<p>As mentioned before, it's a fingerprint.</p>

<p>Usually the spiral only appears when the character's finger/thumb is close to the screen. The reason for this is simply to add detail to something which is taking up a lot of the screen. Look at the image without the spiral:</p>

<p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/dmM5Vm.png" alt="enter image description here">
<img src="https://i.sstatic.net/4Rokdm.jpg" alt="enter "></p>

<p>Because the finger takes up a lot of the screen it's harder to focus on when it's all the same colour. The inclusion of the fingerprint helps break up that space - even if it is a basic design.</p>

<p>The reason it's a spiral is for simplicity's sake. Fingerprints are very intricate and are more trouble that it's worth, unless perhaps the entire animation is ridiculously detailed - otherwise you would get a sharp jarring contrast between the foreground and background:</p>

<p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/Bh4xJ.png" alt="enter image description here"></p>

<p>Obviously, this is exaggerated, but I imagine half-hearted attempts would also look out of place.</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>If there's a spiral on her finger when she points at you, she's being triumphant or prideful.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>I don't think there's any real evidence to suggest this. This design is used in many situations, often when a character is angry.</p>

<p><strong>TL;DR</strong> - It's to break up the area on the finger without going into much detail</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-01-04T13:41:17.723Z
This is a plausible argument, but I really need to watch more anime and identify more scenes with this "trope" to really appreciate it and clear my doubt of possible counterexamples that can not be overlooked.
Gao
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-12-02T17:57:41.340Z
Yup. Fingerprint. The idea is that the character is shoving their finger in the face of someone and the screen is showing the point of view of the other person also used when characters are breaking the 4th wall and pointing at the viewer.
Gwyn
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-03-28T16:36:18.737Z
OK so this trope is named finger spiral, or guruguru-shimon, and [this page](https://www.japanesewithanime.com/2020/04/finger-spiral.html) agrees with you that it is fingerprint and doesn't mean anything in particular, though it does provide an out of place example in the "Other Shapes" section.
Gao
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-12-09T18:51:00.150Z
2014-12-09T18:51:00.150Z
Toshinou Kyouko
<p>I am sure many of you have come across this trope in some anime/manga, where a character gives a thumbs up with an imprinted spiral.</p>
<p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/bmZwTm.jpg" alt="Charlotte" />
<img src="https://i.sstatic.net/44wiRm.jpg" alt="Re:Zero" />
<img src="https://i.sstatic.net/6RqHjm.jpg" alt="Touhou" />
<img src="https://i.sstatic.net/33dQUt.jpg" alt="Ibitsu" /></p>
<p>The imprinted spiral, in addition to looking like a fingerprint, is probably also meant to be a simplified representation of a <a href="https://jisho.org/word/%E8%8A%B1%E4%B8%B8" rel="nofollow noreferrer">hanamaru</a>:</p>
<p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/WG9DT.jpg" alt="Hanamaru" /></p>
<p>which basically has the same meaning as a thumbs up, or &quot;good job&quot;.</p>
<p><strong>The focus of this question, however, is on the spiral that appears on the index finger.</strong></p>
<p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/4Rokd.jpg" alt="Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu" />
<img src="https://i.sstatic.net/Ov3KJm.jpg" alt="Ibitsu" /></p>
<p>In the two examples shown above, the characters were obviously not showing approval, so the idea of the spiral being a simplified hanamaru is out.</p>
<p>Someone has asked the same question <a href="https://forums.animesuki.com/showthread.php?t=112336" rel="nofollow noreferrer">here</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>Spirals.</strong> Just spirals. Apparently there are &quot;spirals of depression&quot; and &quot;spirals of happiness?&quot; I think I heard the depression spirals are meant to represent &quot;sad spirits/ghosts&quot; or something like that? But if the character has spirals on her cheeks, she's happy. <strong>If there's a spiral on her finger when she points at you, she's being triumphant or prideful.</strong> Can anyone clear this up? :3</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Is there any source to that statement in bold (emphasis mine)?</p>
<p>My question is: what is the intended effect of the spiral on a character's index finger, and where did this trope originate from?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-12-03T09:15:25.673Z
its finger print
mirroroftruth
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-12-03T09:20:26.037Z
That's what I thought at first, but why do they appear mostly in comedies? And in some anime, they are moving as well (?) What kind of effect is it trying to create? And anyone feel free to edit the title because I probably haven't worded it as I would like to.
Gao
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-12-04T00:09:11.410Z
With the image you have posted it's almost as if Chidori is pressing her finger against the screen and telling the audience to "Go! Now!"
Memor-X
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-12-08T20:04:44.663Z
I think the idea is to create an extreme close up of the finger, meant to portray the idea that they mean business. Showing the fingerprint is a way of saying "wow, we're up CLOSE!"
Cattua
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-05-27T21:01:24.870Z
This also happens when characters give a thumbs-up sometimes; see http://media.animevice.com/uploads/1/12141/490423-konata.jpg.
Torisuda
<tropes>
What is intended by a spiral on a character's finger and what is the origin of this trope?
# What is intended by a spiral on a character's finger and what is the origin of this trope?
Posted by: username_0 on 2014-12-03
I am sure many of you have come across this trope in some anime/manga, where a character gives a thumbs up with an imprinted spiral.

![Charlotte](https://i.sstatic.net/bmZwTm.jpg)
![Re:Zero](https://i.sstatic.net/44wiRm.jpg)
![Touhou](https://i.sstatic.net/6RqHjm.jpg)
![Ibitsu](https://i.sstatic.net/33dQUt.jpg)

The imprinted spiral, in addition to looking like a fingerprint, is probably also meant to be a simplified representation of a [hanamaru](https://jisho.org/word/%E8%8A%B1%E4%B8%B8):

![Hanamaru](https://i.sstatic.net/WG9DT.jpg)

which basically has the same meaning as a thumbs up, or "good job".

**The focus of this question, however, is on the spiral that appears on the index finger.**

![Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu](https://i.sstatic.net/4Rokd.jpg)
![Ibitsu](https://i.sstatic.net/Ov3KJm.jpg)

In the two examples shown above, the characters were obviously not showing approval, so the idea of the spiral being a simplified hanamaru is out.

Someone has asked the same question [here](https://forums.animesuki.com/showthread.php?t=112336):

> **Spirals.** Just spirals. Apparently there are "spirals of depression" and "spirals of happiness?" I think I heard the depression spirals are meant to represent "sad spirits/ghosts" or something like that? But if the character has spirals on her cheeks, she's happy. **If there's a spiral on her finger when she points at you, she's being triumphant or prideful.** Can anyone clear this up? :3

Is there any source to that statement in bold (emphasis mine)?

My question is: what is the intended effect of the spiral on a character's index finger, and where did this trope originate from?
**Tags:** tropes
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: its finger print  
> **username_0**: That's what I thought at first, but why do they appear mostly in comedies? And in some anime, they are moving as well (?) What kind of effect is it trying to create? And anyone feel free to edit the title because I probably haven't worded it as I would like to.  
> **username_2**: With the image you have posted it's almost as if Chidori is pressing her finger against the screen and telling the audience to "Go! Now!"  
> **username_3**: I think the idea is to create an extreme close up of the finger, meant to portray the idea that they mean business. Showing the fingerprint is a way of saying "wow, we're up CLOSE!"  
> **username_4**: This also happens when characters give a thumbs-up sometimes; see http://media.animevice.com/uploads/1/12141/490423-konata.jpg.  
---
## 1 answers
### Answer by username_5 on 2014-12-09. Score: 14 | Accepted answer
As mentioned before, it's a fingerprint.

Usually the spiral only appears when the character's finger/thumb is close to the screen. The reason for this is simply to add detail to something which is taking up a lot of the screen. Look at the image without the spiral:

![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/dmM5Vm.png)
![enter ](https://i.sstatic.net/4Rokdm.jpg)

Because the finger takes up a lot of the screen it's harder to focus on when it's all the same colour. The inclusion of the fingerprint helps break up that space - even if it is a basic design.

The reason it's a spiral is for simplicity's sake. Fingerprints are very intricate and are more trouble that it's worth, unless perhaps the entire animation is ridiculously detailed - otherwise you would get a sharp jarring contrast between the foreground and background:

![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/Bh4xJ.png)

Obviously, this is exaggerated, but I imagine half-hearted attempts would also look out of place.

> If there's a spiral on her finger when she points at you, she's being triumphant or prideful.

I don't think there's any real evidence to suggest this. This design is used in many situations, often when a character is angry.

**TL;DR** - It's to break up the area on the finger without going into much detail
> **Comments:**
> **username_0** (2015-01-04): This is a plausible argument, but I really need to watch more anime and identify more scenes with this "trope" to really appreciate it and clear my doubt of possible counterexamples that can not be overlooked.  
> **username_6** (2020-12-02): Yup. Fingerprint. The idea is that the character is shoving their finger in the face of someone and the screen is showing the point of view of the other person also used when characters are breaking the 4th wall and pointing at the viewer.  
> **username_0** (2024-03-28): OK so this trope is named finger spiral, or guruguru-shimon, and [this page](https://www.japanesewithanime.com/2020/04/finger-spiral.html) agrees with you that it is fingerprint and doesn't mean anything in particular, though it does provide an out of place example in the "Other Shapes" section.  
---
