History ImaginaryFriend / AnimeAndManga

* In ''LightNovel/{{Haganai}}'', Yozora has an imaginary air friend she calls "Tomo-chan". She talks to it as if it were real, which surprises Kodaka when he first sees her at school. She later references Tomo-chan again when they sing karaoke, which Kodaka says she shouldn't be counting her air friend as a second person.

* ''{{Manga/Noramimi}}'' features existing "imaginary friends" (similar to ''Foster's Home'', below) labelled "mascots", who stay ("freeload") with a child until they grow up, and move on to another kid afterwards.
* The cutesey mascot Maromi from ''Anime/ParanoiaAgent'' who speaks to Tsukiko seems to be quite imaginary, but is a whole lot more dangerous. [[MindScrew Somehow.]]

** Alternate Interpretation: [[spoiler: She was an imaginary friend specific to Tsukiko who gave her comfort and shielded her from the world that was often mean to her because of her behavior as a CloudCuckoolander (this is likely the function the original Maromi, a pet dog, served for Tsukiko before it was run over). When Tsukiko grew up and made Maromi for an advertising company, the effect of providing comfort and acting as an emotional crutch spread, which is why it sold so well.]]
* In ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'', [[spoiler: Lilynette]] was this to [[spoiler: Starrk]], before [[spoiler: Aizen stepped in and gave Starrk an upgrade in his powers, allowing him to give her a real form.]]
** [[spoiler: Or the other way around. They've been together for so long that neither of them can remember which one is 'real', so it's possible that Lilynette created Starrk.]]
** Sorta used with [[spoiler: Yukio, who as a child used his powers to create imaginary friends ''that looked like his neglectful parents''.]]
* Ninja Ninja, Afro's foul mouthed, perverted, jive talking imaginary friend from ''Anime/AfroSamurai'' was thought up because Afro's entire adoptive family was murdered by a band of thieves and he created him so he wouldn't be completely alone. He is also the polar opposite of Afro, no one else can see or hear him but he can get hurt and once he accepted responsibility for their deaths he let go of Ninja Ninja allowing him to be killed in his place and letting vanish from his life, although he returns in the movie.
* Yami Marik from ''Franchise/YuGiOh'' started as this with [[JerkassWoobie Marik/Malik]] but eventually turned into a SplitPersonality.
* England in ''Webcomic/HetaliaAxisPowers'' is assumed to have these- subverted in that they're actually fairies that only he can see. Its revealed that other nations (apart from America) go to his house they can see them too.
* A pretty major plot point in ''Manga/CopernicusBreathing''. We're not sure if Bird's Nest's dead little brother is just a figment of his imagination, or if he's actually a NotSoImaginaryFriend.

* In ''Manga/FairyTail'', there is an arc that goes back to the story of how the Guild was formed. It centers around Fairy Tail's founder, Mavis, and her best friend, Zera. [[spoiler:Except the real Zera was DeadAllAlong. She died in a massacre, and Mavis was the only survivor. To keep her mind from being traumatized by the resulting loneliness, she unknowingly awakened to her illusion magic, and created an illusion that grew up alongside her. And since she was alone, nobody was around to notice her talking to thin air. Well, until her future guild mates showed up...]]
* It starts happening to Okabe in ''Anime/SteinsGateZero'' anime episode 9, where by he starts occasionally hearing his own thoughts in Kurisu's voice & seeing her in his lab.

* It starts happening to Okabe in ''Anime/SteinsGate0'' anime episode 9, where by he starts occasionally hearing his own thoughts in Kurisu's voice & seeing her in his lab.

* In ''Anime/WhenMarnieWasThere'', Anna come to this conclusion about her new found friend [[spoiler:Marnie]] when reading her {{diary}}.

* In ''LightNovel/BokuWaTomodachiGaSukunai'', Yozora has an imaginary air friend she calls "Tomo-chan". She talks to it as if it were real, which surprises Kodaka when he first sees her at school. She later references Tomo-chan again when they sing karaoke, which Kodaka says she shouldn't be counting her air friend as a second person.

* England in ''Manga/AxisPowersHetalia'' is assumed to have these- subverted in that they're actually fairies that only he can see. Its revealed that other nations (apart from America) go to his house they can see them too.