History Main / MatrixRainingCode

That trippy, CyberGreen raining code in ''Film/TheMatrix'' that is constantly changing has pretty much become synonymous with high tech computing, VR environments, [=AIs=], and Robots. Originally, it represented the ever changing nature of the Matrix and the overwhelmingly complex incalculability of it all. So when Neo starts seeing things in Matrix-Text-O-Vision, it represents him seeing and being able to manipulate the underpinnings of reality. Nowadays, it's mostly used to convey "Look, high-tech computer with [[SufficientlyAdvancedAlien arcane, indecipherably alien power and mentality]]!" or as a StockParody for ''The Matrix''.

"Traditionally", the Raining Code will be [[CyberGreen green-on-black]], flow from top to bottom, consist of normal letters and numbers with what looks like Japanese kana or other strange runes, and change text mid-fall. Newer adaptations will likely use a different color, direction for it to scroll, and text palette. Note that the original ''Matrix'' version used katakana characters and arabic numerals, mirror-flipped to obscure their shapes. The characters will generally leave 'ghosts' on the screen as they fall, reminiscent of old Apple II RGB monitors, symbolizing the GhostInTheMachine, of course.

Website/{{Wikipedia}} calls this [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matrix_digital_rain "Matrix digital rain."]]

* ''Film/TheMatrix'', [[TropeNamers of course]].

* ''VisualNovel/InputOutput'' uses this effect for its OP. In the original [=PS2=] version, it was colored green, but in the [[UsefulNotes/IBMPersonalComputer PC]] version, it was recolored blue.

* And of course present in tons of Matrix-style screensavers of all variations for most operating systems, from [[UsefulNotes/MicrosoftWindows Win XP]] to [[UsefulNotes/{{UNIX}} Linux/UNIX]].

* In another homage to ''Franchise/GhostInTheShell'', ''Film/{{Avalon}}''[='=]s opening credits are orange falling text-like.

-->-- '''Abed''', ''Series/{{Community}}'', "Repilot"

* The title sequence of [[Anime/Pokemon3 the third Pokémon movie]] features one of these briefly, with the raining code being the [[EldritchAbomination abominable]] [[{{Wingdinglish}} alphabetical]] symbol Pokémon Unown, glowing green and turned 90 degrees, spelling out "ENTEI" over and over.

* ''The Matrix''[='=]s raining code was ripped/homaged from the ''Franchise/GhostInTheShell'' opening scene, which didn't rain, but did change characters, and flowed across the screen. Note that these characters were a machine-code translation of the English-language credits into which they transformed.

* For the 1-year anniversary of ''WebVideo/TwitchPlaysPokemon'', a modified version of ''[[VideoGame/PokemonRedAndBlue Pokémon Red]]'' was made entitled "Anniversary Red", and one of the [[BonusBoss extra Boss battles]] added has a variant of this trope as [[https://youtu.be/aG1GD5YLdD8?t=198 the pre-battle animation]], with a stream of arrows, "a"s, "b"s, and slashes going upwards, representing the Twitch chat's commands.

* The opening/closing for ''Literature/SwordArtOnline'' features this, in yellow. In an amusing reversal, this (Japanese) series has ''english'' letters in the rain.

* The opening/closing for ''LightNovel/SwordArtOnline'' features this, in yellow. In an amusing reversal, this (Japanese) series has ENGLISH letters in the rain.

* The intro cutscene for ''VideoGame/{{Bayonetta}}'' has some kind of red-Matrix-Raining-Code thing going on when the title of the game is being displayed. Why? RuleOfCool.

Wiki/{{Wikipedia}} calls this [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matrix_digital_rain "Matrix digital rain."]]

* For the 1-year anniversary of ''LetsPlay/TwitchPlaysPokemon'', a modified version of ''[[VideoGame/PokemonRedAndBlue Pokémon Red]]'' was made entitled "Anniversary Red", and one of the [[BonusBoss extra Boss battles]] added has a variant of this trope as [[https://youtu.be/aG1GD5YLdD8?t=198 the pre-battle animation]], with a stream of arrows, "a"s, "b"s, and slashes going upwards, representing the Twitch chat's commands.

That trippy raining code in ''Film/TheMatrix'' that is constantly changing has pretty much become synonymous with high tech computing, VR environments, [=AIs=], and Robots. Originally, it represented the ever changing nature of the Matrix and the overwhelmingly complex incalculability of it all. So when Neo starts seeing things in Matrix-Text-O-Vision, it represents him seeing and being able to manipulate the underpinnings of reality. Nowadays, it's mostly used to convey "Look, high-tech computer with [[SufficientlyAdvancedAlien arcane, indecipherably alien power and mentality]]!" or as a StockParody for ''The Matrix''.

"Traditionally", the Raining Code will be green, flow from top to bottom, consist of normal letters and numbers with what looks like Japanese kana or other strange runes, and change text mid-fall. Newer adaptations will likely use a different color, direction for it to scroll, and text palette. Note that the original ''Matrix'' version used katakana characters and arabic numerals, mirror-flipped to obscure their shapes. The characters will generally leave 'ghosts' on the screen as they fall, reminiscent of old Apple II RGB monitors, symbolizing the GhostInTheMachine, of course.

* ''Anime/GhostInTheShell'' has a very similar scroll in its opening title sequence (and probably inspired the trope namer's use -- it may even be the UrExample.)

* For [[{{Cyberspace}} obvious reasons]] it occurs every so often in the ''Franchise/{{Digimon}}'' franchise; it was quite common throughout ''Anime/DigimonTamers'', and in ''Anime/DigimonSavers'' it plays a part in the {{transformation sequence}}s. In ''Anime/DigimonAdventure2020'', Palmon's evolution to [[spoiler:Ponchomon]] featured several strings of random characters running horizontally across the screen.

* For [[{{Cyberspace}} obvious reasons]] it occurs every so often in the ''Franchise/{{Digimon}}'' franchise; it was quite common throughout ''Anime/DigimonTamers'', and in ''Anime/DigimonSavers'' it plays a part in the {{transformation sequence}}s.

* ''WesternAnimation/CodeLyoko'' has constant raining blue [[ZeroesAndOnes "0" and "1"]] inside squares in the Lyoko Towers, the tunnels between the Sectors or over the surface of the Celestial Dome in Sector 5. Those squares can also be seen flowing on many background computer screens in the real world, colored green and looking more like classical Matrix Raining Code.