Your Favorite Manga Visual Gags, Explained! – Sweat Drops, Sprouting Animal Ears, Growing Mushrooms on One’s Head

Western comics have their own classic jokes and symbols that we can understand without even thinking about them: a lightbulb above the head representing a good idea, swear words replaced by nonsense symbols, eyes popping out of their sockets from surprise, etc. But Japanese comics have an entirely different set of visual gags based in a language and culture completely unfamiliar to us. Even if you’ve learned what many of them mean over time through exposure alone, have you ever wondered what exactly a sweat drop is supposed to be or why sad characters grow mushrooms on their heads?

Today, we’re starting a series that explores the cultural significance behind the most common visual gags in manga. We’ll also go over a few of the best and most influential examples of these jokes in action. Come join us on a wild ride of Japanese humor through pictures!

This article was written for Honey’s Anime, so please read it on their site.