History Main / FriendlyWar

!!!Examples

* Plenty of the battles in ''Manga/NegimaMagisterNegiMagi'' read as this, as characters who are on the same side and often very good friends throw shockwave-producing punches, gravity orbs, [[{{BFS}} warship-sized swords]] and violations of the laws of thermodynamics at each other. And that's just the training! Even in more serious conflicts, characters often acknowledge to each other that while they can't betray their ideologies, they bear each other no ill will, and usually DefeatMeansFriendship.

* Website/{{Ponibooru}} had Gif wars.
* ''WebAnimation/DSBTInsaniT'': In 'Store Story', Bear, Duck, and Balloon have a "toy store war", which they treat as a completely serious life-or-death situation.
* The ''LetsPlay/HermitcraftServer'' has these so often that it's lampshaded when one has the chance to break out.

* In ''Manga/BoardingSchoolJuliet'', the sides fight with real swords only on very specific, prearranged occasions, and fiercely punish [[ThanksForTheMammary "war crimes"]] committed by their own people. Their motivation for fighting at all? [[CultureClash Their parents did it]], [[ProudWarriorRace it's fun]], it makes internal politics [[AsskickingEqualsAuthority simpler]], and none of the students want to actually attend class.

* This is the basic state of [[OurOrcsAreDifferent Ork]] society in ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}''. Orks are {{Blood Knight}}s who were literally created to wage war, and so will happily fight each other over clan divisions, tribal rivalries, or things like which of their {{War God}}s is the "cunningly brutal" one and which is "brutally cunning." These wars are still brutal affairs with belligerents trying to kill each other, but Orks don't have any fear of death and believe in reincarnation, so there's no hard feelings involved. If another race shows up, Orks will happily unite ([[AsskickingEqualsAuthority after a power struggle to sort out who's boss]]) to take the fight to them, and may come to view non-Ork enemies as {{Worthy Opponent}}s. In short, Orks see war as BloodyHilarious whether they're killing each other or conquering other races' planets, which makes them the comic relief faction in a setting full of {{Absolute Xenophobe}}s and {{Omnicidal Maniac}}s.

* According to ''Webcomic/ScandinaviaAndTheWorld'', Canada and Denmark are fighting an [[http://satwcomic.com/epic-battle epic battle]] for Hans Island. The weapon of choice; flags.

* ''Machinima/RedVsBlue'', though it later turns out that [[spoiler:the whole thing is actually a training simulation for Freelancer agents.]]

* Every violent multiplayer video game ever is a meta-example, if you think about it. However, there are [[TrashTalk many]], [[InternetJerk MANY]] ways to subvert and turn this into [[ItsPersonal something personal. ]]

* This trope is part of the very foundations of [[Franchise/TouhouProject Gensokyo]]. Created originally as a [[FantasticNatureReserve refuge for fantastic creatures]], the Great Barrier cuts off Outside World beliefs and superstitions (which could change the nature of the residents), enabling them to naturally develop their own thoughts and personalities without interference. [[ImAHumanitarian There are still a few things they have to grow out of before they can ever dream of returning, though...]]

* Every violent multiplayer video game ever is a meta-example, if you think about it. However, there are [[TrashTalk many]], [[{{GIFT}} MANY]] ways to subvert and turn this into [[ItsPersonal something personal. ]]

* Plenty of the battles in ''Manga/MahouSenseiNegima'' read as this, as characters who are on the same side and often very good friends throw shockwave-producing punches, gravity orbs, [[{{BFS}} warship-sized swords]] and violations of the laws of thermodynamics at each other. And that's just the training! Even in more serious conflicts, characters often acknowledge to each other that while they can't betray their ideologies, they bear each other no ill will, and usually DefeatMeansFriendship.

* ''ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes''

* This trope is part of the very foundations of [[VideoGame/{{Touhou}} Gensokyo]]. Created originally as a [[FantasticNatureReserve refuge for fantastic creatures]], the Great Barrier cuts off Outside World beliefs and superstitions (which could change the nature of the residents), enabling them to naturally develop their own thoughts and personalities without interference. [[ImAHumanitarian There are still a few things they have to grow out of before they can ever dream of returning, though...]]

Two or more characters or groups are involved in a "conflict" that they at first glance seem to take very seriously. Yeah, there's a huge war going on here. They really hate each other. Well, except that they don't. It's just a game, and there's actually no hard feelings involved. They simply fight each other because they know they all enjoy it and are comfortable to trust that no one gets hurt for real. They might even have a SafeWord.

* Sometimes nations can find themselves at war without really wanting to be, and this can get interesting. There was a lot of sympathy on Britain for Finland in 1939, seen as the underdog in the Winter War with Russia - there was even mad talk of declaring war on the USSR ''as well'' as on Germany, the argument being that Finland was in exactly the same position as Poland earlier in the year, only with a different aggressor. Then came the Continuation War in 1941. By then Britain was allied to the USSR against Germany - and Germany's allies. Unfortunately these now included Finland, which had allied to Germany against the USSR. The ''realpolitik'' of the situation meant Britain had to declare war on Finland. Four virtually aggression-free years of war followed. There were one or two situations where carrier-borne British aircraft attacked German airfields in the far Arctic north. British planes on long runs to Russia over-flew Finland but very carefully dropped no bombs and engaged in no actual combat. And that was it. There is also an apocryphal story that a Royal Navy pilot, shot down over Petsamo whist attacking a German air base, apologized to his Finnish captors for the inconvenience, and sincerely hoped no Finns had been hurt, only Germans. And that was it...

* In Sergei Lukyanenko's [[Literature/NightWatch Night Watch]] series, the Night and Day Watches respectively represent the interests of the Light and Dark Others. The two have been working to undermine and discredit the other side for the entire series, with the non-aggression Treaty apparently being the only thing preventing them from breaking into all-out war. But eventually the main character realises that it's all little more than counting coup, and that they're both working together against anyone that might upset the balance.

* In ''Disney/PeterPan'', the Lost Boys and the Indians take turns attacking each other as a game. It turns serious when the Chief accuses the Boys of kidnapping Tiger Lily, who was actually taken by Captain Hook for the purpose of trying to get the location of Peter Pan's hiding place out of her.

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--> '''Grif:''' Let me get this straight. We're in the middle of an intergalactic struggle for control of the universe... and you guys are taking a few days off to go on ''vacation''?
--> '''Church:''' We'll be back in a few days, guys. We can start the war back up then.
--> '''Grif:''' Okay; have fun.
--> '''Church:''' And while we're gone, don't drive our tank.
--> '''Grif:''' Fine!
--> '''Church:''' And ''no parties!''

[[folder: Western Animation ]]

--> '''Thor''': You see Billy, there's no need to worry. We fight for fun in Valhalla. And if we are slain, we end up back here in the feast hall.\\
'''Billy''': Cool! Let's eat!

[[folder: Miscellaneous ]]

* Paintball, airsoft and lasertag are about as close as RealLife has to examples of this, though the first two are debatable as you're in for stinging pain should you be unprepared.
* Some military training exercises make a game of paintball look like children making guns with their fingers and yelling, "Bang, bang!" While not all training maneuvers are so elaborate, when they go all out, they can use actual armored vehicles, warships, aircraft, infantry on maneuvers, Hollywood-quality fake injuries, civilians hired to play civilians in the theater of operations, fake cities complete with secret passages, paratroopers making combat jumps, forward operating bases, artillery simulators, full tactical operations command centers...really just about every toy in the toybox. Including live rounds, artillery shells, and more. Modern militaries make sure the risks in such exercises are minimized and acceptable; it's never truly safe jumping out a plane or piloting an aircraft, after all.

* Sometimes nations can find themselves at war without really wanting to be, and this can get interesting. There was a lot of sympathy on Britain for Finland in 1939, seen as the underdog in the Winter War with Russia - there was even mad talk of declaring war on the USSR ''as well'' as on Germany, the argument being that Finland was in exactly the same position as Poland earlier in the year, only with a different agressor. Then came the Continuation War in 1941. By then Britain was allied to the USSR against Germany - and Germany's allies. Unfortunately these now included Finland, which had allied to Germany against the USSR. The ''realpolitik'' of the situation meant Britain had to declare war on Finland. Four virtually agression-free years of war followed. There were one or two situations where carrier-borne British aircraft attacked German airfields in the far Arctic north. British planes on long runs to Russia over-flew Finland but very carefully dropped no bombs and engaged in no actual combat. And that was it. There is also an apocryphal story that a Royal Navy pilot, shot down over Petsamo whist attacking a German air base, apologised to his Finnish captors for the inconvenience, and sincerely hoped no Finns had been hurt, only Germans. And that was it...

* In ''KishukuGakkouNoJuliet'', the sides fight with real swords only on very specific, prearranged occasions, and fiercely punish [[ThanksForTheMammary war crimes]] committed by their own people. Their motivation for fighting at all? [[CultureClash Their parents did it]], [[ProudWarriorRace it's fun]], it makes internal politics [[AsskickingEqualsAuthority simpler]], and (presumably) none of the [[ThePiratesWhoDontDoAnything students]] want to actually attend class.

* ''Anime/DogDays'': The "wars" in Flognyard are televised competitions that resemble a mix of grade school field days, ''Series/NinjaWarrior'', and {{LARP}}(with a touch of ''Franchise/LyricalNanoha'' thrown in). Nobody suffers permanent injuries; {{Mooks}} are temporarily reduced to "Beast Balls" when defeated, while named characters are taken out by destroying their weapons or armor (with [[ClothingDamage their clothing usually getting shredded]] too). Since it involves actual combat, this serves the dual purpose of keeping the military and militia in fighting form so that if a real threat (like a rampaging demon) shows up, they're ready for it -- and because the nations are all on good terms, if one gets in trouble they don't even ''need'' to ask for help, since their neighbors are most likely already on the way.

* ''Anime/DogDays'': The "wars" in Flognyard are televised competitions that resemble a mix of grade school field days, ''Series/NinjaWarrior'', and {{LARP}}. Nobody suffers permanent injuries; {{Mooks}} are temporarily reduced to "Beast Balls" when defeated, while named characters are taken out by destroying their weapons or armor (with [[ClothingDamage their clothing usually getting shredded]] too). Since it involves actual combat, this serves the dual purpose of keeping the military and militia in fighting form so that if a real threat (like a rampaging demon) shows up, they're ready for it -- and because the nations are all on good terms, if one gets in trouble they don't even ''need'' to ask for help, since their neighbors are most likely already on the way.

* In ''Film/RazorBladeSmile'', the heroine is a vampire who have spent the last 50 years fighting a conspiracy led by another vampire � who is assumed to be her ex-husband. In the end, after they have killed most of each other's minions, it is revealed that they are still lovers and that the entire conflict was [[ForTheEvulz just for fun]].