History Main / BattleOfTheStillFrames

A show's rather low animation budget rears its ugly head during its [[InNameOnly action]] sequences. This isn't an InactionSequence by any means. Blows exchanged by two forces fighting (or dramatic stuff that happens) mostly consist of zooming, scrolling or sometimes even stationary frames. And most of them aren't even [[PastelChalkedFreezeFrame Pastel-Chalked Freeze Frames]].

* The early years of the ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'' series had a great deal of instances of still images of {{Mons}} in attacking pose vs. still images of mons getting hit with attacks. For battles the show basically forgot it wasn't a motion comic. It wasn't until the show switched from traditional animation to digital animation near the tail end of Johto did the show's battles start to become more dynamic.

* ''Roleplay/RecordOfLodossWar'' features a battle between dragons that looks like giant still images moving slowly towards each other.

-> ''I shouldn't have to point this out when talking about an anime, that anime, has to be--you know--'' '''''animated'''''. ''It's like, right there in the name.''
--> '''Kenny Lauderdale''', during [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RuZ_pe5GFLA his review]] of ''Anime/TwinkleNoraRockMe''[[note]]Which, ironically, [[AvertedTrope averted]] this trope, as the two major fight scenes had slightly better animation than the rest of the OVA.[[/note]]

->''"Anime is short for'' 'animation', ''not 'slide show'.''"
-->-- '''WebVideo/JesuOtaku'''

* In ''Film/{{Hulk}}'', Bruce Banner's battle with his father in the clouds was just still images appearing whenever lightning struck.

* Used for all fights in ''Anime/{{Godmars}}'', with the robots going from one pose to another between camera cuts. This even carries over to its appearance in ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsZ 2''.

* ''Manga/MaoDante'''s action sequences fall under this.

* ''[[Manga/MaoDante Demon Lord Dante]]'''s action sequences fall under this.

* Used in episodes 3 and 8 of ''Manga/TokureiSochiDantaiStellaJogakuinKoutoukaC3Bu''. The first and last battles are shown, but all the matches in-between them are just still frames of the various girls in the show.

* ''WesternAnimation/ClutchCargo''
* WesternAnimation/DannyPhantom
* WesternAnimation/BatmanTheBraveAndTheBold
* Shows up every now and again in ''WesternAnimation/Ben10''.

* The early years of the ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'' series had a great deal of instances of still images of {{Mons}} in attacking pose vs. still images of mons getting hit with attacks. For battles the show basically forgot it wasn't a motion comic.

->''"Anime is short for'' 'animation', ''not 'slide show.'''"

A show's rather low animation budget rears its ugly head during its [[InNameOnly action]] sequences. This isn't an InactionSequence by any means. Blows exchanged by two forces fighting (or dramatic stuff that happens) mostly consist of zooming, scrolling or sometimes even stationary frames. And most of them aren't even {{Pastel Chalked Freeze Frame}}s.

[[folder:Film]]
* In ''Film/{{Hulk}}'', Bruce Banner's battle with his father in the clouds was just still images appearing whenever lightning struck.

[[folder:Magazines]]
* The fight scene in the ''Magazine/{{MAD}}'' parody of ''Pokémon'' has a couple of extras hold up a backdrop with lots of "swooshes and scribbles" painted on, while characters on both sides complain about having to hold still in their {{Ass Kicking Pose}}s.

* Usually averted for actual ''combat'' in anything by Creator/GerryAnderson, although due to the nature of the medium the gunfights tended to be a bit static. But one notably straight use crops up in the pilot of ''Series/{{Joe 90}}'', to illustrate a blazing row between the hero and his MissionControl on one side and a man from a GovernmentAgencyOfFiction who is understandably opposed to letting a teenage boy anywhere near the intelligence business. It works rather better than anything they could have achieved in Supermarionation.

* Due to its limited art, ''VisualNovel/UminekoWhenTheyCry'' uses this (though with a limited use of moving pictures of slices and similar things) but with a mix of good writing, fights based upon [[LanguageOfTruth colorful debates]] and just [[AwesomeMusic/WhenTheyCry plain awesome music]] you don't care.

[[folder:Webcomics]]
* Parodied in ''Webcomic/ButtlordGT'', where starting a fight leads to the characters being animated by the "3rd String Backup Animation Team"
* Standard fare in the "visual novel" ''{{Webcomic/morphE}}''. Even their most dynamic attempts at displaying battle are [[http://morphe.thewebcomic.com/comics/1942334/chapter-3-page-41-the-right-to-bear-puns/ still frames on a moving background.]]

[[folder: Anime ]]

[[folder: Film ]]

[[folder: Magazines ]]

[[folder: Puppet Shows ]]

[[folder: Video Games ]]

[[folder: Webcomics ]]

[[folder: Western Animation ]]