Spyke

Japanese people, what does this pose mean, if anything?

I vaguely remember someone doing this during a conversation in a bar in Japan years ago, and I saw it again in a manga. What does this mean, if anything? I don't remember what the conversation was about, and we were all drinking so I wouldn't trust my memory anyway

View original on lemmy.ml

I’m Japanese, and honestly, I don’t see any special meaning in this pose at all.

As far as I know, this image is just a scene from Space Brothers, where Namba Mutta is simply talking about the Sharon Telescope. There’s no symbolic or cultural meaning attached to the pose in Japan—it’s just a moment in the story.

https://koyamachuya.com/contents/7107/

38
lemmy.ml

yep that's the manga, I do swear I saw someone do this in the wild, like 10 years ago. I kinda guess maybe it's like doing the heart shape with your hands

8

There is a similar pose where people make a heart shape above their head. Japanese people like making heart shapes for pretty much everything.

9

lol I'm so confused then. The like 20s girl that did that didn't act like she was a reddit dork

3
sem
piefed.blahaj.zone

If you're western this is old-timey for "I'm about to dive into a swimming pool, or the ocean."

26
lemmy.ml

lol I 100% did this as a six year old to dive into a pool during swim lessons

4
lemmy.zip

Western weeb here, I think that's the pose they make in anime when they want to beg someone to do something like asking for a big favour.

10

Yep seems like the emoji🙏 but over the head to increase the intensity
Sort of like bowing vs bowing while knees are on the floor.

2
udonreply
lemmy.world

Interesting, any special weeb insights why they do it like this? Does it make it easier to draw maybe? Just stands out?

2

I bet having the hands right above the head does make it a bit easier to draw, tbh. Means you can draw the whole character's torso if you want to. Other than that I'd say it's just dramatic, like double begging/pleading.

4

After searching online, it seems everyone knows that "たけのこニョッキ", which was a game from a TV program aired Wednesdays at 11 PM from 2003 to 2005? It's a game where several people call out numbers in order starting from 1, and if they overlap, they lose. And judging by the name, that posture is a growing bamboo shoot. You mentioned it was a bar, and this does seem like a game suitable for a noisy bar, so it's plausible.

8

Proof that people do this!! This definitely wasn't the context when I saw it, but I'm gratified I'm not crazy

2
lemmy.world

I might be pulling this out of my ass. But is it possible it’s a reference to extra terrestrial aliens? I know there are aliens in Japanese pop culture that have heads shaped like onions like this

. That’s from the dandadan anime opening.

I’ve seen references to the onion-headed aliens before but searching the internet is shit now.

3

Actually I looked it up, since I haven't read/watched much of the show, and it is indeed just the Flatwoods Monster.

2

You reached the end

Japanese people, what does this pose mean, if anything? | Spyke