Soap Bubbles Background Effect

In manga and anime, sometimes light circles are used as a background effect to make a picture prettier, creating a calming or endearing mood in romantic or moe 萌え situations, or in panning fanservice shots (stitches). In manga, they're often drawn using dots, while in anime they often accompany sparkles and other effects.

• shabon-dama
  シャボン玉
  Soap bubbles. A term for this effect in Japanese.^{(tonbi.jp:シャボン)}

Character: Anzu, アンズ
Anime: Hinamatsuri ヒナまつり (Episode 6)

• Examples
  • With Sparkles
    • Kanada Light Flare
  • With Flowers
• References

Examples

For reference, some examples:

Manga: Aho Girl, Aho Gāru アホガール (Volume 1, Chapter 3, Page 26)

• Context: Akkun あっくん, who doesn't have friends, makes his first friends.
• genki...... dashite kudasai ne?
  元気･･････出して下さいね？
  [Cheer up,] okay?
• yoshi yoshi
  よしよし
  [There there].
• yokatta nee Akkun
  よかったねーあっくん
  [Isn't that great,] Akkun.
• nadenade
  なでなで
  *pat pat*
  (reduplication.)
  • naderu
    撫でる
    To pat. To caress.
  • See also: head pat.
• ...yasashisa ga tsurai...
  ･･･優しさがつらい･･･
  ...kindness [hurts]...

Manga: Kemono Michi けものみち (Chapter 5)

• Context: Hanako 花子, a voracious dragon girl, wants to devour Shibata Genzou 柴田源蔵.
• itsuka Genzou-sama wo ajimi sasete wa moraemasen ka? (shokuyoku-teki na imi de)
  いつか源蔵様を味見させてはもらえませんか？（食欲的な意味で）
  Genzou-sama, someday won't [you] let [me] have a taste of [you]? (in the appetite sense.)
• (sei-teki na imi de) ajimi ka......
  （性的な意味で）味見か･･････
  (In the sexual sense) have a taste, huh......
• o, omae ga otona ni natte kara na?
  お　お前が大人になってからな？
  A... after you become an adult, okay?

Manga: Saiki Kusuo no Psi-Nan, 斉木楠雄のΨ難 (Chapter 163, オーラΨ（サイ）トをかいくぐれ！)

• hanarero yo oi!!
  離れろよオイ！！
  Let go of [me], hey!!
• Mikoto tte yonde yoo~~
  命って呼んでよぉ～
  Call me Mikoto~~
• atashi tsuyoi otoko suki nanda yo ne~~♡
  アタシ強い男好きなんだよね～～♡
  I like strong men~~♡
• chou do-emu dashii~~
  超ドＭだしィ～～
  [I] am a ultra, super masochist~~
• shiranee yo! ii kara hanarero!!
  知らねーよ！いいから離れろ！！
  [I don't care!] [Just] let go of [me]!!

With Sparkles

Character: Aurora Suya Rhys Kaymin オーロラ・栖夜・リース・カイミーン
Anime: Maoujou de Oyasumi 魔王城でおやすみ (Episode 1)

• Context: a negao 寝顔, "sleeping face."

Character: Anzu, アンズ
Anime: Hinamatsuri ヒナまつり (Episode 6)

• Context: an egao 笑顔, "smiling face," and also nakigao 泣き顔, "crying face."

Left: Asaka Karin 朝香果林
Right: Ayanokouji Himeno 綾小路姫乃
Anime: Love Live! Nijigasaki Gakuen School Idol Doukoukai, ラブライブ！ 虹ヶ咲学園スクールアイドル同好会 (Episode 11, Stitch)

• Context: an agokui 顎クイ, "chin hold."

Left: Adenela, アデネラ
Right: Seiya Ryuuguuin 竜宮院聖哉
Anime: Shinchou Yuusha 慎重勇者 (Episode 7, Stitch, Cropped)

• Context: a head pat (atama nade-nade 頭なでなで).

Character: Kaidou Shun 海藤瞬
Anime: Saiki Kusuo no Ψ-nan 2 斉木楠雄のΨ難 2 (Episode 11, Censored)

• NSFW: hand holding (te-tsunagi 手つなぎ).

Character: Ayasaki Hayate 綾崎ハヤテ
Anime: Hayate no Gotoku! ハヤテのごとく！ (Episode 8, Stitch)

• Context: a character crossdressing as a cat girl.

Character: Konoe Subaru 近衛スバル
Anime: Mayo Chiki! まよチキ！ (Episode 6, Stitch)

• Context: a china dress cosplay.

Character: Mavis von Austien メーヴィス・フォン・オースティン
Anime: Watashi, Nouryoku wa Heikinchi de tte Itta yo ne! 私、能力は平均値でって言ったよね！ (Episode 9)

• Context: wardrobe damage. i.e. fuku-biri 服ビリ, "cloth [torn] in pieces."

Character: Ibaraki-douji 茨木童子
Anime: Onigiri 鬼斬 (Episode 13, Stitch)

• Context: heterochromatic pseudo-cat girl wearing a naked apron.

Character: Sexy Jaguar, セクシージャガー (Kaizaki Nao 貝崎名緒)
Anime: Hisone to Maso-tan ひそねとまそたん (Episode 4)

• Context: a tehepero テヘペロ pose with a horizontal peace sign (yoko-piisu 横ピース).

Character: Souryuuin Akemi 奏流院朱美
Anime: Dumbbell Nan Kilo Moteru? ダンベル何キロ持てる？ (Episode 1)

• Context: heart eyes (haato-me ハート目), symbolizing she has fallen in love with someone.

Character: Incubus インキュバス
Anime: Yondemasu yo, Azazel-san. Z, よんでますよ、アザゼルさん。Z (Season 2) (Episode 12)

• Context: a monster boy using his charms.

Kanada Light Flare

By the way, when the bubble is next to a cross (+ or X) drawn on a metallic object to make it shiny, that's called a Kanada hikari 金田光り, "Kanada light [flare]."^{(dic.pixiv.net:金田光り)}

Top-left: Simon シモン
Top-right: "village chief," sonchou 村長
Middle-left: Kamina カミナ
Middle-right: Gunman, ガンメン
Bottom-left: Yoko Littner, ヨーコ・リットナー
Bottom-right: Viral, ヴィラル
Anime: Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, 天元突破グレンラガン (Episodes 1, 2, 3)

With Flowers

Character: Harpy, ハーピィ
Anime: Maoujou de Oyasumi 魔王城でおやすみ (Episode 5)

• Context: mixed with a flower background effect, implying the character's personality is peaceful, fuzzy, carefree.

Left: Keith Claes, キース・クラエス
Right: Nicol Ascart, ニコル・アスカルト
Anime: Otome Game no Hametsu Flag Shika Nai Akuyaku Reijou ni Tensei Shiteshimatta…, 乙女ゲームの破滅フラグしかない悪役令嬢に転生してしまった… (Episode 3, Stitch)

• Context: a gay ship (BL), accompanied by a rose background effect.

Character: Mary Hunt メアリ・ハント
Anime: Otome Game no Hametsu Flag Shika Nai Akuyaku Reijou ni Tensei Shiteshimatta…, 乙女ゲームの破滅フラグしかない悪役令嬢に転生してしまった… (Episode 2)

• Context: heart eyes accompanied by roses.

Character: Veronica Vasilyevna Vonitsky ヴェロニカ・ワシーリエヴナ・ヴォイニーツカヤ
Anime: Onigiri 鬼斬 (Episode 4)

• Context: a tehe pero accompanied by roses.

References

• シャボン - tonbi.jp, accessed 2020-03-31.
• 金田光り - dic.pixiv.net, accessed 2021-07-23.