Ask John: What is With Characters Foaming at the Mouth?

Question:
In several manga when a character is knocked unconscious often due to fright or shock they are shown later foaming at the mouth. One example is in the One Piece manga when other characters are knocked out by the ability Haki. I was wondering why they do this, is this a cultural belief or something I’m unaware of. Also why is it edited out of anime adaptions.

Answer:
This is an intriguing question which I don’t, honestly, have an entirely good answer for. I can present my personal theories, but I’m not sure if my own interpretation is correct. So, for what little it may be worth, my primary assumption has long been that anime and manga characters foaming at the mouth after a sudden massive surprise or shock that knocks the character unconscious is a visual representation of the character’s inner turmoil literally bubbling to the surface and overflowing. The character can’t interpret and absorb the magnitude of a sudden surprise or emotional shock and reels. The surprise is so unexpected and powerful that it’s both causes the character to lose consciousness and some degree of natural physical composure. The surprise literally “churns up” the person’s insides, causing an overflow of reaction and emotion that manifests as bubbling drool.

The manifestation of a psychological reaction in the form of a foamy mouth may possibly very loosely originate in the contemporary Japanese idea of the “wet personality.” Japanese people with a great deal of empathy are sometimes described as having a “wet” personality while standoffish, chilly, or unsociable attitudes are said to have a “dry” personality. More empathetic characters, those more susceptible to the influence of others, may have a “wet” personality and may be more apt to have that wet personality literally bubble up and overflow when struck by another personality or influence too overpowering to absorb and comprehend.

While Japan’s social tact may sometimes seem odd to Americans (doubtlessly many American conventions of political correctness seem pointless or strange to Japanese people), these social conventions are accepted and natural to Japanese citizens. Consideration over not offending or drawing attention to the mentally or physically handicapped is given special priority in Japan. International otaku may recall that only recently manga artist Yukito Kishiro threatened to suspend his Gunnm manga because publisher Shueisha sought to censor dialogue references in the early volumes of the work that referred to or suggested negativity tied to mental illness. Foaming at the mouth does occasionally appear in anime, but the concept itself immediately summons associations with rabid animals and mental handicap. In order to downplay and avoid that stereotype, anime adaptations may sometimes decide to not include depictions of stunned or unconscious characters with foam bubbling forth from their mouths.