Manga Manga with Masks

[Roxie Faye]

[color=#9933ff]I was recently perusing the Otaku Lounge when I encountered BlueMoon, whose signature includes a banner of Syaoran and Sakura from Tsubasa Reservior Chronicles.

Syaoran has this weird mask thingy on his face, and it reminded me of the masks that the members of Kryptonbrand wear in the new Weiss Side B manga (published only in Japanese, in the Zero Sum manga anthology, although it's been serialized now. Scanlations are also available at hopeforlorn.net). Here's a link to a side B gallery, so you can see what the heck I'm talking about: [url]http://hopeforlorn.net/sidebgallery.html[/url].

The similarity in the masks kinda got me thinking about masks in manga (okay, and anime, but my two examples were manga). While not exactly popular, it's certainly not unheard of.

What mangas (or animes, I suppose....) do you know that have characters who wear real masks? (*coughBleachHollowscough*)
What do you think of artists who use masks in their mangas? Pointless or purposeful?

For example, I think the Side B masks, while really cool looking, are pretty pointless. The men (yes, they're ALL men) are supposed to be assassins, but I think the masks actually attract attention to them. Not to mention, if you're running around London wielding a Katana you've [i]named[/i] after your sensei, you're gonna be conspicuous. >_>;[/color]

[GTK]

Some of the Proxy in Ergo Proxy have "masks"... I'm not sure they actually serve a purpose though ^^; because the Proxy seem to be totaly different/unrecognizable anyway *shrugs*

I also think Jing (King of Bandit Jing) wore a mask briefly in either the anime or manga, which is simular to Sora's mask from the Halloween Town stage in Kingdom Hearts. I don't remember the context though ^^; But I'm pretty sure it was just for looks since people generally know who he is anyway.

I think there was a rabbit mask in an issue of Count Cain/God Child that the killer in that particular story wore, but I don't remember much other than that. It actually did hide the identity of said killer though....at least for a little while~

San from Princess Mononoke also wore a mask, but I don't know if it actually served a purpose?

I really like masks T_T but I don't remember seeing them often in anime/manga/etc. aside from the noh/kitsune/I seem to have gone brain dead and don't remember what to call them masks that ninja sometimes wear (like in Naruto?)... I've seen images of plague masks (or something simular) in some japanese art, but I don't know if they've ever actually been used in an anime or manga?

[Delta]

[COLOR=#656446]I am subscribe to the school of thought which proposes that masks help hide faces that can distract a thousand fangirls/boys, thus effectively rendering useless whatever plot the mangaka has in her/his mind. This theory is supported by the masked charmers:[list][*] Meister Kirisaki of [i]Yakitate!! Japan[/i]
[*] That Silver Wheel masked guy of [i]Pumpkin Scissors[/i]
[*] Tohda from [i]Yami no Matsuei[/i]
[*] Zechs Merquise of [i]Gundam Wing[/i] [size=1]Anime, yes, but it works into the theory. [/size]
[*] Oh and with #3, perhaps we can add Quattro Bajeena and every masked man in his long train of incarnations in other series.
[*] and maybe manga (read: hentai/yaoi) adaptations of the Phantom[/list]

[quote name='GTK']I think there was a rabbit mask in an issue of Count Cain/God Child that the killer in that particular story wore, but I don't remember much other than that. It actually did hide the identity of said killer though....at least for a little while~ [/quote] I believe that was the Alice-Tea Party thingy. Yeah, and it was the [spoiler]spoiled kid's father, right?[/spoiler] Ahh, that was a good manga.
[/COLOR]

[BlueMoon]

You mean mine? *laughs* Unless someone has the same banner as me. I have to say, it's one of my favorite images.

The first masks I thought of, though, were from DNAngel. Such a great manga, I wish it would continue. But at any rate, there's a really nice image of Dark wearing half of a Krad mask. I always thought that image was really interesting, because since Dark and Krad are other halves, it made me think maybe Krad was really just Dark's mask. Crazy theories. There was also a case about masks in that manga but it's been awhile so I don't quite remember the details. It did highlight the way masks conceal the truth, though.

Of course, there's always metaphorical masks but if we listed the manga characters who wear those, we'll be here awhile.

[Roxie Faye]

[color=#9933ff]*Blinks at your username* O_o; I thought you'd changed it or something! I dunno what happened. *goes back and edits first post* But yeah, I meant yours, BlueMoon.

And yeah, I was also trying to emphasize the physical masks. If I hear one more time that Duo Maxwell is wearing a mask for all the world, I think I'll smack someone. -.-;

Delta - haven't heard of those examples except GW and YnM, but I'll take your word for it.

GTK - the rabbit mask!!! I completely forgot about that one! (And I'm such a big Count Cain fan. ><)[/color]

[Dagger]

[url=http://www.famitsu.com/anime/news/2007/03/08/681,1173289974,68189,0,0.html][u]This dude[/u][/url] has a mask. Of course, he's from an anime, and it's not even one that's aired yet, so maybe it's not the best example...

- Why has no one mentioned Tuxedo Kamen!? For shame!
- Papillon in Busou Renkin wears a butterfly mask.
- There's a mask-sporting character in Tantei Gakuen Q (he never shows up in the anime version, however).
- Lelouch/Zero in Code Geass wears a mask. Okay, I know that from the anime, but it's been made into a couple of manga as well, so bringing him up isn't exactly cheating.

That's all I've got, I'm afraid. :animeswea It's safe to say that the majority of masks in anime & manga are the decorative masquerade ball sort of item--even if their wearers try to pretend otherwise.

~Dagger~

[GTK]

...Keiko Kamen wears a mask *shot dead*



Lucy from Elfin Lied wore a mask in the intro, but I can't remember if it was supposed to do anything?

I also totally forgot about Larva from Miyu, but I didn't read/watch enough of Vampire Princess Miyu to figure out if he wore the mask for a reason?

There's also the dude from Utawarerumono... I think he just sort of woke up with the mask on though? And he can't remember anything about it... I didn't watch much of the anime ^^; (hahahahaa, I'm willing to wager the mask is to help fanboys who play ero games put themselves in the role of the main character XP )

..Does School Swimsuit Mask from Air Gear count? *laughs* She wore that to hide who she was, but it all the important characters figured it out anyway XD

It's based on a video game... but Luc in the Suikoden III manga wears a mask (I think to hide who he was, though I can't remember if his identify actually had anything to do with plot... because he was known for the beginning half of the game as "masked man" instead).

[BlueMoon]

[QUOTE]This dude has a mask. Of course, he's from an anime, and it's not even one that's aired yet, so maybe it's not the best example...

- Why has no one mentioned Tuxedo Kamen!? For shame![/QUOTE]

Ahh, you're right, Dagger! I can't believe I forgot Tuxedo Kamen. That's sort of obvious, too. Also, that anime looks beautiful, especially the mask wearing guy.

Hmm...I keep thinking that Kaitou Kid from Detective Conan (Case Closed) had a mask but I can't remember. I'm pretty sure at one point he did.

This is making me realize there is a sad lack of awesome masks in both manga and anime. I really love masks, too.

[Rachmaninoff]

[quote name='BlueMoon']Hmm...I keep thinking that Kaitou Kid from Detective Conan (Case Closed) had a mask but I can't remember. I'm pretty sure at one point he did. [/quote]Actually what I've seen has shown him wearing an single eye piece, and not a full mask.

Also didn't Sailor Venus have her own manga called Sailor V where she wore a type of mask? Before she became part of Sailor Moon?

As for the mask thing in general, I rather like it when some of them use it, though I've seen so little that actually does use masks in the show or manga.