History Main / GoldfishScoopingGame

* Natsume and the fox-kid play this in an episode of ''NatsumeYuujinchou''.

* In ''{{Potemayo}}'s'' FestivalEpisode, Potemayo uses part of her allowance to go yo-yo fishing and succeeds. Then, given that she's only about a foot tall, she proceeds to [[CrowningMomentOfFunny get the crap beaten out of her by]] ''[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhf7Tz0M1xU her own yo-yo.]]''

* In ''PaniPoniDash'', Rokugou attempts to keep a diary about a goldfish caught during a festival, to replace the died-in-one-day coloured chick she had previously attempted to keep a diary on. Rei comments that she should find something that lives longer.

** ''{{Mahoraba}}''

** ''LuckyStar'' - Kagami overfeeds the goldfish, and it grows to an unusual size. During flower-viewing, she happens to be facing a goldfish-scooping booth while considering putting him on a diet, leading Konata to wonder if she's planning on replacing him.
** ''KashimashiGirlMeetsGirl''

** ''Anime/SailorMoon''

** ''KonjikiNoGashBell''

** ''[[InternetBackdraft Haruhi Suzumiya]]'' ... you get the idea. There's a reason that particular arc is called "[[GroundhogDayLoop ENDLESS Eight]]".

** ''TenchiMuyo''. They actually had two booths, though the creatures in Ryoko's booth were most definitely ''not'' goldfish.

* The FestivalEpisode of ''KeroroGunsou'' involves [[MundaneMadeAwesome a climactic showdown]] between Natsumi and Keroro in the turtle-fishing game. Keroro threatens to send Natsumi to a space festival's Earthling-scooping game if she loses.

* In the second episode of ''SetoNoHanayome'' Nagasumi plays several festival games rigged by San's {{Yakuza}} father, who'd like nothing better than for Natsume to suffer an "accident". This leads to Nagasumi playing a goldfish game containing a Great White Shark. Which he then suplexes when it attacks him.

** At least two versions of ''TenchiMuyo''.

* In [[Anime/BaronOmatsuriAndTheSecretIsland the sixth movie]] of ''OnePiece'', the main characters participate in one as their first challenge in order to stay on a resort island. Of course, it comes with some sort of catch - in this case, their opponent owns the goldfish, the goldfish is the size of a whale, and the tiny paper nets that they are equipped with aren't required to be used. They win anyhow.

* ''DamekkoDoubutsu'''s FestivalEpisode shows us just what happens when you let [[CatGirl Catgirls]] [[HilarityEnsues run one of these]].

** ''TenshiNaKonamaiki''

* The goldfish game can be seen in the [[FestivalEpisode festival episodes]] of the following series:

** ''Anime/{{Mai-HiME}}''
** ''MaisonIkkoku'' (manga only)
** ''LoveHina''

* ''Manga/AcchiKocchi'' takes it to [[MundaneMadeAwesome another level]]. Sakaki actually lifts the fishes into the air, and he spins them. Io on the other hand the fishes willingly jump into his bowl.

** ''HandMaidMay''

** ''GeneratorGawl'': Gawl and the magician-generator compete by catching an insane number of goldfish before continuing on with their battle.

** ''DennouCoil''

** ''ElfenLied''

* In ''[[{{Yotsubato}} Yotsuba&!]]'', during the town fireworks festival, Yotsuba Koiwai goes both goldfish scooping and yo-yo fishing, the latter successfully with [[GentleGiant Jumbo's]] coaching. When she's offered a consolation fish after the former, her response is ''[[DontYouDarePityMe "Don't pity me!"]]''

* In ''{{Naruto}}'', the titular character is visiting a festival and, frustrated by his inability to catch them, decides to [[MundaneUtility apply some ninja magic]]. The [[GenreSavvy proprietor grabs his hands and points at a 'no jutsu allowed' sign]].

* Occurs during the festival in ''[[KanaLittleSister Kana: Little Sister]]''
* At the Cyrum Bazaar in ''GrandiaII''.
* This a recurring mini-game in the ''Franchise/TokimekiMemorial'' series, occuring during the Summer Festival.
[[/folder]]

** GreatTeacherOnizuka: And when Noboru expresses sympathy for the goldfish (as they obviously don't live very long compared to pet store fish), this wins major points in the eyes of his TsunDere LoveInterest Anko.

[[OverlyLongGag Did we mention it appears in]] ''LightNovel/HaruhiSuzumiya''?

** ''NyoronChuruyaSan''

* Happens in ''[[NyoronChuruyaSan Nyoron Churuya-san]]''. She fails, [[FailureIsTheOnlyOption nyoro~n...]]

* This game makes a cameo in ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf'', during Mousse's return. Mousse, armed with water balloons filled with Junsenkyo water, chases Ranma through a festival, intent on splashing him with water from the Spring of Drowned Duck. When Ranma is forced to hurdle over a goldfish-catching game in order to escape, he quickly pulls some kids out of the line of fire--though that doesn't stop Mousse from turning the stand into a ''duck''-catching game...
** At another point, Akane tries unsuccesfully to get a fish for a crying child. Then Ranma realizes that this is the same principle on learning a technique he's trying to master and succeeds in catching all of the fish. The enraged owner made him scoop piranhas with his hands if he wanted to keep them all. [[spoiler:He succeeds]].

* Shows up often in ''MahouSenseiNegima''.

There's also a similar game involving "fishing" for yo-yos floating in a tank of water, using a paper string; the yo-yo must be removed from the tank before the string breaks. Another variant has the player fishing for baby turtles instead of goldfish.

** ''SailorMoon''

** ''[[RanmaOneHalf Ranma 1/2]]'' - when Ranma succeeds in catching all of the fish after discovering it doubles as speed training, the enraged owner made him scoop piranhas with his hands if he wanted to keep them all. [[spoiler:He succeeds]].

* In the ''KimagureOrangeRoad'' OVA ''I was a Cat I was a Fish'' Kyosuke has his mind shifted into a goldfish and attempts to get caught by his two love interests, HilarityEnsues.

* In the festival chapter of ''KenichiTheMightiestDisciple'', Honoka manages to scoop a yo-yo, but is not so successful with goldfish and enviously watches [[BadassAdorable Chikage]] successfully scooping them.
* In ''OuranHighSchoolHostClub'', Haruhi and Mei [Haruhi's dad's coworker's daughter] are playing the goldfish game, when Kasanoda steps in to chide them for hogging the scoops, as part of the Host Club's plan for getting Mei and her father closer together.

* In ''HidamariSketch'', a booth operator calls on them to try it, but Yuno turns him down, as once, the fish she caught at a booth died the next day. She had named it Toyama Kin-chan.
* ''AcchiKocchi'' takes it to [[MundaneMadeAwesome another level]]. Sakaki actually lifts the fishes into the air, and he spins them. Io on the other hand the fishes willingly jump into his bowl.

A carnival-style booth game usually found at [[FestivalEpisode festivals]] in Japan. It consists of a large tank of goldfish and a number of scooping "nets" made of thin paper or fragile gauze. The player tries to catch a goldfish before the "net" breaks or falls apart from the soaking it receives. If they succeed, they get to keep the goldfish. If not, that'll be another 500 yen to try again. This and other [[NintendoHard maddeningly-difficult]] (if not outright rigged) carnival games are referred to as ''kodomo-damashi'', or "cheating the kids", for obvious reasons. To avoid tears and accusations, operators will often give single goldfish as a consolation prize after multiple unsuccessful attempts.

** ''Manga/AzumangaDaioh'' - Before they go to the festival, Tomo says she'll catch them all and release them to the sea[[hottip:*:(goldfish are ''fresh''water fish)]]. At the festival, the turtle variant is considered by Osaka and Chiyo.

* In the ''{{Anime/Pokemon}}'' episode ''Historical Mystery Tour!'', Team Rocket runs a Goldeen version (with giant scoopers) of these during the Twinleaf Festival. It's not rigged (despite accusations), and James proves himself to be a bonafide master at it. An oddly sane subplot, considering [[MindScrew the]] [[CircusOfFear rest]] [[IncredibleShrinkingMan of]] [[WhereItAllBegan the]] [[FetishFuel episode]].