Representation of Characters’ Directed relationships in Comics with Speech-roles

Abstract

This paper describes a novel way to represent characters’ relationships in comics: as edges of directed graphs labeled with speech-role frequency distribution. In comics, the story progresses through characters’ actions and speeches. The relationships of characters are usually represented as non-directed: e.g., they are “lovers,” or “friends.” However, directionality is an essential component of complicated relationships; the combination of directed relationships often determines the attractiveness of a story. In this study, relationships between characters are assumed to be directed, and are further specified using speech roles: the types of speech that pass between two characters can typify their relationship. This idea has been realized experimentally, and its accuracy has been verified against subjective evaluation by readers. We also suggest the use of directed relationships for analogy retrieval of characters. These methods should be applicable in fields other than comics.