Visual Characteristics and Facial Expressions(Anime Characteristics)
Genres
- Anime characters are shown with many moods, emotions and expressions. Basic facial positions include front and side view, along with moderate high and low angles are seen as well as close-ups. Eyes are a prominent feature of anime with an amplified eye shape and large, irises. Expressions are formed in conjunction with the eye lid and eyebrow. Minimal details of facial features and clothing such as a nose or an unadorned dress are all familiar aspects of anime.
Anime uses lip-synching for character simplicity. When closed, anime mouths are a simple shaped line and lips are represented with shading. Other common techniques are created with a simple curve of the tongue and open mouth, a stretched and contorted mouth to convey trauma or anxiety; speed lines will be noticeable to express yelling.
A visibly distressed or startled anime character will have one sizeable sweat-drop at the side of his head. Additionally, an enraged anime character will exhibit a bulging effect on his forehead like a popping vein.
Levesque, Dawn R. "Common Characteristics of Anime." EHow. Demand Media, 08 Feb. 2010. Web. 30 Apr. 2014.
- The use of solid color shading, called “cel shading,” is a common characteristic of Anime. Forms and surfaces such as metal, hair and skin are textured with high contrast. This stylized shading creates a distinction between shadows and highlights on characters with the use of solid blocks of color. These are usually created in layers with a darker tone for shading or silhouettes and a lighter tone for emphasis or highlighting.
Readers are able to experience speed in anime. Artists regularly pen diagonal strokes in black ink to suggest swiftness or velocity. Backgrounds are highly detailed and moody to fit the scene whereas most other details are kept at a minimum.
- Certain thematic elements are frequently viewed in Anime such as death (as seen in the Death Note series), defiance, coming-of-age issues, violence and war and its effects (as seen in the Gundam series), gender identity, and attraction and love.
Genres
- Anime presents a varied genre with universal attributes. Animations are classified as adventure like Full Metal Alchemist; science fiction and historical as in the movie, Like the Clouds, Like the Wind; romance and fantasy such as Code Geass or Inuyasha; and action, occult and horror such as D. Gray-Man or Devil May Cry. These genres are commonly interwoven in their theme.
Anime story lines are grouped and targeted for specific audiences. Shonen anime refers to a male audience while shojo anime is aimed for young females.
Manga Characteristics - Face
- The face is the first characteristic you notice on a Magna character. With oversized eyes, an almond-shaped face, and a very small mouth, the face stands out over the rest of the body. With the rapid switch from distance to close-up shots, the face is key to drawing you into the character and keeping you in the emotion of the story.
- A Manga character's hair is a key characteristic, and therefore needs to be elaborate and eye-catching. It is not uncommon for the character's hair to be long with many lines and of an abnormal color. This is the look of traditional Japanese Manga characters and creates a visual dynamism that separates these characters from mainstream animation that comes out of the United States.
- Clothing and Accessories
- The way a Magna character dresses and accessorizes represent who and what they are. For example, if the character is of a spiritual nature, then they might wear a cloak or a piece of cloth that floats to represent the spiritual plane. This represents who they are. For Magna warrior characters, accessories are what define the character. Swords, spears and other weapons represent what they are. These details are important and should not be ignored.
- Magna characters are known for their over exaggerated emotions. When a cartoon character cries, visible tears fall from their face, but when a Magna character cries, it rains down in buckets. Eyes reduce in size, and the mouth either reduces in pain or expands if the character cries out. The same can be said for anger. Manga evokes intense color in the face and steam coming off the body. Magna characters become consumed by emotion.
Young, Melissa. "What Are the Characteristics of the Manga Style?" EHow. Demand Media, 09 July 2011. Web. 01 May 2014. - The way a Magna character dresses and accessorizes represent who and what they are. For example, if the character is of a spiritual nature, then they might wear a cloak or a piece of cloth that floats to represent the spiritual plane. This represents who they are. For Magna warrior characters, accessories are what define the character. Swords, spears and other weapons represent what they are. These details are important and should not be ignored.
- The face is the first characteristic you notice on a Magna character. With oversized eyes, an almond-shaped face, and a very small mouth, the face stands out over the rest of the body. With the rapid switch from distance to close-up shots, the face is key to drawing you into the character and keeping you in the emotion of the story.