<p>Some characters have massive heads</p>

<p>Very teenagey at times</p>

<p>Massive eyes</p>

<p>Lots of connection to Japanese school life</p>

<p>Uses nearly the entire colour spectrum for hair colour and eye colour choices</p>

<p>Can get very platonic/intimate to a point of rated x at times</p>

<p>More common in black and white than in colour</p>

<p>All of the above have been sourced from 10 years experience of reading manga</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-12-24T02:31:44.813Z
2015-12-24T02:31:44.813Z
user19939
<p>One thing I noted for sure is that Manga usually is not drawn in the same style they use for X-Men, Batman, Superman (DC Comics or Marvel).</p>

<p><strong>Muscles</strong>
They tend to be drawn slimmer &amp; less muscular. When they are drawn muscularly, the muscles tends to have more packs (not sure what's that called) than that in American comics. A simple comparison is between Goku of Dragon Ball and Superman. Goku has more packs than Superman.</p>

<p><strong>Hair</strong>
Also, Manga character hair tends to be spikey, while American comics are not. For example Tony Stark of Iron Man and Natsu Dragneel of Fairy Tail.</p>

<p><strong>Eyes</strong>
Manga tends to draw the characters with big, round eyes. This is especially true in girls manga (shoujo manga).</p>

<p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/afOTq.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></p>

<p><strong>Expressions</strong>
Well, American manga don't draw jaw-dripping expressions like manga do, or panic character having >.&lt; eyes.</p>

<p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/qC31R.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></p>

<p><strong>Sound Effects</strong>
Another this is that effects in American comics are usually drawn inside a spikey bubble, while in manga, they are usually just written in big hiragana or katakana letter.</p>

<p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/OZnuq.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-08-05T07:25:21.467Z
Sound effects in manga, depending on the type, are usually written in Katakana or Hiragana. Also more here: http://www.mit.edu/~rei/Expl.html and http://ezinearticles.com/?Comic-Books---Japanese-Manga-vs-American-Comics&id=206944
Jon Lin
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-08-05T07:27:46.437Z
Whoops. You're right Jon Lin. Will fix that ASAP.
絢瀬絵里
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-08-07T00:11:48.193Z
Could you specify the sound effects a bit more? Because to me, writing English in big Roman letters vs writing Japanese in big Japanese characters, doesn't sound all that different.
Peter Raeves
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-08-07T02:07:53.453Z
@PeterRaeves the only different is in american comic, they usually put the word *inside* a balloon, while manga only use the letter, without balloon. I think that's what he was trying to say
Darjeeling
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-08-05T06:35:34.327Z
2014-08-06T14:25:34.390Z
2014-08-06T14:25:34.390Z
絢瀬絵里
<p>What is a characteristic attribute relating to the visual aspect for a manga, differential to western comics like from DC or Marvel? For example the way they draw the eyes. In mangas they are much more complex and they look not even real.</p>

<p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/VxFdSl.jpg" alt=""></p>

<p>Are there other clear attributes like that? And why is it common to draw them like "unreal" persons in Japan?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-08-06T08:10:30.343Z
don't understand whats wrong with this question? :S
Kjenos
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-08-06T12:57:53.923Z
http://anime.stackexchange.com/q/69/49
JNat
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-08-06T13:12:39.470Z
@JNat thank you :)
sry i searched for difference between "mangas" so i didn't find this thread. 
my bad...
Kjenos
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-08-07T09:37:34.307Z
related discussion on meta http://meta.anime.stackexchange.com/questions/1074/is-the-question-about-characteristics-%E2%88%92-manga-attributes-really-too-broad
Darjeeling
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-10-15T23:30:56.347Z
Related: http://anime.stackexchange.com/q/31114/
senshin
<manga-production>
What differentiates manga from other comics?
# What differentiates manga from other comics?
Posted by: username_0 on 2014-08-05
What is a characteristic attribute relating to the visual aspect for a manga, differential to western comics like from DC or Marvel? For example the way they draw the eyes. In mangas they are much more complex and they look not even real.

![](https://i.sstatic.net/VxFdSl.jpg)

Are there other clear attributes like that? And why is it common to draw them like "unreal" persons in Japan?
**Tags:** manga-production
> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: don't understand whats wrong with this question? :S  
> **username_1**: http://anime.stackexchange.com/q/69/49  
> **username_0**: @JNat thank you :)
sry i searched for difference between "mangas" so i didn't find this thread. 
my bad...  
> **username_2**: related discussion on meta http://meta.anime.stackexchange.com/questions/1074/is-the-question-about-characteristics-%E2%88%92-manga-attributes-really-too-broad  
> **username_3**: Related: http://anime.stackexchange.com/q/31114/  
---
## 2 answers
### Answer by username_5 on 2014-08-05. Score: 11 | Accepted answer
One thing I noted for sure is that Manga usually is not drawn in the same style they use for X-Men, Batman, Superman (DC Comics or Marvel).

**Muscles**
They tend to be drawn slimmer & less muscular. When they are drawn muscularly, the muscles tends to have more packs (not sure what's that called) than that in American comics. A simple comparison is between Goku of Dragon Ball and Superman. Goku has more packs than Superman.

**Hair**
Also, Manga character hair tends to be spikey, while American comics are not. For example Tony Stark of Iron Man and Natsu Dragneel of Fairy Tail.

**Eyes**
Manga tends to draw the characters with big, round eyes. This is especially true in girls manga (shoujo manga).

![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/afOTq.jpg)

**Expressions**
Well, American manga don't draw jaw-dripping expressions like manga do, or panic character having >.< eyes.

![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/qC31R.jpg)

**Sound Effects**
Another this is that effects in American comics are usually drawn inside a spikey bubble, while in manga, they are usually just written in big hiragana or katakana letter.

![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/OZnuq.jpg)
> **Comments:**
> **username_6** (2014-08-05): Sound effects in manga, depending on the type, are usually written in Katakana or Hiragana. Also more here: http://www.mit.edu/~rei/Expl.html and http://ezinearticles.com/?Comic-Books---Japanese-Manga-vs-American-Comics&id=206944  
> **username_5** (2014-08-05): Whoops. You're right Jon Lin. Will fix that ASAP.  
> **username_7** (2014-08-07): Could you specify the sound effects a bit more? Because to me, writing English in big Roman letters vs writing Japanese in big Japanese characters, doesn't sound all that different.  
> **username_2** (2014-08-07): @PeterRaeves the only different is in american comic, they usually put the word *inside* a balloon, while manga only use the letter, without balloon. I think that's what he was trying to say  
---
### Answer by username_4 on 2015-12-24. Score: 1
Some characters have massive heads

Very teenagey at times

Massive eyes

Lots of connection to Japanese school life

Uses nearly the entire colour spectrum for hair colour and eye colour choices

Can get very platonic/intimate to a point of rated x at times

More common in black and white than in colour

All of the above have been sourced from 10 years experience of reading manga
---
