Colors such as bright red are used for anger. Wavy lines show irritation or upset emotions. Fast animations or twirling spirals show how quickly the character’s mind is working, much like gears in a clock. Sometimes these backgrounds are animated to further show what the characters are thinking or feeling. Most of the time, they are easily understandable. Speed lines are used to show the character’s energetic mood. Swirls are used when a character is confused or overwhelmed. Often the background is composed of symbols from our list above.

This swap is used to emphasize what the character is feeling. Sometimes in scenes the background abruptly switches to an abstract background. They are simply a good way to convey motion in a motionless media. In modern anime, where action is expected to be crisply animated, speed lines are used for comedic effect or to accent an intense action sequence.Speed lines are common in American comics as well. Speed lines are used to keep the feel of reading a manga or simply keep the animation budget down. Speed lines are more common in older anime than in modern anime. Speed lines are lines that appear in the background or over a character to denote speed. Action and drama occasionally use these symbols for comic relief, for example Bleach or Death Note. Some genres, such as comedies and “slice of life” stories, show them more often than others. These and other symbols appear in various degrees in anime and manga. We will cover the most common and incomprehensible symbols in this article. Some symbols are easier to understand than others.

I found my first experience with chibi swaps jarring and uncomfortable. These symbols (like the vein popping out, as shown to the left) can make anime confusing for people new to anime. Many of us “regular” anime watchers are so familiar with these symbols that we don’t give them a second thought. Anime and manga have a unique visual language that conveys character emotions and thoughts.

Anime eye colors