From: jyang@panix.com (Jeff Yang)
Subject: Re: Rumiko Takahashi's expressions...
Organization: PANIX Public Access Unix, NYC
Date: Wed, 27 Jan 1993 05:38:03 GMT

In <1k48a1INNs6q@geraldo.cc.utexas.edu> chunger@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (Chung-Mau Cheng) writes:

>One more to add to the list:

>10) In the manga, whenever someone says something shocking, sometimes
>the another character will temporarily turn into stone. :)

>Later,
>The Chunger :)
Subject: Re: Rumiko Takahashi's expressions...
In <zfh3c6m@rpi.edu> tsait@rebecca.its.rpi.edu (Theodore Leonard Tsai) writes:

>After watching and looking at the Ranma 1/2 anime and manga, I'm trying to 
>compile a list of typical responses/expressions that Rumiko Takahashi
>uses to express certain things.  For instance:

>1) Middle and ring fingers flexed; thumb, pinky, and index fingers extended
>   means character is surprised/shocked/has just been hit over the head.

>2) Character is leaning on a long staff.  Character is exhausted.

>Anyone else care to add to this, or is it a stupid idea?

Great idea, Ted--for all of us diehard takahashi fans, and for all
neophytes out there... here are a few more (also from the manga and anime,
but mostly the former, since the latter would require some scanning
through...these are also mostly based on Ranma rather than Lum or the
Rumic World books, because it's in Ranma that Takahashi has developed her
metaphors to their fullest so far):

3) Character has microphone with in hand, with a wire that seemingly leads
nowhere. Character is making poignant, passionate, or otherwise deeply
heartfelt statement to the world at large--or the character is doing a
Howard Cosell, narrating ongoing events...

4) Character's face turns into a set of incomprehensible katakana symbols
(replacing eyes, nose, mouth). Character has just eaten something truly
awful--excrement, perhaps, or Akane's cooking. Also see: Character
slapping self on head rapidly, Character's face turns black

5) Character races down the panel, destroying a nearby wall with clenched,
rapidly waving fists. Character is extremely excited, to the point of
distraction. This is generally Ryouga, who is the only Ranmaworld denizen
who generally has enough strength to turn inanimate objects into rubble,
but Ranma has done it at least once.

6) IMPORTANT: NOT A TAKAHASHI EXCLUSIVE...Character's nose bleeds.
Character (male) is sexually excited. I don't understand this one, but it
seems to be a culture thing.

7) Character has what appears to be a badly tied babushka/bandanna knotted
under his/her nose and around the back of his/her head. Character is
performing some sort of illicit act--this dopey "disguise" is apparently
what sneak thieves wear in Japan, kind of like masked rustlers in the
American Wild West.

8) Character seems to be slipping through a black void with shattered
mirror-pieces falling in the background. Character is realizing some
situation and despairing of resolving it.

Many more to be identified, I'm sure...
> > 7) Having one of the celebration things (you know, they're round and have
> > some kanji written in them) pop open and streamers and confetti flow out

>That's not Takahashi-ish either. It's done a lot at celebrations of all
>sorts in Japan. (another example of this is Assemble Insert, and any
>number of "fun" anime)

why "fun" in quotes, mike?

> > 9) A wave of water rises up behind a character when they've decided to
> > embark on some great quest.

And..here are a few more (also from the manga and anime,
but mostly the former, since the latter would require some scanning
through...these are also mostly based on Ranma rather than Lum or the
Rumic World books, because it's in Ranma that Takahashi has developed her
visual metaphors to their fullest so far...):

10) Character's face turns into a set of incomprehensible katakana symbols
(replacing eyes, nose, mouth). Character has just eaten something truly
awful--feces, maybe, or Akane's cooking. Also see: Character
slapping self on head rapidly, Character's face turns black (i guess this
and the following are all mostly manga...)

11) Character races down the panel, destroying a nearby wall with clenched,
rapidly waving fists. Character is extremely excited, to the point of
distraction. This is generally Ryouga, who seems to be the only Ranmaworld
denizen who generally has enough strength to turn inanimate objects into
rubble, but Ranma has done it at least once.

12) IMPORTANT: NOT A TAKAHASHI EXCLUSIVE...Character's nose bleeds.
Character (male) is sexually excited. I don't understand this one, but it
seems to be a culture thing.

13) Character has what appears to be a badly tied babushka/bandanna knotted
under his/her nose and around the back of his/her head. Character is
performing some sort of illicit act--this dopey "disguise" is apparently
what sneak thieves wear in Japan, kind of like masked rustlers in the
American Wild West.

14) Character seems to be slipping through a black void with shattered
mirror-pieces falling in the background. Character is realizing some
situation and despairing of resolving it.

15) Character's face crunches down into a sort of weird troll-like
grimace, eyes become giant pointy ovoids. Character is incredibly pissed
off at something that another character has done or said.

16) Character's eyes turn into big Bambi-peepers that are mostly pupil, with
super-long eyelashes--character is trying to avoid getting punched out by
being really "kawaii".

Many more to be identified, I'm sure...