Thinking out loud

So, I've been noticing for a while now that a lot of anime/manga characters have the tendency of thinking out loud in public. This will usually result in them being overheard/misheard by someone, and subsequently, bad things (or hilarity) ensues.

Aside from potential plot purpose, I honestly don't understand why someone would start vocalizing their thoughts. It's like they want to announce some deep, dark secret to the world. When I'm alone thinking, I don't just sporadically start saying out loud my thoughts. I can't even imagine how much I would be hated if people overheard some of the things I think about.

I'm not looking to debate some petty issue like this, but it's just something that's been gnawing away at me for a while. It just bugs me how unnatural it sometimes is for characters to say their thoughts out loud.

i suppose its mostly used for humour in animes, as like you said most people tend to think silently, but if everyone were to think silently then it would just get boring and the storywould progress normally without any sort of subplot or deviation from the main storyline

It's called a soliloquy, and I suppose it's just the characters speaking their mind, thoughts and feelings rather than internalizing it, though I have no other reason to back up the point as to why they would do it.

That's the word I'm forgetting. I learned about soliloquies to death when studying Shakespeare in high school too...

I have actually thought aloud but mostly when I'm alone and it seems like it helps me think

Question is, do you think out loud in public about, what usually appears to be, relationship issues?

Me too, learnt it when I had to study Othello.

I did The Tempest, Macbeth, and King Lear.

[size=12]as someone said before, it's mainly used for humour purposes. even for those that sometimes talk or murmur to themselves in public in real life, it's usually as a reminder to themselves and not about their life secrets or relationship drama. i've found myself mumbling about what i need to get at a store and the like, but nothing of that sort, haha. i suppose on the opposite end would be musicals in that everyone belts out their thoughts and feelings in song but the other characters rarely pay mind to it as it's implied to be internal, hm?[/h]

Plot convenience

Besides for plot devices, thinking aloud is much more convenient then thinking to themselves. It's pretty hard to portray a character thinking to themselves and add the audio without making the entire scene look awkward.

I'll do it on occasion too, but the times are limited to when I'm alone in my own room (when I'm frustrated with homework, or angry when gaming).




I beg to differ. There have been many scenes where the thoughts are internalized. The character simply has his hand on his chin and his mouth doesn't move, but we hear his thoughts... at which point, he is promptly interrupted by a friend asking what they are standing around for, or if there is something wrong.

I like to say how I feel to get it out, I don't like to hold things in.