The notion that arousal or excitement induces bloody noses (hanaji or “鼻血”) isn’t just part of anime or manga iconography. It’s also become an old wives’ tale of sorts.

Among its titles are dystopian sci-fi tale Search and Destroy by Atsushi Kaneko, along with Gigatown: A Guide to Manga Symbols, a whimsical explanation of manga iconography by Fumiyo Kouno.