Anime and Manga Stack Exchange
Anime and Manga Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [tropes]

A recurring element across anime, manga or works in other media. Tropes cover clichés, genre conventions and other recurring plot points, character types, narration styles, …

A trope, in the general sense used here, is a feature that is found in many creative works (anime, manga, or any other media), for example a plot point, a character type, a setting, a narration style, etc. It is expected that at least some readers or viewers will recognize the trope. Some tropes have a well-identified source that other works have imitated, departed from or alluded to; others are so old that their origin has long been lost.

The website TV Tropes collects tropes (in all media, including anime and manga, despite the name). If you're looking for a list of works using a certain trope, TV Tropes is the place to look. You'll also find lists of tropes seen in a particular work.

284 questions
110
votes
10 answers

Why are the protagonists generally seated by the window?

I've noticed that in some anime the protagonist is seated by the window in the classroom. More specifically, the protagonist is generally on the second seat from the back (or sometimes on the very last seat). I don't know if this happens in every…
JNat
  • 17,772
  • 30
  • 101
  • 180
82
votes
9 answers

What is the purpose of characters shouting out the name of their attack?

It seems to me that in a lot of anime (Naruto, Dragon Ball, Gurren Lagann, and Digimon are four that come to mind), characters or creatures who perform an attack tend to shout its name, almost as if necessary to perform such an attack. This seems…
Cattua
  • 29,397
  • 28
  • 131
  • 219
74
votes
8 answers

Does the "bloody nose" trope necessarily imply a sexual situation?

If you've seen much anime, you're familiar with the male character getting a bloody nose when he gets sexually excited. For example: Master Roshi (Dragon Ball) and Umino Iruka (Naruto) However, when I mentioned this to a Japanese person (someone…
Beska
  • 1,893
  • 2
  • 18
  • 20
55
votes
2 answers

Why do anime/manga characters have big eyes?

Going as far back as Astroboy, anime and manga characters have had big eyes. What is basis of this trend? How and where did this originate?
кяαzєя
  • 41,910
  • 21
  • 140
  • 255
44
votes
3 answers

Why is "I won't forgive you" a commonly used threat?

In a number of shows, "I won't forgive you" or some variation is used as a threat. Rukia uses it when she is trying to keep Ichigo to follow her into the Soul Society, saying, "If you follow me, I will never forgive you." It is used similarly in…
kuwaly
  • 23,601
  • 40
  • 124
  • 231
43
votes
2 answers

What is the purpose served by cicadas in anime?

Why do so many anime (e.g. Code Geass, Steins; Gate, Ano Hana) have cicadas in the background?
okarin
  • 613
  • 3
  • 8
  • 14
42
votes
3 answers

Why are tentacles prevalent in anime?

What is the reason/motivation for the prevalence of tentacles (possibly NSFW Wikipedia link) in anime (esp. hentai)? Did the anime subculture lead to it or does it stem from various aspects (possibly obscure) of Japanese art/culture?
user277
39
votes
6 answers

Why do many characters tend to have crazy hair colors and styles?

It's fairly common that anime characters tend to have "wilder" hair than most people we see in real life. This can be seen as far back as Neon Genesis Evangelion (though somewhat mild) from the 90s (though some older anime, like Akira, do not have…
Cattua
  • 29,397
  • 28
  • 131
  • 219
36
votes
2 answers

How did the sweatdrop originate?

I can kind of handwave or fanwank the origin of things like the exasperated faceplant or the vein popping out when a character is comedic-angry, and even the trope of Japanese flag fans coming out when people want to cheer on their comrades, but how…
user74
32
votes
3 answers

How did the lolicon genre begin in anime/manga?

I have always wondered how the Japanese got the idea of making animated productions including underage girls and the obsession with them. When did it start? Did the idea originate in Japan? Was it welcomed by the actual anime public?
Washu
  • 2,197
  • 8
  • 29
  • 52
30
votes
1 answer

Why do characters often pull down one eyelid and stick out their tongue?

I see characters making this motion frequently in anime. They pull one (or sometimes both) eyelid down, and stick out their tongue. What does that mean? Where does the gesture originate and what's the history behind it?
Danalog
  • 3,773
  • 7
  • 35
  • 54
27
votes
4 answers

Why do guys in anime often lack nipples?

This is an image of the guys from Free!: And this is from Noragami: As shown in the images, guys in anime often lack nipples. This could be explained by vague Japanese copyright laws, but other anime occasionally show guys with nipples. Why do…
Lokkij
  • 381
  • 1
  • 3
  • 8
26
votes
2 answers

What's the significance of revealing a character's blood type?

A lot of Anime shows will reveal the blood type of one or more of the main characters: What's the significance of it? What purpose does it serve? Where did it come from?
Mysticial
  • 7,398
  • 10
  • 46
  • 75
26
votes
2 answers

What is the origin of this facial expression with one's tongue sticking out?

I've seen this expression probably a dozen times in anime and manga. There are many variants, but they all have the character's tongue sticking up out of the side of their mouth. Their eyes are also typically big and sometimes in the shape of a…
Logan M
  • 28,313
  • 27
  • 141
  • 225
25
votes
4 answers

What are the squinting faces (>_<, >o<, >△<, etc.) called?

The squinting face that anime characters make can express a range of expressions. Here are two examples: From this alone we might be inclined to call it the "cute crying face." However, consider the next picture: The character (Rokka from Shoujou…
Hydromast
  • 5,664
  • 9
  • 37
  • 65
1
2 3
…
18 19