History Main / NoInnerFourthWall

* Piyori Nijino from ''VideoGame/Disgaea6DefianecOfDestiny'' from the TV World, as Prism Red of the universe-wide {{Sentai}} show, ''Ultra Chroma Power Squad Prism Rangers''. Her and other characters within the show seem to be aware they're characters from the show. Piyori talks about being a role model for "the good little boys and girls watching", is eager to find ways to expand or get more merchandise for the show, and can detect the very ratings of the show.

* ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'' is this, if you view the bulk of the story as the [[ShowWithinAShow show within the show]] of Creator/AndrewHussie writing homestuck. Let's explain, shall we: There are a number of fourth walls in the story. The one labeled as the fourth wall exists between the story and Hussie's Study, but the actual fourth wall exists between the audience and Andrew Hussie, And '''only''' Andrew Hussie, as he is the only one aware of his status as a character in the story he tells. And then there's the "fifth wall," which Hussie defines as the wall separating two omniscient narrators -- which he defines right before crossing said wall to go beat up the other narrator that hijacked his story. It's that kind of a comic.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheAmazingWorldOfGumball'' episode "The Safety", Gumball is watching a ''WesternAnimation/WileECoyoteAndTheRoadRunner''-type cartoon. Darwin then calls ''to'' the cartoon to complain about the excessive violence and other unsafe stunts about the cartoon, conversing with one of the characters (live), causing it to get boring. Gumball, of course, gets crazy.

* Tenkaichi, Banzo and Fuji from ''Literature/LessonsForAPerfectDetectiveStory'' are all aware they're within a fictional series called "The Great Detective Tenkaichi", being forced to play their respective characters: the great detective/amateur sleuth, the useless detective and rookie cop. They aren't aware of the show or book ''Literature/TheConditionsOfGreatDetectives''.

* Tenkaichi, Banzo and Fuji from ''Literature/TheConditionsOfGreatDetectives'' are all aware they're within a fictional series called "The Great Detective Tenkaichi", being forced to play their respective characters: the great detective/amateur sleuth, the useless detective and rookie cop. They aren't aware of the show or book ''Literature/TheConditionsOfGreatDetectives''.

[[folder:Television -- Live-Action]]

* ''Webcomic/HarryPotterComics'' includes the same popular fantasy fiction as our world, including ''LordOfTheRings'', which has been revealed to be part of the actual history of the ''Harry Potter'' universe.

* ''VideoGame/ViewtifulJoe'' is fully aware of all the {{toku}} film tropes he encounters, but never notices any non-overlapping video game cliches.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheAmazingWorldOfGumball'' episode "The Safety", Gumball is watching a ''WesternAnimation/WileECoyoteAndTheRoadRunner''-type cartoon. Darwin then calls ''to'' the cartoon to complain about the excessive violence and other unsafe stunts about the cartoon, causing it to get boring. Gumball, of course, gets crazy.

* ''WesternAnimation/DuckAmuck'', when it turns out the artist is [[spoiler:Bugs Bunny]]. The SpiritualSequel, ''RabbitRampage'', drawn by [[spoiler:Elmer Fudd]]. Both of whom then [[NoFourthWall address the audience.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/WhereOnEarthIsCarmenSandiego'' has the protagonists (and Carmen) interacting constantly with the viewer. The catch is, the "viewer" is refered to as "Player", for the idea is that the adventures are those of a video game and the one they talk to is the one playing their game.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents'', Timmy often wishes himself into fictional worlds, most notably the world of The Crimson Chin. After the first time Timmy enters the Crimson Chin's world, the Chin is fully aware of his status as a comic book character, even saying "Did I say that out loud? That was supposed to be a thought balloon."

* ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'' is this, if you view the bulk of the story as the [[ShowWithinAShow show within the show]] of AndrewHussie writing homestuck. Let's explain, shall we: There are a number of fourth walls in the story. The one labeled as the fourth wall exists between the story and Hussie's Study, but the actual fourth wall exists between the audience and Andrew Hussie, And '''only''' Andrew Hussie, as he is the only one aware of his status as a character in the story he tells. And then there's the "fifth wall," which Hussie defines as the wall separating two omniscient narrators -- which he defines right before crossing said wall to go beat up the other narrator that hijacked his story. It's that kind of a comic.

* The ''WesternAnimation/DuckAmuck'' video game for the NintendoDS also counts, but unlike in the cartoon, the artist is [[spoiler:Daffy Duck himself]].

When NoFourthWall and ShowWithinAShow love each other [[TheTalk very much...]] ahem. Sometimes you have a ShowWithinAShow. In those cases you have a fictional universe within a fictional universe. NoInnerFourthWall happens when there's no fourth wall between those, but the fourth wall remains between the viewers and the main fictional universe.

Often, these internal breaks will also [[LeaningOnTheFourthWall Lean on the real fourth wall]]. For example, the show within the show will have a contrived plot element, and a character in this show will say "WhoWritesThisCrap", breaking the internal fourth wall. Then, the main show will have a similar contrivance. No need for the characters of the main show to complain; the characters in the show within the show have already done so for them, and the external fourth wall is preserved.

* [[http://de.memory-alpha.wikia.com/wiki/Vic_Fontaine Vic Fontaine]] from Deep Space Nine is aware about being an Hologram. He even Jokes about this and has limited Control about the Holosuite and the Staitions Communication System.

[[AC:{{Literature}}]]
* Creator/JasperFforde's ''Literature/ThursdayNext'', with its mind-bending use of metafiction, plays with this. Thursday enters fictional worlds but hasn't yet found a copy of ''The Eyre Affair'' - at least until the fifth book, when she ''does'', and this trope is demolished.
** In the sixth book, the protagonist is the fictional Thursday who plays the role in the books published in the "real" Thursday's world. At one point she thinks that even when she's not being read, she can't help feeling that someone is controlling her actions and reading her mind.

* ''WesternAnimation/DuckAmuck'', when it turns out the artist is [[spoiler:Bugs Bunny]].
** And the SpiritualSequel, ''RabbitRampage'', drawn by [[spoiler:Elmer Fudd]].
*** Both of whom then [[NoFourthWall address the audience.]]

!!Examples:!

[[AC:{{Film}}]]

* TheNeverEndingStory is based around this trope. It is about a boy who reads a novel that he is a character in. There is a point where he is reading about himself reading about himself.

[[AC:LiveActionTV]]

[[AC:VideoGames]]

[[AC:WebOriginal]]
* The ''WebAnimation/HomestarRunner'' universe is full of [[ShowWithinAShow shows within]] the show and sub-universes, most of them created by Strong Bad. They all interact with the main universe from time to time, which has NoFourthWall in the first place.
** '''VideoGame/StrongBadsCoolGameForAttractivePeople Episode 5: 8-Bit Is Enough'' is perhaps the best example, which finds Strong Bad hopping in and out of a variety of in-universe video games.
* ''TheChurchOfBlow'''s plot follows Cornelius Blow who, towards the end of the story, discovers he is a fictional character and has a conversation with his "actor" who is also fictional. Unlike many examples, this is played for drama as Cornelius comes to terms with his fictionality.

[[AC:{{Webcomics}}]]
* The characters in ''Webcomic/KidRadd'' are aware they are in a video game, and at one point talk to a 'player', but only very rarely do they show awareness of being in a webcomic.

* ''{{Webcomic/Homestuck}}'' is this, if you view the bulk of the story as the [[ShowWithinAShow show within the show]] of AndrewHussie writing homestuck.
** Let's explain, shall we: There are a number of fourth walls in the story. The one labeled as the fourth wall exists between the story and Hussie's Study, but the actual fourth wall exists between the audience and Andrew Hussie, And '''only''' Andrew Hussie, as he is the only one aware of his status as a character in the story he tells.
** And then there's the "fifth wall," which Hussie defines as the wall separating two omniscient narrators -- which he defines right before crossing said wall to go beat up the other narrator that hijacked his story. It's that kind of a comic.

[[AC:WesternAnimation]]

Often used in RageAgainstTheAuthor or InteractiveNarrator scenarios, where the "real world" author is also fictional.

* ''EatLeadTheReturnOfMattHazard'' has this, there's no fourth wall between the 'real world' and the video game world, with the video game characters being ''interviewed for biographical documentaries'', but there is a fourth wall between the world QA and Wellesly inhabit and ours.

* ''StarOceanTillTheEndOfTime''. The characters eventually find out that [[spoiler: they're characters in a video game]]. Then they break out of it. [[spoiler: Of course, they break out into ANOTHER world, and are still in our video game... so effectively, the original part was a videogame INSIDE a video game!]]
* ''ViewtifulJoe'' is fully aware of all the {{toku}} film tropes he encounters, but never notices any non-overlapping video game cliches.
* In Morrigan's ending in ''[[CapcomVsWhatever Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars]]'', she takes advantage of [[spoiler:Yami's]] warping of dimensions to escape the game itself and enter the real world, only to be repeatedly schooled by the kid playing the game. Who is definitely not the person who just got the ending. [[IWishItWereReal Curses]].

* ''HarryPotterComics'' includes the same popular fantasy fiction as our world, including ''LordOfTheRings'', which has recently been revealed to be part of the ACTUAL history of the Harry Potter universe.

* {{Homestuck}} is this, if you view the bulk of the story as the [[ShowWithinAShow show within the show]] of AndrewHussie writing homestuck.

* JasperFforde's ''Literature/ThursdayNext'', with its mind-bending use of metafiction, plays with this. Thursday enters fictional worlds but hasn't yet found a copy of ''The Eyre Affair'' - at least until the fifth book, when she ''does'', and this trope is demolished.