Ask John: Is There a Guide to Anime Visual Gags?

Question:
Is there a reference out there for certain visual manga and anime drawing conventions and what they mean? I’m thinking of things like when a character goes “chibi,” shadowing on the forehead so that you can’t see a character’s eyes, veins popping on the temple, tiny ghosts appearing from a character’s mouth, etc. Another scene that I got confused about is when Alex Louis Armstrong in Full Metal Alchemist has that field of stars appear while he is flexing. Is that a “yaoi” thing?

Answer:
I’m personally not familiar with any sort of visual glossary for common manga or anime visual cues. Many of these frequently used conventions can be fairly easily understood through context. For example, anime characters often suddenly appear super deformed when they’re surprised or flustered, or in order to momentarily emphasize their cuteness. A character’s eyes being hidden in shadows may mean that the character has dropped his or her head so that their hair casts a shadow over their eyes. A character may drop his head in embarrassment or disbelief, or may have shadowed eyes as a visual cue that the character is plotting some evil. Veins protruding are a sign of boiling anger or frustration. A “ghost” appearing from a character’s mouth, or a character’s spirit leaving the body signifies literally, “giving up the ghost,” or catatonic shock or defeated resignation.

Armstrong’s “twinkle” is a similar visual gag that is explained by context. The gag isn’t a homosexual reference. Alex Louis Armstrong’s physique is so exquisite and so perfectly chiseled that it literally gleams like a precious diamond. The joke is, of course, that other characters can literally see the twinkle from Armstrong’s perfectly toned body and his literally shining personality.