“Gyagu” – The visual joke in Japanese culture

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In this article, we will see what animes, mangas, and “Gyagu” (ギャグ) images are, a term generally translated as “Clowning” or “Visual Joke”.

In Japanese culture, the importance of images and context is noticeable for a situation to make sense. In Japanese comedy, the role of images is fundamental to convey the true humor of situations.

When we see characters laughing extravagantly, making faces, wearing strange clothes, or going through unexpected situations, we are usually faced with a “gyagu” (visual joke), which often defines Japanese humor within animes and mangas.

Origin of the term

Gyagu (ギャグ) is a word derived from the English “Gag”, which loosely translates to “Joke, Prank, Gag”.

In the context of Japanese pop culture, or even in television commercials (which are very hilarious by the way), Gyagu usually represents humor conveyed visually, which can be either a static image or a longer gif or video.

Images are often accompanied by words related to the situation, onomatopoeias, and puns that serve to reinforce what is being conveyed.

Animes and Mangas of “Gyagu” style

There are countless animes and mangas that have this funny visual style. This type of content tends to be very popular among children, teenagers, and adults looking to relax and have a good laugh. Among the various series that follow this model, we can mention: Tottemo! Luckyman, Hanasaka Tenshi Ten-Ten-kun, Gintama, Pop Team Epic, Osomatsu-San, Tensai Bakabon, Nichijou, among others.

To get introduced to this universe, we recommend starting by watching Tottemo! Luckyman, an extremely funny old anime that perfectly represents the gyagu style.

Below you can watch the opening:

“Gyagu” Dictionary

Interestingly, there is even a dictionary with the most common expressions related to this phenomenon. You can check it out by clicking this link.

Vocabulary

• 冗談 (じょうだん, joudan) = Joke, Prank.
• 洒落 (しゃれ, share) = Pun, Wordplay.
• ジョーク (jooku) = Clowning, Prank.
• ギャグ (gyagu) = Visual joke, Prank, Clowning.
• ギャグる (gyaguru) = To joke, To make fun.
• 笑えるアニメ (waraeru anime) = Comedy animes.

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