The Chinese classic novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms has been reinterpreted by various authors and adapted into different media. In the novel, character images were shaped and the peculiarity of the characters’ characteristics was depicted by describing their behavior. This study uses Eastern and Western narrative theories to classify the character development (characterization) methods that various creators employed on this Chinese story in three distinct media (i.e., novel, antique book with illustrations, and temple painting). Thus, this study aims to identify the creation processes involved in characterization when adapting a literary work with substantial textual content. By integrating the results on Eastern and Western narratology approaches, a characterization method for the preproduction stage of animation was proposed. This explanation may serve as a reference for animation education and for creativity practices.
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