing into the comic )oo,, it is impotant to ,now the diffeence )etween what
popeties a sign can ha#e$ A!! signs ae a fom of representation, whee some -thing. has
)een capt"ed and ogani'ed into a sign$ Signs can )e iconic, which means that the
e!ationship it has with what it is tying to epesent isn3t a)itay7 i$e$ it !oo,s !i,e what it3s
signifying$ (hey can )e indexical, which is when a sign indicates that something -exists.
somewhee, s"ch as a pointing finge$ 6ina!!y, they can )e symbolic, o a sign that means
something con#entiona!!y, s"ch as the eag!e epesenting Ameica$ When it comes to comics,
yo" ae most!y dea!ing with iconic signs, as the stoy is depicted )y dawings of peop!e, p!aces,
and things$
When yo" sit down and ty to detemine the meanings of the signs in gaphica!
epesentation, yo" ae paticipating in what is ,nown as semiosis$ Yo" may not technica!!y
pic, "p a )oo, and as, yo"se!f -what does this mean:. )"t as yo" intepet the signs
0especia!!y in a comic )oo,1, yo" go tho"gh a pocess of decipheing each sign, as a who!e o
indi#id"a!!y$ Cha!es 4iece, a famo"s semiotician, desci)ed this pocess in thee )asic
categoies$ Firstness is one3s tendency to intepet signs as sim"!ations of the wo!d
0iconica!!y1$ Secondness is e!ating a sign to othe signs and o)5ects in some way 0indexica!!y1$
;ast, thirdness is !eaning to "se signs in con#entiona! ways 0sym)o!ica!!y1$ 9nowing a!! this,
we can !oo, at comics in a )oad pespecti#e, and then 'eo in on the ,ey diffeences )etween
&apanese manga and Ameican comics$
Comic Boo, O#e#iew
(he )oo, -Undestanding Comics. )y Scott McC!o"d is an exce!!ent so"ce of a genea!
comic )oo, intepetation$ One of the ,ey tho"ghts in his )oo, that is impotant to "ndestand
with comics of any c"!t"e o fom is the "se of !ine, shade, )ac,go"nd, emotion, pogession of
time, motion, etc$ to con#ey the in#isi)!e$ (he sty!e of these #aio"s e!ements of a gaphic no#e!
can #ay fom c"!t"e to c"!t"e and text to text, howe#e the pincip!es )ehind them ae the
same 0McC!o"d1$
Accoding to the semiotician <oman &a,o)son, thee ae six possi)!e comm"nicati#e
f"nctions to expession$ /ach of these p!ays an impotant o!e in any one atist3s epesentation
of thei stoy$ (he emotive f"nction is most impotant to the atist themse!#es7 it is the intent of
the addesse in comm"nication$ Basica!!y, what ae they tying to say: Many gaphic no#e!s
ae simp!y te!!ing a stoy, )"t thee ae a!so many which ty to con#ey cetain emotions, and
attempt to teach moa!s, o ma,e eades awae of tagic e#ents$ (he too!s fo this inc!"de the
#aio"s "ses of !ine, )ac,go"nd, and contast$ *f the atist3s intent is to show ange, they may
inc!"de shap !ines, o f!ames in the )ac,go"nd of a patic"!a fame$ (he conative 0effect
message has on the a"dience1 f"nction is a!so c!ose!y tied to these too!s, as we!! as referential
f"nction, which is when a message is const"cted to con#ey infomation$
(he othe thee f"nctions, when they show "p, ha#e moe to do with the act"a! wods a
gaphic no#e! wi!! emp!oy athe than the at, wheeas the fist thee co"!d go eithe way$ Poetic
f"nction is any message de!i#eed poetica!!y$ Phatic is when a message is "sed to einfoce
socia! e!ations, "s"a!!y a pat of ha)it 0s"ch as a geeting1$ 6ina!!y, metalingual f"nction is a
message that efes to the code )eing "sed, whee a code is the system in which signs ae
ogani'ed, and detemines how those signs e!ate to one anothe and ae "sed in
comm"nication$
*n any ,ind of narrative 0stoy )eing to!d1, these six f"nctions he!p "s intepet the
meaning, whethe we ae conscio"s of them o not$ %owe#e in the gaphic no#e!, these
f"nctions )ecome immesed in the dawings, athe than in the wods desci)ing the scene$
+aphic no#e!s ha#e the oppot"nity, and a)i!ity, to ma,e "s see what we fee!$ No#e!s tend to
fo!!ow a #ey st"ct"ed system, wheeas structuralist 0the st"dy of the "s"a! st"ct"es in texts
and signs1 #iews can )e a!! )"t !ost in the gaphic no#e!$ *t is )eca"se of this, especia!!y in moe
ecent yeas, that so many epic gaphic no#e!s ha#e )een a)!e to gi#e "s a new pespecti#e on
the past, pesent and the f"t"e$
Accoding to 4a"! +a#ett3s )oo,, -+aphic No#e!s: Stoies to Change Yo" ;ife,. the
we) has a!so opened new doos fo comics$ We)comics ha#e )een a)!e to )anch o"t and
exp!oe -"ni="e a#en"es fo hype!in,s, !imited animation, and m"!tip!e paths tho"gh stoies.
0+a#ett1$ +aphic no#e!s, whethe on the we) o in hand, open "p a who!e wo!d of possi)i!ities
that eg"!a no#e!s can3t to"ch on, )eca"se whi!e a no#e! can at )est desci)e a peson3s
expessions and gest"es, we may not get the who!e pict"e$ With gaphic no#e!s, we see the
expessions, we see the mo#ements, and we ae a)!e to deciphe each e!ement on o" own,
de#e!oping o" own intepetations of the stoy$ %owe#e, when we come to the sp!it )etween
Ameican comics and &apanese manga, we can see that diffeent intepetations wi!! s"face,
accoding to the c"!t"e in which one was aised$
;ang"age, as a!eady mentioned, is a!so a h"ge diffeence ma,e )etween Ameican
comics and manga$ (his may seem #ey o)#io"s, howe#e it is impotant to ea!i'e that m"ch of
the eason c"!t"es ae so diffeent ae in the ways thei !ang"ages de#e!oped$ 6edinand de
Sa"ss"e once s"ggested that !ang"age, of a!! sign systems, was the most comp!ex$ %"mans
de#e!oped !ang"age fo comm"nication, and the diffeent ways o" c"!t"es comm"nicate
inf!"ence the way a comic stip wo"!d )e witten$ *n &apan, the !ang"age hea#i!y e#o!#es
ao"nd an hono system, whee yo" spea, a cetain way to someone yo" don3t ,now, which is
comp!ete!y diffeent fom someone who has a"thoity o#e yo", which is a!so diffeent fom
someone yo" ae c!ose fiends with$
-<eading. +aphic No#e!s
When yo" pic, "p a gaphic no#e! and )egin to ead it, yo"3e ta,ing pat in moe than
5"st eading the wod )a!!oons$ Yo" not on!y deciphe what it is the chaactes ae saying, )"t
yo" intepet thei mo#ements and )ody !ang"age a!ong with thei wods$ *n a no#e!, if the
a"tho wanted to con#ey that a peson was )eing sacastic, they wo"!d ha#e to desci)e the
tone of #oice in ode fo "s to "ndestand$ %owe#e in a gaphic no#e!, we co"!d easi!y discen
if someone was )eing sacastic simp!y )y the !oo, on thei face, o e#en the scipt in which the
wods wee witten$ +aphic no#e!s in#o!#e the !iteay code a!ong with at, which ma,es them
pat of the interconnectedness principle, which is when diffeent domains o#e!ap$ &"st )y
!oo,ing at a pane! in a comic, we can discen what a chaacte is fee!ing, )"t we a!so gain c!"es
fom what they say$
We a!so "se #aio"s !iteay too!s to deciphe meaning, inc!"ding the "se of metaphor$
Metaphos ae when one thing is e!ated to anothe something )y means of connecting them
somehow$ *n !iteay wo,s, this is "s"a!!y "sed in sayings !i,e -Angy as a !ion$. %owe#e in
gaphic no#e!s, metaphos can )e made #is"a!7 athe than someone )eing desci)ed as !ion8
!i,e in thei ange, an atist co"!d daw the chaacte with a mane, o shap teeth$ Simi!a to this
is the "se of metonymy, which is when e!ated o)5ects ae "sed to efe to one anothe$
Beca"se of the comic3s a)i!ity to show "s what3s going on, not 5"st te!! "s, it a!so
)ecomes easie to ecogni'e some of the subtexts in#o!#ed$ %idden meanings )ehind the text
can )e moe o)#io"s when -eading )etween the !ines. means !oo,ing at what the dawing is
depicting on the page$ *t is a!so #ey "sef"! to see how a text changes o#e time
0diachronically1$ Stoies ha#e a nat"a! e)) and f!ow, and in the gaphic no#e!, one wi!! )e a)!e
to !itea!!y see if a stoy is )ecoming da,e, o moe idic"!o"s as the pane!s go on )y the way
the !ines and shapes )egin to change$ A!so, the synchronic 0pesent1 meaning of the text is
#is"a!!y expessed$
(he diffeences )etween Ameican comics and &apanese comics ma,e the idea that
!ang"age, c"!t"e, and tho"ght ae )onded togethe seem #ey e#ident$ (his idea is ,nown as
the Whofian %ypothesis, named fo Ben5amin ;ee Whof$ (he diffeences in o" c"!t"es
sp"ned #ey diffeent means of expession and intepetation$ Matin +oodman3s atic!e in the
on!ine maga'ine -Animation Wo!d,. states ->1 Animation is a specific fom of comm"nication
ats that ?1 *s insepaa)!e fom the c"!t"e that pod"ces and cons"mes it. 0+oodman1$
Ameican Comics
Most peop!e, when they thin, of comic )oo,s, a"tomatica!!y pict"e the !i,es of
Superman, Batman, and Spiderman in thei minds$ Ameican comics ae a!most comp!ete!y
o#eshadowed )y the s"pe8heo gene$ (he pop"!aity of these comic )oo,s ha#e gi#en
inspiation in ecent yeas fo mo#ie ma,es to systematica!!y go tho"gh and cinemati'e many
of the most pop"!a Ameican s"pe heoes$ Most of o" stoies ae centeed ao"nd the s"pe
heo myths 0a stoy which attempts to exp!ain some pat of !ife tho"gh s"pe8h"man o god8!i,e
chaactes1 d"e to the nat"e of o" society$
Accoding to semiotician C!a"de ;e#i8Sta"ss, myth p!ays a ,ey o!e in naati#es, as
they showcase the #aio"s oppositions )"i!t into meanings$ (ypica! of s"pe8heo stoies is the
contast )etween good and e#i!, ight and wong, !ight and da,, etc$$ Sa"ss"e a!so pointed o"t
that signs on!y ha#e meaning in diffeentia! e!ation to othe signs$ %ow does one ,now what is
good, witho"t "ndestanding what is )ad: /specia!!y in ecent yeas the !ines )etween good
and e#i! in comic )oo,s )egin to )!", and sometimes may e#en o#e!ap, with a heo ha#ing to
do something -wong. in ode to ma,e something -ight$.
Ameicans ae a!ways sti#ing to do things )ette and faste$ (o do the -ight. things as
opposed to the wong$ We ae stong!y tied to o" )e!iefs in feedom, and when we come acoss
something that attempts to do wong, o ta,e away that feedom, thee is a need fo a heo to
emege$ Many of the s"pe8heo stoies ha#e ta,en da,e t"ns o#e the yeas, and p"shed the
en#e!ope of 5"st how fa one wi!! go to do what is -ight$. Many Ameican comics ha#e ta,en a
#ey post-modern #iewpoint, which is the )e!ief that the hee and now is a!! that mattes$ (his
#iew is e#ident in comics which feat"e the -anti8heo$. (his type of chaacte typica!!y wi!! act in
a way that is )est fo them7 if they fee! it is in thei inteest to sa#e a !ife, they wi!! do so, howe#e
they can wa!, a #ey da, !ine as we!!$
*n -(he @"est fo Meaning. )y Mace! Aanesi, he wites that -!ines, points, and shapes
ae the )asic #is"a! signifies that we "se to assem)!e #is"a! texts$ Othe #is"a! signifies
inc!"de #a!"e, co!o, and text"e. 0Aanesi1$ Ameican comics ae chaactei'ed )y stong,
defined !ines, and #i#id co!os, with a wide ange in #a!"es$ By "sing these ,ey e!ements of
#is"a! text, Ameican comics ae a)!e to con#ey a wide ange of !oo,s and fee!s, fom the
a!eady mentioned s"pe heo gene, f"!! of !o"d co!os, and sometimes da, #a!"es, to the
moa!istic and comica! genes, with softe co!os and simp!e !ines$
%owe#e, it is sti!! impotant to note that comics in genea! ae sti!! !oo,ed at as a yo"ng
)oy3s eading in Ameican standads, not something fo ad"!t minds$ Whi!e in moe ecent
yeas, many hea#ie stoies aimed at a moe mat"e a"dience ha#e s"faced, the #ast ma5oity
of the Ameican comic )oo, ma,et is teenage )oys$ (his is dastica!!y diffeent fom &apan,
whee manga is pop"!a with a!most any age go"p fo )oth gendes$
%ow is &apan Aiffeent:
As a!eady mentioned, &apanese chi!den ae exposed to what Ameicans thin, of as
-ad"!t. concepts at a m"ch yo"nge age than Ameicans ae "sed to$ B!ood and goe, sweaing,
death, dest"ction, and many othe hea#y concepts ae not shie!ded fom yo"ng minds as it is in
o" c"!t"e$ Beca"se of this, manga and anime has a #ey, #ey wide ange of s")5ect matte,
fom the afoe mentioned -hea#y. concepts, to -)"))!e8g"m. stoies, and e#eywhee in
)etween$ B"t whi!e diffeences in &apan3s s")5ect ange ae impotant, the t"e diffeences
)etween Ameican comics and manga !ie in the codes in which they ae witten, which ae
c"!t"a!!y diffeent$
*n &apan, thee is an entie!y diffeent code of espect and hono$ M"ch of this is
ef!ected in the &apanese !ang"age in its #aiety of what is ca!!ed -honoifics,. which is p!aced at
the end of one3s name, and depends on the e!ationship of the peson who is efeing to them$
A peson who is ta!,ing to an ac="aintance, o a s"peio 0someone not a c!ose fiend1, they
wo"!d "se -8san. when spea,ing a)o"t them$ Yo"nge peop!e when spea,ing to c!ose fiends
wo"!d "se -8chan,. and so on$ *n Ameica these espect !ines ae )!"ed$ Whi!e we do ha#e the
common -M$, Ms$, etc$. tit!es, they ae o" on!y honoifics, and thee is no #aiety fo cetain
cases$ Ameicans ha#e gotten "sed to a fami!ia socia! system whee espect is not tho"ght of
a"tomatica!!y$ Whi!e the honoifics ae p"e!y a !ang"age code diffeence, thee ae othe codes
which &apan and Ameica diffe on dastica!!y$
Michea! Mos!ey3s -A Semiotic Ana!ysis of Anime. says:
-A eading of sign systems is ogani'ed )y ecogni'ing that signification, o the
e!ationship )etween signifie and signified, occ"s a!ong two axes of meaning7
paadigmatic and syntagmatic$ At a paradigmatic !e#e!, one m"st conside the
metaphoic imp!ication of the entie set of signs fom which the one "sed is chosen$ At
the syntagmatic, the message into which the chosen signs ae com)ined is s")5ect to
examination$ (he cy)enetic wo!d of Anime )ings foth a con#o!"ted moass of semiotic
epesentations$ Signifies and signifieds disconnect and econnect7 sim"!taneo"s!y
e5ecting and s"ppoting dominant ideo!ogy. 0Mos!ey1$
&apanese anime and manga tends to conf"se the Ameican eade d"e to the sometimes 'any
antics of the chaactes in the stoy$ One m"st ,eep the context in mind$ A context is the
en#ionment 0)oth physica! and socia!1 in which signs ae pod"ced and intepeted$ (heefoe,
we cannot simp!y wite off a sign o gest"e which we don3t ecogni'e witho"t disco#eing the
c"!t"a! meaning )ehind it$
(he Meanings in Manga and Anime
As in any ,ind of #is"a! stoyte!!ing, )oth Ameican and &apanese comics ha#e a cetain
sty!e they adhee to$ Some of these sty!es can o#e!ap acoss the c"!t"es, )y inf!"ence
0intertextually1 o coincidence$ %owe#e m"ch of the manga sty!e itse!f is the ,ey feat"es that
ma,e it so diffeent fom othe #is"a! epesentations$ /motions ae expessed diffeent!y$ ;ine
and )ac,go"nd has a diffeent fee!$ 6acia! expessions ae diffeent$ /#en the "se of scenic
pane!s #es"s chaacte pane!s is diffeent$ *n Caey +o!d)eg of the Boston +!o)e3s atic!e, -(o
"se a camea ana!ogy, Bthe Ameicans ae moe 'oom and the /ast Asians ae moe
panoamic,3 said A$ Aenise 4a, of the Cente fo Bain %ea!th at the Uni#esity of (exas in
Aa!!as$ B(he /astene po)a)!y sees moe, and the Westene po)a)!y sees !ess, )"t in
moe detai!3. 0+o!d)eg1$ Mac %aiston3s essay in the )oo, -Mechademia. pic,s a pefect
examp!e of this "se of scenic pane!s #es"s dia!og"e hea#y pane!8)y8pane! stoyte!!ing$ %e
desci)es the -mono no aware 0Bsensiti#ity to things31, the c!assic &apanese aesthetic sense
of me!ancho!y and an acceptance of )ea"ty inheent in the impemanence of things.
0;"nning, ?CD1$
A contay instance of this is pointed o"t in Nei! Cohn3s /ssay, -Coss8c"!t"e
Space$. %e points o"t o)se#ations that had )een made )etween Ameican and &apanese
chi!den3s dawings$ (he o)se#ations made wee that &apanese chi!den tend to daw moe
-'oomed in. pict"es than othe #iewpoints$ %e states -+i#en that )oth Ameican and
&apanese chi!den ae exposed to the same #is"a! c"!t"e in #ideo games and te!e#ision, she
atti)"tes these diffeences to the pe#asi#e o!e that manga p!ays in &apanese c"!t"e in
compaison to Ameican chi!den3s eadings of comic )oo,s. 0Cohn1
%owe#e, Cohn3s we)site points o"t that this tendency to -'oom in. on e!ements of a
scene doesn3t necessai!y mean that they aen3t foc"sing on the who!e$ *t is possi)!e that the
&apanese tendency is to ecogni'e the who!e )y foc"sing on the pats$ By ana!y'ing each of the
e!ements of a scene, a panoamic #iew can )e ta,en$
6acia! /xpessions
When it comes to physica! c"es fom h"man to h"man, we ecogni'e what ae ca!!ed
gestures, o epesentation )y the hands and ams 0sometimes head1, that indicate cetain
fee!ings o emotions$ A!so, a gesticulant is any mo#ement of the hands that comes nat"a!!y
d"ing speech$ A th"m)s "p o th"m)s down to when te!!ing that something is good o )ad is an
examp!e$ (hese gest"es and gestic"!ants tie in hea#i!y to !ang"age "se, and a!so eaffim the
hono code in &apan, whee )owing to one3s s"peios is consideed high!y impotant$
Sometimes e#en a s")t!e )ow of the head whi!e ta!,ing to someone who has a"thoity o#e
someone e!se is often seen$
*n &apan, the gest"es and facia! expessions "sed wo"!d catch most Ameican eades
off8g"ad$ (a,e the fo!!owing pict"e fo examp!e:
Picture from http://www.emaki.net/essays/apanese!vl.pdf
Some of these expessions Ameicans wo"!d sti!! ecogni'e, s"ch as Ange, o <e!ief 0a!)eit
they may not )e fami!ia with the p"ff of ai coming fom the mo"th, most Ameicans wo"!d
ecogni'e this as a #is"a! epesentation of the )eath one "s"a!!y exha!es when e!ie#ed1$
%owe#e many wo"!d not "ndestand the nose)!eed fo ;"st, o the dop!et fo shoc,, o the
othe signs hee$ (he c"!t"a! diffeences hee ae p!ain$ Ameicans aen3t fami!ia with the o!d
wi#es ta!e that if a )oy staes at a )ea"tif"! woman fo too !ong, that thei nose wi!! )!eed$ (his is
a pefect examp!e of a diffeence of context$ Since Ameicans ae not in the same context that
the &apanese ae, many of these "s"a! foms of expession f!y ight past "s as odd o aw,wad$
%owe#e if a &apanese peson wee to see a )oy with haiy pa!ms in an Ameican comic, the
opposite wo"!d happen$ A!most e#ey Ameican "ndestands what s"ch a depiction imp!ies, )"t
o"t of context, someone fom anothe c"!t"e wo"!d not "ndestand at a!!$
Body in 0/1motion
Aamatic physica! eactions to cetain phenomena ae common in manga and anime$
(hese h"ge!y exaggeated eactions ae "s"a!!y !in,ed to some emotion, and, !i,e the facia!
expessions, ae dastica!!y diffeent fom what Ameicans ae fami!ia with$ +em!in3s Wo!d 0a
we)site1 has a wondef"! atic!e on many of these eactions, inc!"ding the nose)!eed mentioned
)efoe$ Othe common physica! eactions inc!"de fa!!ing down on the go"nd, which "s"a!!y is a
eaction to anothe chaacte acting st"pid!y o an antic!imactic occ"ence$ A!so, a #ey
common physica! eaction depicted a)o#e is the s"pe8defomation of a chaacte, whethe of
thei entie )ody, o pats 0"s"a!!y the head1$ S"pe defomed sty!e is often #ey simp!istic 0!oss
of defined finges, nose, and "s"a!!y #ey simp!e eyes1 and seen as -c"te,. and "s"a!!y indicates
an innocence, o !ac, of seio"sness$ Sometimes chaacte3s faces wi!! )ecome s"pe defomed
when exteme emotions ae )eing fe!t, and not 5"st innocent ones$ Often times when a chaacte
fee!s exteme ange, thei head wi!! )e dawn h"ge!y with most of thei face )ecoming a wide
mo"th with shap teeth as they ye!! at whate#e it is "psetting them$
Many of these physica! eactions ae seen as "tte!y idic"!o"s to Ameicans, and may
see them as o"t of p!ace in da,e stoies, howe#e it is simp!y anothe examp!e of c"!t"a! and
context"a! diffeences$
Conc!"sion
We ha#e seen many of the diffeences )etween comics and manga, howe#e thee ae
sti!! many not mentioned$ (he on!y ea! way to see them is to pic, "p a copy of each type and
see fo onese!f$ (he st"dy of #is"a! texts is sti!! e!ati#e!y new, intod"ced to semiotic theoy in
the ea!y EF3s )y <"do!f Anheim and &ohn Bege$ (hei )oo,s intod"ced the idea that #is"a!
epesentation p!ays a c"cia! o!e in h"man "ndestanding$ %owe#e we cannot foget that
gaphic no#e!s ae sti!! te!!ing a stoy$ Aespite the c"!t"a! diffeences )etween the at and
means of comm"nication, many of the stoies )eing witten ae simi!a to one anothe$ (he idea
that stoies coss8c"!t"a!!y diffe on!y in detai! is ca!!ed -naato!ogy,. coined )y ('#etan
(odoo# and fist concept"a!i'ed )y A!gidas +eimas$
(ho"gh the diffeences )etween comics and manga, we can sti!! see that the naati#e
code is sti!! in effect fo )oth sty!es$ And it is impotant to ea!i'e that thee ae many, many
othe c"!t"es who ha#e thei own gaphic no#e!s that adhee to thei own c"!t"a! codes$
;ang"age )aies notwithstanding, since a!! these gaphic no#e!s wi!! sti!! fo!!ow the )asic
naati#e code, anyone co"!d !oo, at a comic stip and detemine some fee! fo what was going
on, e#en if they can3t "ndestand what is )eing said$ A t"!y exce!!ent e!ation of emotions in
comics e="ies no !ines to ead, )"t a #is"a! intepetation of signs to con#ey the meaning$
Bi)!iogaphy
>$ Caie , Aa#id 8 -(he Aesthetics of Comics. 8 ?FFF
?$ Aanesi, Mace! 8 -(he @"est fo Meaning: A g"ide to semiotic theoy and pactice. 8
?FFE
G$ +a#ett, 4a"! 8 -+aphic No#e!s: Stoies to Change Yo" ;ife. 8 ?FFC
4$ ;"nning, 6enchy, ed$ 8 -Mechademia, Ho!$ G: ;imits of the %"man. 8 ?FFI
C$ McC!o"d, Scott 8 -Undestanding Comics: (he *n#isi)!e At. 8 >JJG
We) So"ces
>$ Cohn, Nei! 8 -&apanese His"a! ;ang"age: (he St"ct"e of Manga. K /ma,i$net
http:22www$ema,i$net2essays25apaneseL#!$pdf
?$ Cohn, Nei! 8 -Coss8C"!t"a! SpaceM. K /ma,i$net
http:22www$ema,i$net2essays2spatia!$pdf
G$ +o!d)eg, Caey 8 -C"!t"a! *nsights. K (he Boston +!o)e
http:22www$)oston$com2news2science2atic!es2?FFI2FG2FG2c"!t"a!Linsights2
4$ +oodman, Matin 8 -Aeconst"ction None >M. K Animation Wo!d Maga'ine
http:22mag$awn$com2index$php:
!typeOacmagPcategoy?OPatic!eLnoO?FFCPpageO>
C$ -+em!in. 8 -*s that a nose)!eedM. K +em!in3s Wo!d
http:22'agee,$wodpess$com2?FFI2F?2??2is8that8a8nose)!eed8o8ae8yo"85"st8
happy8to8see8me2
D$ ;ima, <afae! 8 -%istoy of Comic Boo,s. K (he Comic Boo, %ome 4age
http:22www$geocities$com2soho2CCGE2hist$htm
E$ Mos!ey, Michea! 8 -A Semiotic Ana!ysis of Anime. K Michea! Mos!ey
http:22www$coneedange!$com2amwess2papes2semioticLanime$htm!