A collection of famous quotes by manga characters that color our works and illuminate our lives!

10 years as a kindergarten teacher / elementary school teacher / junior and senior high school teacher / childminderkepiko
Graduated from Kunitachi College of Music, Faculty of Music (now: Department of Music Culture and Education, Early Childhood Music Education major). In elementary school, my homeroom teacher was Jun Kusaba, a game researcher. After graduating from university, I worked as a kindergarten teacher for 10 years and as an after-school childcare instructor for 7 years, then took a position as a music teacher at an international school in Singapore. In addition to music education, I engaged in activities that introduced Japanese culture, traditional games, and recreational activities, working with many children. Later, through freelance writing, planning, and editing at Shogakukan, I met many delightful adults and experienced the joy of communicating and sharing. Drawing on the perspective cultivated in the field of education and my experience as an editor, I provide practical information with an emphasis on both input and output, mainly in areas related to music and children. My hobbies include instruments, singing, handicrafts, toys, drawing, traditional games, the outdoors, and books. My special skill is spinning-top tricks.

There used to be lots of stories about parents scolding kids for reading too many manga, but nowadays manga is recognized as a culture Japan can proudly present to the world.

And not only as a cultural product—words born from its profound stories and compelling characters can sometimes light the way in our lives.

So this time, we’re introducing memorable quotes from manga characters!

From lines that color the story to ones you might apply to real life, we’ve compiled a wide-ranging list you won’t want to miss!

Color your creations and illuminate your life! A collection of memorable quotes by manga characters (1–10)

Give it your all without overthinking it! Sometimes an unexpected path will open up.NEW!Doraemon

This line conveys the idea that action comes before overthinking, and that the path forward opens up once you move.

It expresses that when you get caught up in unnecessary thoughts, you can’t give your all; if you first act with full effort without overthinking, the chances of a good path opening up increase.

It also suggests that by taking action—giving it your all—you may find a path you never would have thought of while you were stuck worrying.

It’s a phrase that radiates drive, saying that needless thoughts only get in the way of doing your best.

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An overly grand resolution will surely fizzle out in three days.NEW!Doraemon

It’s a starkly realistic message that suggests if your resolve is too grand, you’re more likely to give up quickly.

It also conveys the idea that it’s better to start with small goals and build on them; that approach is more likely to work.

Even when setting big goals, it makes you realize how important it is to set smaller milestones along the way and achieve them little by little.

Within words that seem to cut to the bone, there’s a proposal for improving how we think—a gentleness that offers guidance.

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If the whole of Japan sank to your level, it would be the end of the world.NEW!Doraemon

These are Doraemon’s scathing words to Nobita, who tried to use a gadget to bring the intelligence of all Japanese people down to his own level.

The phrasing conveys how low Nobita’s level is, and the way Doraemon says it—directly, though troubled—adds a comedic touch.

It not only rejects the idea of lowering abilities to the least capable, but also conveys the message that it’s precisely because everyone’s abilities differ that mutual support sustains the world as it is.

It teaches us not to judge things solely by differences in ability, but to recognize those differences as important.

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Colors our works and illuminates our lives! A collection of famous quotes by manga characters (11–20)

The future keeps changing a lot with just the slightest trigger.NEW!Doraemon

These words speak to how the future can change, which also ties into why Doraemon came to the present.

They express the idea that the future branches into countless possibilities through the small choices of everyday life—that little triggers can keep reshaping what lies ahead.

Seeing the future as a collection of all possible choices also makes the potential for a better future feel more tangible.

Because even small things can change the future, the words also come across as a message that we should always make choices we won’t regret.

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If you keep acting like who you want to be, someday it might become real, right? You want to become the you you want to be, right?NEW!Futaba Yoshioka

These are straightforward, soul-stirring words spoken by Futaba Yoshioka, the protagonist of the hugely popular manga Ao Haru Ride.

For people who have dived into a new environment and are acting out an ideal version of themselves—telling themselves they must be this way—and getting exhausted, these words are the perfect quote to help you recognize that you’re in the process of becoming your true self.

Starting with “pretending” to be who you want to be is the very moment you start to change.

Don’t lie to the version of yourself that’s stretching to grow—keep these words as your charm and do your best.

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One of my strengths is that I know when to give up.NEW!Nobi Nobita

This is a forceful line from Nobita that boldly declares a flaw to be a strength—so boldly it can even feel a bit contrived.

Saying “I give up quickly” usually brings a bad image to mind, but if you think of it as being good at switching gears and quickly moving on to the next thing, it starts to sound positive, doesn’t it? The idea of giving up on what won’t work right away, or relying on others for what you can’t do yourself, also conveys an awareness of one’s own capabilities.

It’s a message that conveys a forward-looking attitude—deliberately expressing something negative in a positive way.

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To fully do what you want to do, you also have to fully do what you don’t want to do.NEW!Tsutomu Komano

These words, spoken by Tsutomu Komano in the film Chihayafuru, are empowering when you’re ready to move from reality toward your goals.

It’s not telling you to simply endure; rather, when you discover your goals or dreams for the future and start running toward them, there may be times when it feels tough or you want to quit.

But by not running away and seeing it through, you can get closer to your goal and gain skills along the way.

These words will serve as encouragement for anyone about to take on a big challenge.

Keep them as a charm and do your best as you head toward the future.

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