Same Ink, Different Voice: 12 Characters Japanese and Mandarin Write the Same but Say Differently (Watercolor Mini-Manga)

Japanese 床 is the floor. Chinese 床 is the bed. Guess where your guest is sleeping tonight.

Same Ink, Different Voice is a 15-page watercolor mini-manga about two friends, a Japanese student and a Chinese student. They share a notebook, a city and a surprising number of characters that look identical but sound different, and sometimes mean completely different things.

Each page covers one character or word:
• Japanese side: kana reading plus romaji, with the meaning
• Mandarin side: pinyin with tone marks, with the meaning
• A one-line mix-up the two friends walk straight into

Inside: 山 · 水 · 月 · 走 · 床 · 机 · 娘 · 丈夫 · 大丈夫 · 老婆 · 人参 · 大家, plus an "all 12 at a glance" cheat sheet at the back.

It works for Japanese learners curious about Chinese, Mandarin learners curious about Japanese, and anyone who loves a good false friend. Every character shown is written identically in modern Japanese and Simplified Chinese.

Made with AI assistance: watercolor scenes were AI-generated, and all text, readings and layout were added and double-checked separately. Characters are fictional.

Also on BOOTH (Japan, ¥600): https://dylan2045ad.booth.pm/items/8959281