Anime Self Reference

[KhakiBlueSocks]

I was watching Fruits Basket the other day and I noticed that during the first fight between Haru and Kyo, Tohru watches on and says something to the tune of "This has become a fighting anime!" I thought it was hillarious that the characters knew they were on a cartoon, and I only recall it being done one other time in FLCL!


Other than these two examples, has any other cartoon ever acknowledged that they were an anime?

[bigsleepj]

Technically, these are called metareferences, I think. It also considered "breaking the fourth wall" when the metaphorical wall between the audience and the story is broken.

In Trigun there's an episode where Vash exclaims at one point "Wait! That's the only screen-time I get?" (or something similar).

[GrubbTheFragger]

also in fruits basket on the first episode when Kyo and Yuki are racing they get tripped by shagure and he looks at the camera and says something like now kids don't try that at home this is a cartoon. I lost it

[AngelSakura]

Oh, this happens way too much to really list everything I've noticed. XD There's an episode of New Lupin III (the series shown on Adult Swim) where Jigen watches something happens and uses it as an example of why he hates cartoons. Happened all the time in FLCL, as our man KhakiBlueSocks said. And of course, there's the mighty Otaku no Video, which was almost nothing but references.

[Kale]

This happens also in Ouran High School Host Club...

Tamaki pronounces that (this is off the top of my head) "This anime is about comedy and romance, so..." etc.


It was really funny, actually...

[Mangafanatic]

This happens also in Ouran High School Host Club...

Tamaki pronounces that (this is off the top of my head) "This anime is about comedy and romance, so..." etc.

There is, actually, some debate whether this ias a breaking of the fourth wall or not. It seems like he was actually just saying "If this was a comedy and romance anime. . ." rather than "This is a comedy and romance anime."

But that was so off topic. I haven't seen very many fourth wall moments. The one mentioned in Host club is the one that comes to mind, whether it's the breaking of the fourth wall or not.

[TheMelodyMaker]

There was one episode of Hamtaro in which Laura has just walked out of a music store, and on the wall behind her there's a poster advertising the Hamtaro soundtrack.

In one of the Sailor Moon movies I've seen, Serena could be heard humming the Sailor Moon theme song.

That's about as self-referenced as I can think of.

[Tommy]

Taken from BoBoBo-BoBo-BoBo:

Don Patch- Okay, today we are going to be reading fanletters out loud and I will judge them of how good they are by giving them a rank of gold, silver, and bronze.

*9 out of 10 of them bash Don so most are in Bronze*
*Don comes across a letter having nothing to do with him*
*Puts it in "Gold Box" BoBoBo was holding.*

BoBoBo-And I thought the only gold award would be one demanding more lines for Don Patch.

This was in the middle of a fight!

My favorite.:

Don and BoBoBo meet a cute villianess and writer her notes.

Will you go out with me?
-Don

*Girl crumples note*

Will you go out with me?
-BoBoBo

*Girl Crumples Note*

Character with key who the villianess finds attractive writes her a note.

Cindy, please return episode 18 of BoBoBo
-Key Guy

[Nightshade X]

I think I remember hearing about a self-reference in Excel Saga, but I don't remember what it was...

I also know of a special intro from Naruto (you'd only be able to see it in the fansub, though) where everybody acts as though they were actual stars playing a role in the show. Does anyone remember that and would that even count?

[KhakiBlueSocks]

also in fruits basket on the first episode when Kyo and Yuki are racing they get tripped by shagure and he looks at the camera and says something like now kids don't try that at home this is a cartoon. I lost it

Are you sure you're not talking about HARU tripping Kyo in his premiere episode? If memory serves, he did turn to the camera and said something to the tune of "Don't Try This At Home".

[Mr. SmartyPants]

Called breaking the 4th wall sort of.

Freakazoid is famous for breaking the 4th wall. Which is a reason why I love freakazoid. Malcolm in the Middle does it too.

Yakitate!! Japan does it sometimes too. Especially when
[spoiler]Kawachi confronted Detective Conan for a sorta-spoof episode[/spoiler]

[Lynx]

for some reason i wanna say nadesico had self references. i dont remember tho.

[mitsuki lover]

The Trigun ep. in question is Little Arcadia.It's the first of three episodes on the
Angel Arms DVD.It's one of the only ones that feature Meryl and Millie on a solo
adventure.Vash's statement comes at the end of the ep.

[Godly Paladin]

Spike and Jet refer to 'the show' and viewer demographics, as well as an episode being 'an anime for all ages' in one of the episode previews in Cowboy Bebop.

[GrubbTheFragger]

Spike and Jet refer to 'the show' and viewer demographics, as well as an episode being 'an anime for all ages' in one of the episode previews in Cowboy Bebop.

yep thats the preview for the second episode.

spike: its for all ages
Jet: oh come on all ages
spike: well yea the younger ones might want to sit a little far away from the tv
jet: how far
spike; 1/4 of a mile

[rocklobster]

I have the first issue of All-New Tenchi Muyo. They do this too. Ayeka sees Ryoko drinking and reminds her she's in a comic targeted at adolescents.
Also, I remember Cromartie High has a warning for every episode telling you not to do anything these people do because the cast members are all idiots. "I mean it! Don't do it! It's a bad idea!" That was the only time I ever laughed at the show.

[RedMage]

I'm not sure that I would consider Tohru's line you mentioned in the first post a breaking of the fourth wall. She only said it's like a fighting anime, not that the anime she's aware she's in has become a fighting anime...if that made any sense.

MelodyMaker mentions Serena humming the Sailor Moon theme in one of the SM movies. If memory serves, Serena and one of her friends actually sing the theme song while practicing for a talent contest in a first season episode. I always assumed this was a dub change to avoid having to use any Japanese music, though I could be wrong.

Generally, I dislike it when they incorporate theme music into the show that way. The only exception I can think of which I didn't mind is when Yurika sings the ending theme in the beauty pageant episode of Martian Successor Nadesico, because it seemed they had planned and intended it that way and not just threw it in like in the Sailor Moon scene I described.

[Debitt]

Called breaking the 4th wall sort of.

Breaking the fourth wall isn't addressing being in an anime/play/book/etc, it's speaking directly to the audience of said media. The "fourth wall" is considered to be the space between the stage and the audience, while the other three are back stage, stage left, and stage right.

ANYWAY! My favorite instance of a manga self reference has to be from the first page of Dragon Knights. Immediately Rath tells Rune to "calm down and tell the readers what's going on!"

It's too bad they never did goofy stuff like that after the first volume.

[ClosetOtaku]

The English script version of Ghost Stories does it constantly.

Fushigi Yugi does so once or twice, as I recall.

Excel Saga is a parody of anime, so it is only natural that it would spoof itself -- not certain that it breaks the fourth wall in the traditional sense, but is certainly an example of self-awareness.

[ChronoShinobi]

I remember Takashi in the DNAngel manga having his speech cut short by another character because "hey, this is a kids' manga!". That wasn't in the anime though.

And yes, there was an episode of naruto where naruto "accidentally" starts the anime a half hour early. It was amusing because kakashi appears and says "hey naruto, what are you doing? Prince of Tennis is supposed to be on now. You're going to have to entertain the audiance for a half hour now, until we're ready." Then Sakura shows up in curlers and smacks naruto, then gets all embarassed at being seen like that... Yeah, that will be cut in the dub.

[Aka-chan]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWp0PlMMSpU Here's the Excel Saga moment people seem to be referring to a lot...

[Mave]

One of the best that comes to my mind is in Jubei-Chan. There was once the ruffian trio (yeah those 3 guys) were drawn terribly in a scribble-like fashion.

"Ahhhh, why are we drawn so horribly!!!???"

"We're no longer important to the show so no one cares to draw us properly! That's why!"

"(in unison) Waaahhhhh..........."

Thought it was pretty funny the first time. But then, they tried to pull the same move 2-3 times later on. Oh well.

[ChristianKitsune]

I know that Duel Masters did that A LOT..I didn't watch much of that anime but what I did watch was freaking hilarious!!!!!!

Also in the new FF Advent Children movie this one guy has this cell phone and it goes off as the FF Fight Music...totally cracked me up.

[Mr. SmartyPants]

One of the best that comes to my mind is in Jubei-Chan. There was once the ruffian trio (yeah those 3 guys) were drawn terribly in a scribble-like fashion.

"Ahhhh, why are we drawn so horribly!!!???"

"We're no longer important to the show so no one cares to draw us properly! That's why!"

"(in unison) Waaahhhhh..........."

Thought it was pretty funny the first time. But then, they tried to pull the same move 2-3 times later on. Oh well.

I LOOOVVEE Jubei-Chan!

[Bobtheduck]

The one that stands out is Kodocha, in both the manga and the anime, Sana says "This is a shoujo manga/anime!" in protest to fighting.

About that excel scene (thanks for the link, BTW) the actress who plays Excel is the same Actress who plays Usagi (Sailor Moon) which makes that scene a whole lot funnier for old moonies like me...

Not quite the same thing, but in Nadesico, there are constant insults to anime fans, to anime, etc...

Well, this is more of a "take that, dubbies" but in Gunnm, Gally says something to the effect of "Alita? That's a strange name" or "Who's Alita" or something... That's because her character in the English Dub was named Alita (Battle Angel Alita)

Along those lines, in the last episode of Sailormoon R, someone says "Luna didn't scout us, Usagi" and despite ADV using the word "recruit" she actually says the word "Scout" (sukauto) in Engrish, so it's sorta hard to dismiss. Of course, this came BEFORE the show started to run in the US, so it's just a really funny coincidence (Sailormoon came to the states in 95, when Stars had just hit the airwaves in Japan)

[Nate]

Further in the dub lines, in one of the first episodes of Sailor Moon (the talent show one), Serena turns to the viewer and says something along the lines of "If you see Luna around, be sure and tell me."

Of course, in the original, Usagi never did this.

[indyrocker]

In Love Hina at the end of one ep I know kentaro says somthing to the efect of "what do you expect a hot chick to come walking into the hotsprings every episoid? *door opens* *kentaro loooks saprized* Miha *Oh look it's Tama*" so ya that was rather amusing while in another ep naro goes on breafly about how she got a voice acting part in some anime about a guy maniging a all girls dorm to which kateiro replys "that sounds perverted" so that was just amusing.

[Splitter 2.0]

FLCL broke the fourth wall as well. One of my favorite moments of the series was actually when Haruko was explaining to Naota how to use to his guitar and he turns to the camera and says "Does anyone out there understand this at all?"

[uc pseudonym]

I think I will be the first person to say that I really don't like it when an anime or manga does this. The fourth wall (and I really do mean the fourth wall) is there for a reason, people. Some people say this as though it is a bad thing, but I do like it when something takes itself seriously.

But, to add to the topic, in Gin Tama there are the following lines in the first issue:
"Hey! You only protected us for one page!"
"Shut up! One page is a long time for a manga artist!"

Also in the new FF Advent Children movie this one guy has this cell phone and it goes off as the FF Fight Music...totally cracked me up.

Now this was pretty funny. It strikes me as an entirely different category from the above.

[rocklobster]

Please Save My Earth V. 4 has my favorite self-reference in a manga. Alice's younger brother Hajime says "You know Alice, your life is your own. It's all you got. It doesn't belong to Rin, or Hiwatari [note: Hiwatari is Saki Hiwatari, the manga-ka], or Hakusensha [note: the manga's Japanese publisher], or Viz!" I think the editor must've inserted the "or Viz" part.