On July 8, 2026, a post titled "Why do many people prefer drawing in the style of Japanese manga?" appeared on China's SNS Xiaohongshu (RED), attracting attention from Chinese netizens.

The poster asked, "I'm genuinely curious about something. Why do so many artists prefer drawing in the Japanese manga style? I draw in the American comic book style, so I'd like to hear what others think."

In response, Chinese netizens posted comments citing cuteness and their own aesthetic sensibilities as reasons, such as: "Because it's simply cute," "Because it looks good and matches the aesthetic sense of many people," "I think it suits the tastes of many people because it's cute and visually appealing. Fewer people accept realistic art styles," "Maybe it's because it suits my taste. I just can't get into American comic book style," "I'm also not a fan of American comic book style. I only start to like the art style if the work itself is appealing," and "The art style of Japanese manga is appealing with its expressions that omit or deform information, and I also like the delicate atmosphere of the characters. Recently, because I have a favorite work, I tried my best to watch American comic book style, but I just couldn't get into it."

Additionally, views were prominent that the environment of growing up familiar with Japanese manga influences aesthetic sensibilities, such as: "Japanese manga is advanced, and many people have grown up watching Japanese manga since childhood, so it forms the foundation of their aesthetic sense," and "Chinese animation is also influenced by Japanese manga, so even people who have never seen Japanese manga feel a familiarity with the art style. For me personally, familiar things give me a sense of security."

Furthermore, there were also a series of comments pointing out differences in character design itself between Japanese manga and American comics, such as: "American comic character designs don't really have that 'beautiful' feel like Japanese manga," and "Many young Chinese women prefer 'beautiful,' 'cute,' and 'refreshing' types. Japanese manga male characters fit those preferences, but I feel there aren't many such types in American comics."

Additionally, some comments cited ease of drawing and differences in expressive methods as reasons, such as: "It's simple and easy to draw, and the barrier to entry is low," "I like Japanese manga style because it skillfully deforms faces to make them look more appealing," and "Many people find cute things easy to accept and easy to draw. American comic book style requires more fundamental drawing skill and color sense." (Translation/Editing by Iwata)