Focus Lines

In manga and anime, "focus lines," shuuchuu-sen 集中線, are lines used to give focus or emphasis to an element. They're drawn coming from the corners and edges of a manga panel or screen, and go toward the focused element, which is usually at the center.

Manga: School Rumble, スクールランブル (Chapter 61, A Star is Born)

Light Streaks
Usage
- Directionality
- Importance
  - Emergence
  - Relevancy
- Impact
- Muster
  - Concentration
References

Light Streaks

Sometimes, the focus lines are rendered as light streaks instead of black lines.

Anime: Haiyore! Nyaruko-san 這いよれ！ニャル子さん (Episode 9)

A dakimakura!

This happens because the black focus lines found in manga typically create a negative space effect.

The focus lines are black lines drawn from the edges of the panel going to the center of the panel, so the edges look darker than the center.

Alternatively, you can interpret it as the center looking brighter than the edges, there being light streaks coming from the center and going toward the edges of the panel.

Manga: School Rumble, スクールランブル (Chapter 61, A Star is Born)

eiga no chiketto!
映画のチケット！
A movie ticket!

In similar principle, when something explodes in manga, lines are drawn in this way partially because of the light emitted from the explosion, and partially because of the debris moving away from the center.

Example of effect lines drawn to depict the force of an explosion.

Manga: Zatch Bell!, Konjiki no Gash!! 金色のガッシュ!! (Chapter 5, 道具か人間か！？)

Note, however, that this sort of usage is closer to motion lines than to "focus" lines.

Nevertheless, the term "focus lines," shuuchuu-sen 集中線, can be used to refer to any effect lines drawn in this way, even if they're depicting something emitting light, rather than some sort of focus.

Usage

Focus lines are used in manga in several different ways, in different styles, too.

Although they're basically lines drawn from the edges toward a focal point, depending on the usage, various things change. For example:

The lines don't reach the character's body. There's a space between the character and the lines, so it looks like they're emitting light or something.
The lines are drawn behind the character's body, so it gives a sense of movement.
The lines are drawn in front of the character's body, so it looks like it's zooming into the character.

Directionality

Focus lines can generally be used to give a sense of direction in a panel. In this case, they're drawn in the background, behind characters, either coming out of the source of something, or going toward the target of something.

Manga: Doushirou degozaru 道士朗でござる (Chapter 9, 恋の予感)

Context: guy sees girl smiling.
gyuu
ギュウ
*[chest] tightening*

Importance

Focus lines can be used to emphasize an element of importance.

When this happens, the lines are drawn in the foreground, crossing over irrelevant objects and characters, but not over the important element.

There are two situations where this typically happens.

Emergence

Focus lines are used when a new element or information is introduced or becomes visible. This can happen for several reasons:

Something that was hidden was brought out.
Or comes out on its own.
Is found.
Or suddenly shows up.
Something unexpected happens.
A character gives something to someone, then it's shown what that something was.

And so on.

An example of "focus lines," shuuchuusen 集中線 emphasizing an element in a manga panel.

Manga: Naruto ナルト (Chapter 5, 油断大敵)

Context: Kakashi カカシ takes out a book from his pocket.
The focus lines go toward the book.

Relevancy

Focus lines are also used when an element or character that's already been introduced is mentioned or physically pointed at due to their relevance or importance.

Manga: Detective Conan, Meitantei Konan 名探偵コナン (Chapter 1, 平成のホームズ)

Context: Kudou Shinch'ichi 工藤新一, a "[brilliant] detective," mei-tantei 名探偵, figures out who the culprit is.
han'nin wa... anata da!!!
犯人はあなただ！！！
The culprit... is you!!!
na!?
な！？
Wha!?
- nani!?
  なに！？
  What!?

Manga: Boku no Hero Academia, 僕のヒーローアカデミア (Chapter 48)

Context: Midoriya Izuku 緑谷出久 realizes something about himself.
kono taiyaki ga boku'...desu!!
このたい焼きが僕っ･･･です！！
This taiyaki... is me!!
- taiyaki たい焼き
  A sort of fish-shaped pancake.

Impact

Focus lines are drawn on the background, away from the elements of the panel, to give an impression that the center is brighter than the edges. This happens when the panel is showing some sort of impact.

Action

Focus lines are drawn in action scenes where someone strikes, hits, punches or kicks someone else.

Manga: Zatch Bell!, Konjiki no Gash!! 金色のガッシュ!! (Chapter 5, 道具か人間か！？)

kono yaku tatazu ga!!!
この役立たずが！！！
[You useless brat]!!!

Prominence

Focus lines are drawn on a character that's become prominent, in the sense of having a whole panel with just their face drawn on it, probably because they're saying something of impact, or making some remark.

Manga: One Piece (Chapter 23, 〝キャプテン・ウソップ登場〟)

uso da--'!!!!
ウソだーーっ！！！！
[I lied]!!!!
doon
どーん
(sound effect used when something suddenly comes to front on screen, in this case Usopp's face.)
wa'ha'ha'ha'ha'ha'ha'ha'ha'ha!!!
わっはっはっはっはっはっはっはっはっは！！！
*laugh*

These are used a lot in gag manga where characters will often make outlandish remarks.

じゃあ不老不死にしてください（わく）はい！（ドン）そんなあっさりできるものなのか素晴らしいでは体の中をマナがぐるぐるぐるぐる循環して老いることのない体にいたしましょう！（ぐるぐる）他には？

Manga: Slime Taoshite 300-nen, Shiranai Uchi ni Level Max ni Nattemashita スライム倒して300年、知らないうちにレベルMAXになってました (Chapter 1, レベルＭＡＸになっていた)

Context: an angel is granting any desires to a soul about to be reincarnated.
jaa furou-fushi ni shite-kudasai
じゃあ不老不死にしてください
Then, please make [me] immortal.
- furou-fushi
  不老不死
  Non-aging, non-dying. (yojijukugo 四字熟語)
  Perpetually young and immortal.
- ~ni suru
  ～にする
  To make something somehow. To turn something into something else. (among other meanings.)
waku
わく
*excited* (psychomime)
hai!
はい！
Okay!
don
ドン
*bam*
{sonna assari dekiru} mono nanoka
そんなあっさりできるものなのか
It's something [that] {can be done so easily}?
subarashii
素晴らしい
Marvelous.
dewa karada no naka wo mana ga guruguru guruguru junkan shite {{oiru} koto no nai} karada ni itashimashou!
では体の中をマナがぐるぐるぐるぐる循環して老いることのない体にいたしましょう！
Then, let's make the mana circulate around and around through inside of [your] body, and turn [it] into a body [that] {never {ages}}.
- wo を particle - marks the medium through which movement happens.
- mana
  マナ
  Common term for magical energy in role-playing games. Also known as MP, magic points, magic power.
- oiru
  老いる
  To age. To grow old.
- ~koto ga nai
  ～ことがない
  To never [do something]. (to never age).
- ~koto no nai
  ～ことのない
  (same as above, see: no の subject marker.)
- ~ni itashimasu
  ～にいたします
  (humble variant of ~ni suru.)
guruguru
ぐるぐる
*swirling motion*
hoka niwa?
他には？
[Anything else]?

Outburst

Focus lines are generally drawn when a character is yelling or shouting, likening the streaks coming outward the center of the panel to the loud sound coming out of their mouths.

Manga: Mahou Shoujo Ore 魔法少女俺 (Chapter 4, 魔法少女☆増えた)

Saki ga suki......
seiteki na imi de
さきが好き･･････性的な意味で
[I] like Saki...... in the sexual sense [of the word "like."]
[I] like Saki...... sexually.
- As opposed to the "I like you as a friend" meaning of the word "like."

The focus lines are also used when a character becomes agitated or worried, rising their voice in and losing composure in general.

Amayadori Machi 雨宿まち, featuring various "manga symbols," manpu 漫符 to express her intense frustration, including: "focus lines," shuuchuusen 集中線, parallel horizontal blue lines for distress, parallel diagonal red lines for blushes, an "anger mark," ikari maaku 怒りマーク, tear drops and a couple of small sweat drops.

Anime: Kuma Miko くまみこ (Episode 1)

Manga: Machikado Mazoku まちカドまぞく (Volume 1, Page 37, まぞく小盛り汗だくで)

nanka jijou wa wakaranai kedo
Shamiko naiteru shi...
なんか事情は分からないけどシャミ子泣いてるし･･･
[I'm not sure what's going on], but Shamiko is crying, so...
kore wa mejiru da!
This is eye-juice!
namida dewanai!!
涙ではない！！
[It] is not tears!

Manga: Horimiya ホリミヤ (Chapter 3)

nanda yo kore... irezumi?
なんだよコレ・・・刺青？
What is this... a tattoo? (emotive right-dislocation.)
e'? honmono ka!?
えっ？本物か！？
Eh? It's real!?
un
うん
Yeah.

Muster

Focus lines are sometimes used when a character is mustering something, like mustering strength, or focus.

Manga: Kimetsu no Yaiba 鬼滅の刃 (Chapter 50, 機能回復訓練・後編)

Context: Kamado Tanjirou 竈門炭治郎 attempts to make a gourd explode by blowing air into it.
- The first panel has the focus lines because Tanjirou is mustering strength.
- The second and third panel have vertical lines depicting intense emotion.
ganbare, ganbare! ganbare
がんばれ　がんばれ！　がんばれ
[You can do it! Hang in there!] (etc.)
- ganbare is the meireikei 命令形 of ganbaru 頑張る.
- ganbaru
  頑張る
  To put effort. To work hard. To do one's best. To hang in there.

It's worth noting that when the lines are drawn thick, like shady tentacles reaching for the character, and curving slightly, that's called odoro おどろ, and not "focus lines," because it's something else entirely.

Kageyama Shigeo 影山茂夫, example of odoro-sen おどろ線.

Manga: Mob Psycho 100, Mobu Saiko Hyaku モブサイコ１００ (Chapter 55, 知らない)

Concentration

Focus lines are drawn over a character's face when they become focused, concentrated, specially immediately before using some sort of ability or skill.

Typically, it's drawn on their eyes, because they close their eyes to calm down, and then open their eyes wide right before attacking