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TRSI sent me an email last week, with an ad for a book about Japanese gestures in it. It just so happened that this very gesture was on the cover:

which has nothing to do with Atom's hairstyle, but, rather indicates anger. The book identifies it as OKANMURI, which refers to the horns of an Oni (Ogre). It always means someone else is angry. In the episode above, the man indicates that Pook (the Transformation robot is angry.

Yup, the Japanese have a lot of non-verbal hand gestures to get what they mean across. This gesture is also used in South Korea (not sure about other parts of Asia) and is quite charming.

My expressions book calls this jan ken; it is rock, paper, scissors.

Atom and Coby threw out paper to Uran’s scissor. Now that should have been obvious I guess.

Hee hee! I like how Atom and Cobalt have four fingers but Uran has inferred five fingers.

I had not even noticed that, Earthshine; yet it is clear.

It's a little goof but it's charming. Perhaps intentional?

"Earthshine" wrote:It's a little goof but it's charming. Perhaps intentional?

I think I remember rare instances in both the '63 anime and the manga where Atom is drawn with five fingers. Almost never in a fist though.

Common Japanese hand gestures