In manga and anime, a "light bulb," denkyuu 電球, is sometimes used as a symbol when a character has an idea, an epiphany. In some cases, other sorts of lamps and electric lights are also used in parody.
Anime: Yuru Yuri ゆるゆり (Episode 8)
Examples
The idea light bulb it typically used when a character has an idea, but it can also be used when a character suddenly understands something.
- aidea
アイデア
Idea. (katakanization.) - hirameki
ひらめき
A revelation. A flash of inspiration. An epiphany.- hirameku
閃く
To flash.
To inspire.
- hirameku
- Context: Teruhashi Kokomi 照橋心美, a bishoujo 美少女, tries to figure out why Saiki Kusuo 斉木楠雄 didn't react to her angelic beauty.
- a! sou ka!!
あ！そうか！！
Ah! [I see]!!- I get it!! I figured it out!!
- kitto odoroki-sugite koe mo denakatta no ne!
きっと驚き過ぎて声も出なかったのね！
[I'm sure that] [he was] so surprised that [he couldn't even say anything], [wasn't it?]!- odoroki-sugiru
驚き過ぎる
To be very surprised. To be extremely surprised. (compound verb.) - koe ga denai
声が出ない
Voice can't leave [his mouth].
[His] voice doesn't come out.
[He] can't say anything.
[He] was speechless.
- odoroki-sugiru
- janai to, ano han'nou wa setsumei ga tsukanai mono!
じゃないと あの反応は説明がつかないもの！
Otherwise, that reaction can't be explained!- janai to
じゃないと
If not that. (conditional to と) - ____ wa setsumei ga tsuku
〇〇は説明が付く
The explanation of [something] is settled. (double subject construction.)
[Something] is explained. - mono
もの
Thing. (noun.)
As a sentence ending particle, denotes the current sentence is a rationale. In this case, "the reaction can't be explained" is the reason why Teruhashi believes "he was so surprised he couldn't even say anything."
- janai to
Different series with different art styles end up having all sorts of different light bulbs. Some examples:
Anime: Minami-ke みなみけ (Episode 1)
Right: Yoshida Yuuko 吉田優子
Anime: Machikado Mazoku まちカドまぞく (Episode 1)
Anime: Mob Psycho 100, Mobu Saiko Hyaku モブサイコ１００ (Episode 3)
Sound Effect
Sometimes, an idea light bulb is accompanied by a sound effect starting in pi ピ. This effect isn't for the light bulb appearing, but a mimetic word for the light turning on.
Anime: Jujutsu Kaisen 呪術廻戦 (Episode 22)
- pikoon
ピコーン
*sound effect of light turning on.*
- Context: Hirasawa Yui 平沢唯, who started learning to play the guitar, tells her impressions about the guitar strings to Tainaka Ritsu 田井中律.
- {hosokute katai kara} yubi φ kichaisou
細くて硬いから指切っちゃいそう
{Because [they] are thin and hard}, [it feels like] [it] will cut [my] fingers.- Emanata: plewds.
- piin
ピーン
*sound effect of light turning on*- Emanata: realization lines.
Idea Hand Gesture
A Japanese expression common when someone figures something out something or has an idea is the gesture of opening your palm facing up in front of you and then hitting with the other hand closed. For example:
Anime: Akame ga Kill!, アカメが斬る！ (Episode 12)
It's worth noting that, as an expression, the idea light bulb is considered to be quite old.
- Context: Kotoishi Naru 琴石なる has an idea.
- pikoon
ピコーン
*light turning on* - pon
ポン
*hand hitting other hand* - hirameki-kata ga furui na...
ひらめき方が古いな･･･
[Your] way of [having ideas] is old, huh...
Other Idea Lamps
Using light bulbs as a symbol is a rather old expression, most people already know about it, so even if you don't use that type of light bulb specifically, the audience will know what you're referencing to.
To begin with, the icon used is specifically the incandescent light bulb, which is extremely inefficient at converting electric energy to light compared to other, more modern types of lamps.
Some vocabulary:
- denkyuu
電球
"Electric ball." (literally.)
Light bulb.- denki
電気
Electricity.
- denki
- hakunetsu denkyuu
白熱電球
White heat light bulb. (literally.)
Incandescent light bulb.- hakunetsu-kyuu
白熱球
(same meaning.)
- hakunetsu-kyuu
- mame-denkyuu
豆電球
Bean light bulb. (literally.)
Miniature light bulb. Midget lamp- mame
豆
Bean. Pea.
As a prefix: means something is small, miniature.
- mame
- dentou
電灯
Electric lights. (includes light bulbs.)- hi
灯
A light. A lamp.- chouchin
提灯
A portable light. (literally.)
Paper lamp. Chinese lamp. - keikoutou
蛍光灯
Fluorescent lamp.- keikoukyuu
蛍光球
Fluorescent light bulb.
- keikoukyuu
- hi
火
A fire.- hi
日
The Sun. (which is made out of fire.)
A day.
- hi
- chouchin
- hi
- hikari
光
Light. Illumination.- yami
闇
Darkness.- hikari-mahou to yami-mahou
光魔法と闇魔法
Light magic and dark magic.
- hikari-mahou to yami-mahou
- hikari wo hanatsu
光を放つ
To emit light.
- yami
Nowadays we use this:
Manga: Nichijou 日常 (Episode 1)
- hakkou dioodo
発光ダイオード
Light-emitting diode. LED.- hakkou
発光
Light emission. - hikari wo hassuru
光を発する
To let out light.
- hakkou
In fact, incandescent light bulbs are being phased out worldwide, so maybe there are generations of people that won't really know this sort of lamp. Some of the modern ones do have a similar design, though.
Going back in time, it was Thomas Edison that made incandescent light bulbs a reality.[Early Light Bulbs - ethw.org, accessed 2020-04-01.]
Although he didn't really invent them, the designs that existed previously were impractical due to various reasons. For example, using platinum as filament made it too expensive. One of Edison's attempts, using carbonized cotton filament, lasted only 13.5 hours.
The first practical light bulb, known as the Edison's light bulb, was made using a filament of Japanese bamboo, and lasted up to 1200 hours.
- {Nihon no take kara tsukutta} Ejison no denkyuu
日本の竹から作ったエジソンの電球
The Edison's light bulb, [which] {[he] created from Japanese bamboo}.
Just in case you're wondering how did people have ideas before the lamp was invented: they used torches, like the cavemen they were.
- Context: Suika スイカ has an idea.
- piin!!
ピーン！！
*[torch] lighting up*- taimatsu
松明
Torch.
- taimatsu
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