Interest

Light Novel Author Explains the Lack of "Ugly" Characters In Manga, LNs

Why are manga and light novel characters almost always conventionally attractive? Light novel author Takenoko offered an answer on their Twitter account on Sunday: According to an illustrator acquaintance they spoke to, "ugly" characters cost more to draw.

Takenoko emphasized that this is not a matter of artistic skill; the manga and illustrator worlds are full of artists who are capable of drawing unattractive characters. It is more a matter of efficiency because elderly people and unattractive people require more lines to draw. They also said that the other major reason why these types of characters don't appear more often is because there simply isn't much demand for them. Takenoko elaborated that there's beauty in simplicity—it's very difficult and time-consuming to draw art that looks "ugly" while still staying true to fundamental art techniques.

Takenoko went on to describe that when it comes to drawing "overweight" characters, although it is possible to add flesh to their jaws as a way of easily conveying their size, it's still a simplification that makes the character come across as more attractive than a truly "realistic" drawing. Therefore, it's easier to convey the differences between characters by focusing on clothing and props rather than unconventional body shapes and appearances.

Takenoko is the author of Genocide Online: Gokuaku Reijō no Play Nikki ("Genocide Online: The Heinous Lady's Play Log"). They began serializing the story on the "Shōsetsuka ni Narō" (Let's Become Novelists) website from November 2018. BK Books began publishing the series in print in June 2019.

[Via Otakomu]