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The study argues that such intentionally simple characters enable reader projection, affective mimicry, and somatic empathy, strengthening immersion through techniques like extreme close-ups.",{"@graph":69,"@context":122},[70,84,105],{"@type":71,"itemListElement":72},"BreadcrumbList",[73,77,79,82],{"item":74,"name":75,"@type":76,"position":8},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":78,"name":9,"@type":76,"position":14},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/",{"item":80,"name":40,"@type":76,"position":81},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/",3,{"item":83,"name":65,"@type":76,"position":19},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/blank-slate-characters-gateways-to-affect-and-emotion-in-ito-junjis-manga/142802/",{"url":83,"name":65,"@type":85,"image":86,"author":91,"headline":65,"publisher":94,"fileFormat":97,"inLanguage":63,"description":67,"dateModified":98,"datePublished":99,"encodingFormat":97,"isAccessibleForFree":100,"interactionStatistic":101},"DigitalDocument",{"url":87,"@type":88,"width":89,"height":90},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/blank-slate-characters-gateways-to-affect-and-emotion-in-ito-junjis-manga/142802.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":92,"@type":93},"Taylor Morgan","Person",{"url":74,"name":95,"@type":96},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-05","2026-08-25",true,{"@type":102,"interactionType":103,"userInteractionCount":34},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":104},"ViewAction",{"@type":106,"mainEntity":107},"FAQPage",[108,114,118],{"name":109,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":111},"What does the paper mean by “Blank Slate Character” in Itô Junji’s manga?","Question",{"text":112,"@type":113},"It refers to intentionally underdeveloped, emotionally neutral archetypal figures drawn with generic features. Their simplicity functions as a vessel for reader projection and bodily resonance.","Answer",{"name":115,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":116},"How does Itô’s visual style support emotional engagement with these characters?",{"text":117,"@type":113},"Subtle design choices—especially shifts in eyes during shocks—maintain neutrality until horror exposure. Cinematic extreme close-ups then concentrate emotion on the character’s face and body.",{"name":119,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":120},"Why does the paper argue that somatic empathy is central to Itô’s horror?",{"text":121,"@type":113},"Because the protagonists are deliberately vulnerable and not psychologically deep, depictions of bodily harm become more universally resonant. 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This article argues that these intentionally simple characters, serve as ideal vessels for reader projection, affective mimicry, and somatic empathy, precisely because of their visual and psychological neutrality. Drawing on philosophical frameworks from horror theory and film studies, this article analyzes how dynamics like asymmetrical identification and sympathy are amplified through such characterization. Through extensive close readings of extracts ofItô’s seminal works like Gyo and one of the stories from the series Tomie, this article demonstrates how specific visual strategies, particularly the cinematic use of extreme close-ups, transform these simplistic figures into a focal point of intense emotion, thereby heightening the reader’s immersion. This work further proves that somatic empathy is fundamental to Itô’s brand of horror, contending that the vulnerability of a deliberately underdeveloped protagonist makes the depiction of bodily harm more universally resonant. Ultimately, this character-building philosophy reflects Itô’s acknowledged focus on the central horror phenomenon over his protagonists. Consequently, what might be perceived asa narrative weakness—the lack of deep characterization—is actually strategic, repurposed to bypass complex psychological identification in order to instead forge a direct and powerful somatic engagement with the reader.  \nAuthor Bio: Ivan Dario Jaramillo Chavez is a PhD graduate from the Graduate School of Humanities at Nagoya University. His research focuses on the transmedial affects of Japanese horror manga, particularly the works of Itō Junji. His recent publications include a chapter in Streaming Horrors: Essays on the Genre in the Digital Age (2025) and the article \"Beyond the panel: cinematism and affective responses in Itō Junji’s Tomie\" in the Journal of Graphic Novels and Comics.  \nKeywords: Itô Junji, horror manga, Blank Slate Character, character identification, somatic empathy.  \nRecommended Citation: Jaramillo Chavez, Ivan Dario.“Blank Slate Characters: Gateways to Affect and Emotion in Itô Junji’s Manga”. Journal of Anime and Manga Studies, Vol. 6, no. 2 (2025). Eds. Billy Tringali, Maria Alberto  \nThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0  \nGeneric License  \nIntroduction: The Paradox of the Underdeveloped Character in Itô Junji’s Horror  \nIn the world of horror manga, where memorable characters often anchor the narrative, Junji Itô stands as a remarkable exception. Renowned for his unique brand of cosmic, body-centric horror, Itô’s work consistently deviates from character-centric storytelling. In his work, characters are rarely fully developed, and instead, they are portrayed as average individuals with ordinary features and personalities. Itô’s interest is clearly centered on the development of the horrific and supernatural elements in each story, rather than on the protagonists. This paper will argue that this choice is not a narrative failing but, on the contrary, a strategy for generating affective and emotional engagement—a method defined here as the \"Blank Slate Character\" approach.  \nThis method is grounded in a specific set of visual choices. Itô fills his pages with archetypes—young men and women whose most striking feature is how unremarkable they are, drawn as slim and conventionally attractive but not stunningly so. Itô’s visual style is clearly influenced by the more serious and realistic style of","cbCaiigmC3pApFhm","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaiigmC3pApFhm","pdf",281324,"English","# Introduction: The Paradox of the Underdeveloped Character in Itô Junji’s Horror\n## Emotional and Affective Engagement","[{\"question\":\"What does the paper mean by “Blank Slate Character” in Itô Junji’s manga?\",\"answer\":\"It refers to intentionally underdeveloped, emotionally neutral archetypal figures drawn with generic features. Their simplicity functions as a vessel for reader projection and bodily resonance.\"},{\"question\":\"How does Itô’s visual style support emotional engagement with these characters?\",\"answer\":\"Subtle design choices—especially shifts in eyes during shocks—maintain neutrality until horror exposure. Cinematic extreme close-ups then concentrate emotion on the character’s face and body.\"},{\"question\":\"Why does the paper argue that somatic empathy is central to Itô’s horror?\",\"answer\":\"Because the protagonists are deliberately vulnerable and not psychologically deep, depictions of bodily harm become more universally resonant. Readers can map their own somatic experience onto the scenes.\"}]","Blank Slate Characters - Gateways to Affect and Emotion in Itô Junji’s Manga | PDF"]