How Does Furthermore Affect Character Voice In Manga?

I prefer thinking about this in terms of rhythm and register. When someone uses 'furthermore' in a panel, their speech rhythm shifts: syllables become measured, cadence formal. That affects how readers imagine their mouth moving, their facial expressions, even their posture. In tight, action-heavy manga like 'Attack on Titan', such a word would slow pacing awkwardly; in a cerebral mystery like 'Monster' or 'Death Note' it can underline calculated thinking.

Context and contrast are huge. If every character talks normally and one character sprinkles in 'furthermore', that character instantly stands apart — maybe educated, maybe pretentious, maybe purposely inscrutable. In translation you also juggle target audience expectations: a literal 'furthermore' might please purists but alienate casual readers. Editors often choose alternatives like 'also', 'besides', or a short clause to keep voice consistent with the character's background. I like when creators use that contrast deliberately: a child mimicking adult speech with 'furthermore' is endearing or eerie depending on art.

On a technical level, it's a tool for subtext. Using formal connectors in dialogue can suggest rehearsed speech, propaganda-style rhetoric, or a learned habit. I catch myself smiling when a character's formal diction clashes with their messy actions — it reads as layered characterization rather than a simple vocabulary quirk.

Sometimes I nerd out over linguistic choices, and 'furthermore' is a tiny lever that shifts register and distance. From my perspective, it works best in two places: as part of a narrator's voice or in dialogue for an intentionally formal character. In caption boxes, it signals a removed, almost essay-like tone, which can be great for world-building moments or expository beats where authors want to feel wise or solemn.

On the flip side, using it in regular spoken dialogue risks breaking immersion. Characters who are young, brash, or streetwise suddenly sound weird if they say 'furthermore' instead of 'also' or 'besides'. Translation plays a big role here: Japanese has several connective words ('sore ni', 'mata', 'soshite') that carry different weights, and choosing 'furthermore' is a conscious register decision. As a reader who notices that stuff, I appreciate when the choice matches the art, panel rhythm, and personality of the speaker — otherwise it feels like formal glue stuck into a casual scene, which can be unintentionally funny or jarring.

Short and sharp: 'furthermore' tends to push a character's voice into formal territory. I notice it most when a normally relaxed manga character suddenly starts sounding like they're quoting a report — that switch is either intentionally funny or a translation misfire. In narration it gives weight and distance, which is useful for lore dumps or ominous commentary. For natural dialogue, I usually prefer looser alternatives like 'also' or 'what's more' because they fit faster panel pacing and modern speech better. I like seeing it used deliberately — especially in villainous or pompous characters — since it reads like performance, and that always makes me smile.

Short and sweet: 'furthermore' is a tone needle. Tossed into a line, it immediately signals education, stiffness, or performative logic, and the surrounding visuals decide whether that feels imposing, funny, or cold. I enjoy when manga plays with that expectation — a pompous line followed by a pratfall is comedic gold, while the same phrasing in inner monologue can make a character feel sinisterly composed. Translation choices matter a lot too; keeping or swapping the word can shift the entire personality perceived by readers. Personally, I always notice it and it colors how I hear that character in my head, like tuning a voice from radio static to crystal clear.

It's wild how a single connective like 'furthermore' can shift a whole character's vibe on the page. I love digging into dialogue the way some people collect figurines — tiny word choices reveal personality. If a character repeatedly drops 'furthermore' into speech, readers immediately pick up on formality, pedantry, or theatricality. It reads like a raise of the eyebrow in text: stiff, polished, maybe a little performative. In a bubble next to exaggerated facial art it turns into comedic pomp; in quiet narration it becomes authoritative, almost lecturing.

From my viewpoint, placement matters more than frequency. 'Furthermore' in spoken lines makes characters sound like they're constructing an argument mid-conversation, so it fits professors, lawyers, or pompous villains — think of someone narrating their superiority. But in casual manga settings, like school friends in 'Komi Can't Communicate' or a laid-back crew in 'One Piece', it feels off and breaks immersion. Translators often replace it with contractions or colloquialisms to preserve natural flow. For example, swapping 'furthermore' with 'also' or 'plus' can soften the tone without losing meaning.

Visually, speech bubble size and panel pacing amplify its effect. A long bubble with 'furthermore' slows the reader, demanding attention the way a drawn-out camera shot does in film. Conversely, popping it into a rapid-fire exchange makes that character sound pedantic and out of sync, which can be used intentionally for humor or to underline social distance. Overall, I find the word a tiny lever for big voice choices — it can humanize or alienate a character depending on how you pull it, and that little decision always fascinates me.

I love how tiny language tweaks change a character's vibe. In casual reading, 'furthermore' pops out like an out-of-place tie at a beach party — it's classy and stiff, so I immediately read the speaker as uptight or theatrical. Visually, manga gives you so many clues: linework, facial micro-expressions, speed lines. Tossing a formal connector into a bubbly, frantic scene can create hilarious dissonance. I've laughed at a goofy sidekick who suddenly says 'furthermore' in a grand speech and the panel art makes it 100% meme-worthy.

Beyond comedy, it can be used intentionally to build mystery or distance. If the narration uses 'furthermore' in a slow reveal, I feel like the story is stepping back to offer authoritative commentary. And for villains, that word can add an operatic flair — like they're monologuing in a theater. I also notice font choices: a serif, all-caps caption paired with 'furthermore' reads colder than a handwritten balloon. Small words, big effect — always makes me grin when creators play with that contrast.

I get a weird kick out of tiny words altering a whole scene, and 'furthermore' is one of those sneaky little tools. In manga, tone lives in the speech bubbles and the art together, and dropping a formal connector like 'furthermore' into dialogue instantly raises the register. It can make a character feel pedantic, old-fashioned, or pompous — a professor-type or a scheming noble who likes to show they're above everyone else. That contrast between visual youth (big eyes, energetic poses) and a stiff line of text can be used for comedy or to underline hypocrisy.

Used in narration captions, 'furthermore' tends to make the storytelling voice feel distant and authoritative. If the manga wants an uncanny or literary vibe — think slow, ominous reveals in something like 'Death Note' — that kind of wording deepens the formality and slows pacing. But in casual speech balloons it often sounds stilted unless the character is intentionally formal.

I also pay attention to translation choices: translators sometimes keep 'furthermore' because it mirrors the Japanese phrasing, but readers might prefer something like 'also' or 'what's more' for natural flow. Personally I love when creators and translators play with that tension — it reveals so much about who the character is, just through a single linking word.