What Does “Yikes!” or “Sudden Shock” Sound Like in Japanese? Let’s Dive into Anime & Manga!

12/27/202501/02/2026

In English-language anime and manga, sudden and alarming moments are often described with words like “Yikes!”, “Whoa!”, or “Oh no!”

These are the moments when something unexpected happens —
your eyes go wide, your body freezes for a second, maybe you even let out a little gasp or shriek.

But how are these surprise reactions captured in the original Japanese?

Let’s step into the world of anime and manga and discover how Japanese onomatopoeia expresses that burst of shock.

Table of Contents

What Is a “Yikes!” Moment?

It’s that instant of surprise —
when your heart jumps and your voice escapes before you even realize.

In anime and manga, this happens when:

a monster suddenly appears
someone opens a door to a terrifying scene
a character gets caught red-handed
something unexpected (and not so pleasant) shows up

In English, these moments are often described as:

Yikes! – A startled exclamation
Whoa! – A sudden reaction to shock or disbelief
Oh no! – Realizing something bad just happened
Ack! / Gah! – Comedic or exaggerated surprise sounds

So what’s the Japanese word that captures that sudden jolt?

How Is This Feeling Expressed in Japanese?

Japanese often uses onomatopoeia to reflect immediate emotional reactions,
especially in anime and manga — where sound and expression go hand in hand.

The perfect word for that instant, startled reaction is:

“Gyoh!” (ぎょっ！)

It’s the sound of someone reacting instantly to an unexpected situation —
wide eyes, frozen posture, maybe even a little scream.

Let’s hear how it sounds.