History Main / ImagineSpotting

* Several jokes in Chapter 99 of ''Manga/GekkanShoujoNozakiKun'' rely on most of the cast being able to see the quickly-evolving [[ThinksLikeARomanceNovel romantic interpretations]] of mundane interactions in the mind of a sheltered schoolgirl with more imagination than sense.

[[folder:Anime & Manga]]

** In the episode where Homer is telling the kids about when Maggie was born, at one point Bart takes over and claims that Homer got so scared his head exploded. After Homer gets back to telling the story himself, Marge notices that he was imagining himself without a head and that he should have weighed a few more pounds.
** In another episode, Lisa says, "I feel like I'm in a think tank," leading Homer into a surprisingly accurate vision of policy discussion. When he comes out of the reverie, the other Simpsons are staring at him and he says, "What, I can't get one right?"

** Subverted in one episode (the episode where Gil mooches off the family for months and months). Marge starts a flashback sequence during a conversation with Homer but when she finishes, Homer is clueless to what she was thinking, meaning she was only thinking it and not explaining it.

See also DidIJustSayThatOutLoud, StrangeMindsThinkAlike, DirtyMindReading.

* In the WebAnimation/StrongBadEmail "[[http://www.homestarrunner.com/sbemail169.html from work]]", Strong Bad is unable to have an ImagineSpot because "the suits" firewalled his imagination. Homestar walks in, however, and has an ImagineSpot just fine. When Strong Bad complains, Homestar explains that he has "admin privileges".

** Several jokes in Chapter 99 of ''Manga/GekkanShoujoNozakiKun'' rely on most of the cast being able to see the quickly-evolving [[ThinksLikeARomanceNovel romantic interpretations]] of mundane interactions in the mind of a sheltered schoolgirl with more imagination than sense.

[[quoteright:342:[[Manga/RanmaOneHalf https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ranmaspotting_edit2_4829.jpg]]]]

* In ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'', Croagunk performs his [[RunningGag usual stint]] of attacking Brock while flirting with a girl, except the flirting occurred in Brock's ''daydream''. A downplayed example, where Brock could have just been saying things out loud, but still.
-->''Imagination is against the law?!''
** When Meowth used to fantasize about their Boss Giovanni in weird and crazy situations with the MonsterOfTheWeek, the rest of Team Rocket can sometimes be fully aware of all the things that happened in the aforementioned fantasy.

* invoked and exploited to cross the language barrier in ''ComicBook/{{Marsupilami}}''. Backalive realise that Tapamilastiko don't understand what he is saying, so he choose to go for something more visual and imagine what he woould do once the Marsupilami is captured: bringing it to a museum. Tapamilastiko see the ImagineSpot, but disagree and use the same method to show what he want to do: bring the marsu to his tribe to eat it. They start a fight over it.

* In the episode "Born Villain" of ''Series/FlandersCompany, when Damien reveals how he manipulated Nadège, the latter suddenly interrupts and protests that she might have been mind-controled, but she'd never "stroked his shell" (ItMakesSenseInContext) as just seen in the unreliable flashback.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons''

* During Olaf's song "In Summer" in ''Disney/{{Frozen}},'' there's a brief moment when Anna, Kristoff, and Sven are present in his fantasy. Anna and Kristoff both look a little disconcerted to be there. It's not clear if they're actually perceiving Olaf's fantasy (and weirded out by being ''in'' it), or if their off-kilter looks are just how Olaf imagines them.

* In ''Film/FindingNeverland'', most of the {{Imagine Spot}}s seem to be only in James' head, but the final one of Neverland is shared with [[spoiler:the boys, Sylvia, Emma, and the actors putting on ''Literature/PeterPan'']].

!!Examples

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]

%% KnJ was cut for violating the wiki's content policy. DO NOT pothole it.

[[folder:Theatre]]

* Exploited in one episode of ''WesternAnimation/{{CatDog}}'', where, upon seeing that Dog has a completely different ImagineSpot from him, Cat ''pushes his own ImagineSpot'' into Dog's to convince Dog to go alone with his ZanyScheme.

* Done a number of times on ''Manga/{{Eyeshield 21}}''.
-->'''Sena:''' Why am I always the one throwing confetti?

[[folder:Theater]]

[[folder:Anime & Manga]]

* Exploited in one episode of ''WesternAnimation/{{CatDog}}'', where, upon seeing that Dog has a completely different ImagineSpot from him, Cat ''pushes his own ImagineSpot'' into Dog's to convince Dog to go alone with his ZanyScheme.

See also DidIJustSayThatOutLoud, StrangeMindsThinkAlike.

* Kimihito from ''Manga/DailyLifeWithMonsterGirl'' remarks about Miia's fantasy with him. An earlier scene they had together is reinterpreted by Miia with her crush being more {{Badass}} than it actually was.

** Happens again when Yue and Nodoka request instruction in magic. The image is of how they would look as mages, with an [[MagicalGirl alternative possibility supplied on the next page in the manga]]. The funny thing is that [[spoiler:during the Magic World arc, when they both start [[TookALevelInBadass becoming legitimate mages]], it turns out that their imaginations were spot on.

** Happens again when Yue and Nodoka request instruction in magic. The image is of how they would look as mages, with an [[MagicalGirl alternative possibility supplied on the next page in the manga. The funny thing is that [[spoiler:during the Magic World arc, when they both start [[TookALevelInBadass becoming legitimate mages]], it turns out that their imaginations were spot on]].

-->Why am I always the one throwing confetti?

A [[BreakingTheFourthWall fourth wall-breaking]] gag in which one character is inexplicably able to see another character's ImagineSpot or other FantasySequence, taking the perspective of the audience and reacting to specific details that they shouldn't be able to guess. [[{{Telepathy}} Telepaths]] are cheaters, so they don't count. MediumAwareness helps.

** At one point in the manga, [[http://www.mangafox.com/manga/mahou_sensei_negima/v02/c015/15.html Konoka has a brief thought of how bishonen Negi will be when he's 18.]] Negi looks up and is shocked, asking who ''that'' is.
** Happens again when Yue and Nodoka request instruction in magic. The image is of [[http://www.mangafox.com/manga/mahou_sensei_negima/v07/c062/5.html how they would look as mages]], with an [[MagicalGirl alternative possibility]] [[http://www.mangafox.com/manga/mahou_sensei_negima/v07/c062/6.html supplied on the next page]].
** The funny thing is that [[spoiler:during the Magic World arc, when they both start [[TookALevelInBadass becoming legitimate mages]], it turns out that their imaginations were spot on.]]

* Done a number of times on ''Manga/{{Eyeshield 21}}''. "Why am I always the one throwing confetti?"

* It's happened a couple times in ''Manga/OnePiece'':

* It appears to be the norm on ThatSeventiesShow; even though this show has no other forms of BreakingTheFourthWall, other characters will still comment on someone else's ImagineSpot fantasy, or make one of their own with modifications, talking as if they are seeing the same ImagineSpot that we the viewers saw. (This seems to be a feature of [[EverybodyMustGetStoned their times hanging out in the circle]]; [[WildMassGuessing maybe it's an effect of smoking weed]]?)