International Journal of Communication 14(2020), Book Review 3502–3504

1932–8036/2020BKR0009

Elena Giannoulis and Lukas R. A. Wilde (Eds.), Emoticons, Kaomoji, and Emoji: The Transformationof Communication in the Digital Age, New York, NY: Routledge, 2020, 263 pp., $116.83 (hardcover).
Reviewed byZiBi Huang
Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China

Approximately 90% of people seem to use emoji, emoticons, andkaomoji in their online communication (Thompson, 2016). Although weuse them frequently in social media, we barely think about how theychange our daily life. Moreover, these small and colorful pictograms andideograms are not only a part of digital communication but also haveconsiderable

impactonpolitics,economy,andevenliterature.

Surprisingly, few academic studies have paid attention to them. Thus,
Emoticons,Kaomoji,andEmoji:

The

TransformationofCommunication in the Digital Age, edited by Elena Giannoulis andLukas R. A. Wilde, is the first interdisciplinary and transcultural attempt
to comprehend their increasing role in the digital age. Within the broad perspective of mediation theory, thebook investigates the discourse on emoticon, kaomoji, and emoji from five aspects: intercultural mediation(Part I), social mediation (Part II), linguistic mediation (Part III), pictorial mediation (Part IV), andtechnological-material mediation (Part V).
This collection features a detailed introduction and 11 contributions. Chapter 1, by Elena Giannoulis
and Lukas R. A. Wilde, differentiate among emoticons, kaomoji, and emoji and outline their history,development, and general functions. They then explain the mediation theory guiding the whole book.
Part I (chapters 2–4) explores to what extent digital pictograms and ideograms can overcome
linguistic and cultural barriers. Chapter 2, by Jonathan E. Abel, questions the utopian ideal of emoji as a“universal” form of expression from a sociohistorical perspective. Relating contemporary emoji to theprehistory of photographic scripts and to their immediate technical history, he expresses criticism toward
the universality of emoji because they are strongly embedded in cultural conditions. He then highlights thatthe revolution of emoji relies on their “pervasiveness across several platforms in a short period” (p. 38).
Chapter 3, by Alisa Freedman, argues that using emoji with Japanese origin may require understanding ofJapanese culture or may trigger secondary local meanings and even misunderstandings of Japanese culture.
After applying the concept of “cultural literacy” to a rereading of Empire of Signs, she indicates that using
emoji can either expand Japanese “cultural literacy” if emoji carry their original meanings, or erase Japanese
influence if emoji are given new understanding in different nations. Chapter 4, by Marzena Karpinska andPaula Kurzawska, compliments the previous two chapters’ historical and theoretical perspectives with anempirical study on the different interpretation of kaomoji by the Japanese and Koreans, as they are known
for extensive use of them. They find that many participants failed to recognize the meanings of kaomoji
from another cultural source, thus concluding that pictograms and ideograms are universal to some extent
but are virtually culture-specific products.

Copyright © 2020 (ZiBi Huang, 821184928@qq.com). Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution
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International Journal of Communication 14(2020), Book Review

ZiBi Huang 9Part II (chapters 5‒6) investigates how differences in age or gender are revealed in the use ofpictograms and ideograms. Chapter 5, by Marta Fanasca, investigates how professional Japanese femaleto-male crossdresser escorts perform their respective gender identity using (or avoiding) emoticons, emoji,and kaomoji in social platforms and private conversations online. Her semistructured interviews andobservations show crossdressers use more emoticons, emoji, and kaomoji if they are more active on theInternet, if they occupy esteemed positions within the company, and in their private rather than publicinteractions. Chapter 6, by Michaela Oberwinkler, examines age and gender differences in the usage ofkaomoji in Japanese Facebook conversations. While gender differences have been of interest in emoticon
research, age, another important factor, is rarely considered. Her study reveals that women used morekaomoji than men and that some kaomoji are limited to certain age groups, thus concluding thatgenerational differences are in some cases more explanatory than gender in their choice of kaomoji.
Part III (chapters 7‒8) focuses on the structural role and function of digital pictograms andideograms within digital communication. Chapter 7, by Christina Margrit Siever, proposes a systematic
semiotic-semantic model for linguistic functions that emoji can assume. Her model differentiates between
referential function and modal function. The first function means emoji are employed to replace not solely
nouns but also verbs, adjectives, and even propositions; the second function means emoji are employed toextend the proposition through providing new information, showing writers’ attitude, or just as decoration,and repeat parts of propositions, causing semantic redundancy. Chapter 8, by Barry Kavanagh, startingfrom the observation that previous scholarship studied emoji mainly in the context of dialogues, investigates
the function of emoji in Japanese autobiographical online storytelling, a type of monologue. He finds thatthese emoji, apart from use as lexical replacements and emotional emphasizers, can create and reflect
writers’ online self-personas, their “pubic image,” showing their desire to appear charming and also Japan’scurrent ideology of cuteness.
Part IV (chapters 9‒10) discusses to what extent communication with digital pictograms andideograms can be regarded as picture-mediated. Chapter 9, by Lukas R. A. Wilde, approaches the questionsof to what extent emoticons, kaomoji, and emoji are pictures, and when cultural knowledge must beconsidered to comprehend them. To study these questions, he outlines a picture-theoretical model of
prelinguistic misunderstandings, intending to open the black box of emoji’s “intrinsic semantic structure” (p.
172) that needs to be considered before language and cultural differences. Chapter 10, by Risa Matsuda,
focuses on structures and functions of wide kaomoji—representations of not only faces but body parts andvarious items, such as (*^o^) /\(^^*) meaning high-five (in contrast to simple kaomoji representing only
facial expression, such as (^o^)). These wide kaomoji may use supplemental letters to emit “voices” andvisualize movements or invisible phenomenon. They can also evoke the whole communicational situation as
if the writer and receiver are present in the same place.
Part V (chapters 11 and 12) examines how transformation of communication influences material
forms of pictograms and ideograms. Chapter 11, by Alexander Christian, explores whether or not theaddition of facial expressions helps to simplify the interpretation of pictograms and thus increase efficiency.
His case study on Mr. Yuk, an iconic character with a facial expression of disgust used to educate American
children in the prevention of poisoning, indicates that Mr. Yuk isn’t highly effective in its work. He concludes
that our perception and interpretation of facial expressions have strong contextual dependence and maychange rapidly. Chapter 12, by Dale K. Andrews, concludes this volume with his fieldwork on the significance10 ZiBi Huang

International Journal of Communication 14(2020), Book Reviewof kaomoji in non-online context, through analysis of how fans of popular Japanese anime illustrate
traditional prayer tablets with injected kaomoji in their “anime pilgrimages.” After categorizing these prayer
tablets with kaomoji, he concludes that kaomoji can amplify fans’ moods, stir their excitement, and thus
promote deeper engagement.
This volume can be recommended for two reasons. First, it is a timely and systematic study onemoticons, emoji, and kaomoji through the communicative, sociopolitical, aesthetic, and cross-culturalperspectives. It answers essential questions like whether or not emoji are a universal language or to what
extent they are pictures, how people’s gender and age influence their use, what their structures andfunctions are, and what their material forms can be. Second, this book is both theoretically and empiricallysolid and abundant. It is guided by the mediation theory on the macro level, and nearly each part consistsof theoretical discussion and complementary empirical research.
There still exists room for improvement or further study. The empirical researches in this collection
are almost always situated in the context of Japan as an important birthplace of emoji. Nevertheless, it
should be kept in mind that among the 90% of people using emoticons, kaomoji, and emoji in their daily
communication, Japanese are a minority. Other cultural context matters. An investigation and comparisonof the use of emoticons, kaomoji, and emoji in various cultural backgrounds can make this book morecomprehensive. Nonetheless, with multiple perspectives and ample methodologies, this book is key reading
for students and scholars in sociolinguistics, media studies, Japanese studies, and language andcommunication.

Reference
Thompson, C. (2016, April 19). The emoji is the birth of a new type of language (no joke). Wired.
Retrieved from. www.wired.com/2016/04/ the-science-of-emoji/