Whatsit called when they got no feet?

October 6, 2006 11:38 AM

Is there a name for the manga style where characters are drawn so simply they have no feet, merely dull points at the bottom of their legs?

My first exposure was the "Small Bodied" editions of Ninja High School but you can see Ray Suarez of NPR/PBS drawn this way at the page for American RadioWorks' recent Japan's Pop Power program.

posted by Rash to media & arts (8 comments total)

Chibi perhaps?
posted by graymouser at 11:44 AM on October 6, 2006

Yes, chibi.
posted by limeonaire at 11:46 AM on October 6, 2006

Slightly less cute-sounding than chibi: I've always heard this style referred to as "Superdeformed".
posted by Greg Nog at 11:49 AM on October 6, 2006

The stubby legs are not necessarily part of it but the exaggeratedly-cute small-body style is known as "chibi-style" or sometimes (unfortunately) "super-deformed", amongst a few variations. Anime Yume, Wikipedia (though the illustration there isn't really canonical, I think), Anime News Network references.
posted by yz at 11:50 AM on October 6, 2006

Didn't check preview. As graymouser points out, Wikipedia has a chibi entry as well (which is a little better than the "super-deformed" one).
posted by yz at 11:54 AM on October 6, 2006

Since I wanted the Japanese term, graymouser gets it (and in only 6 minutes!) although come to think of it, I have heard "super-deformed" also, thanks for reminding me Greg Nog & yz!
posted by Rash at 12:07 PM on October 6, 2006

I thought super-deformed meant giant heads and little child-like bodies.
posted by TonyRobots at 1:21 PM on October 6, 2006

I thought super-deformed meant giant heads and little child-like bodies.

I've heard the two terms used interchangeably (some of the definitions to which I linked do so) and somehow never really noticed that they may be referring to two different styles; but it appears that you're right. (Hence the Wikipedia content/illustration about which I remarked.) Rash was looking for "chibi". Sorry for any misinformation on my part.
posted by yz at 5:23 PM on October 6, 2006