History Main / YouCanSeeMe

Usually happens one of three ways. An [[InvisibleToNormals invisible]] character, either despondent of being invisible or overconfident in same, runs into someone who [[SeeTheInvisible can perceive them in some way or another]] (infrared sight, anti-magic glasses, etc.). Another involves supernaturals under some kind of glamour, or simply InvisibleToNormals, and saying this when they experience GlamourFailure at the [[strike:hands]] eyes of someone who can see through their deception. The last way, almost always PlayedForLaughs, is that the person was never invisible or disguised in the first place; they just thought they were (or alternatively, they were invisible, but the effect wore off and they didn't realize).

** In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSpiritTracks'', Zelda ask this question when she finally finds the one (hylian) person in all of Hyrule who can see her spirit: [[TheHero Link]]! Being a HeroicMime, Link's answer is reduced to a short nod.

* A variant happens in ''VideoGame/Portal2''. Wheatley, who normally speaks with a British accent, somehow got the idea that [=GLaDOS=] can't hear him if he speaks with an exaggerated American accent; she disillusions him.

* IN the first episode of ''Series/BeingHumanUS'', Sally mocks her roommates until she realizes that they can actually see and hear her. She goes into honest laughter at finally being able to communicate with people.

* ''Manga/SgtFrog'' starts with Natsumi pointing a hidden Keroro out to Fuyuki, prompting Keroro to drop his disguise and ask this. Doubly funny because she ''didn't'' see him; she was just pointing in a random direction that Keroro ''happened'' to be in. [[HilarityEnsues Hilarity (and a whole show) Ensues]].

* In ''Anime/OkkosInn'' Suzuki, Uribe and Miyo are ecstatic that Okko can see them, and it's one of the reasons they prefer her inn over Matsuki's.

* Played with in ''Series/BattlestarGalactica2003''. Baltar can occasionally see an "invisible" Cylon Six. In ''Six Degrees of Separation'', he encounters a ''real'' Cylon Six on ''Galactica'' and mistakes her for the invisible one. When he realizes that everyone can see her, he repeatedly says "You can see her?" and Colonel Tigh deadpans "she's standing right next to you."

* ''Series/{{Being Human|UK}}'':

** Likewise, the [[Series/BeingHumanUS U.S.remake]] has the first episode of Sally mocking her roommates until she realizes they can actually see and hear her. She goes into honest laughter at finally being able to communicate with people.

** A silent version in "Killed by Death". Der Kinderstood [[ByTheEyesOfTheBlind can only be seen by those with a fever]], so Buffy deliberately makes herself sick to do so. When she sees him searching the children's ward, he apparently senses it and turns to look at her. He [[EvilLaugh chuckles]], [[FauxAffablyEvil tips his hat to her]], and walks off.
** Xander in the 4th season Halloween episode, "[[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS4E4FearItself Fear Itself]]", on becoming visible/audible again, asks not only "You can see me?" but "You can hear me?" too.

* A ghost woman in some episode of ''Series/{{Farscape}}'' is surprised that Stark can see her, as she was desperately trying to interact with people. Stark quickly points out that he's the only one on board with this ability.

* PlayedWith on ''Series/GhostWhisperer'':

* ''Series/{{The Magicians|2016}}'' has a mutual example in "Be The Penny" when two people who are trapped on the Astral Plane meet each other and both say this.

* In the series ''Series/{{Psych}}'', Juliet O'Hara receives a phone call from 'psychic' Shawn Spencer. He teases her by listing every detail about what she was doing, before revealing that he was simply sitting in the Chief's office, a mere twenty feet away. Somewhat referenced by Shawn in that he says, "Notice how no one ever looks in here? What is it that you're afraid of?" Also contains ICanSeeYou.

* ''Series/SabrinaTheTeenageWitch'': Sabrina once turned a classmate invisible and spent most of the rest of the episode trying to find his exact spot to turn him visible again. He'd pretty much gotten used to invisibility when she finally succeeded and Zelda saw him. When he said the phrase, she replied, "Yes, and I can see that you're [[LessDisturbingInContext not wearing pants]]."
* The above twist was also used in ''Series/SevenDays'', when Frank becomes invisible but can be heard by a BlindBlackGuy.
* In the ''Series/{{Sliders}}'' episode "Gillian of the Spirits", one of the main characters is stuck on another dimensional plane and rendering himself invisible to everyone but a girl named Gillian, who has the ability to see supernatural phenomena.

** Occurs in the episode "Crystal Skull", in which Daniel Jackson has been turned invisible by one of the phlebotinum skulls. Daniel's grandfather, Nick, can see him because of an encounter ''he'' had with a skull, but dismisses Daniel as a hallucination. It's not until well into the episode that Daniel realizes he's visible to Nick and uses him to communicate with the rest of the SG-1 team.

** Despite seemingly recycling plots in such a manner throughout the series, the writers were always quick to hang a lampshade and reference the earlier episodes' events, often even using Cam's memorization of mission reports. The show even lampshaded this itself in its lampshade-heavy fanservice 200th episode.

** ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration''. In "The Next Phase", the episode where Geordi [=LaForge=] and Ensign Ro are made "out of phase" by an accident on board a Romulan Warbird, Ro enters a room and is surprised to see a Romulan pointing a disrupter at her. She automatically turns to look behind her (as only Geordi had been able to see her until now) but the Romulan says, "Yes, I can see you." It turns out he too is out of phase.
** In the ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'' episode "Flashback", Janeway enters into a mind meld with Tuvok to help him process a repressed memory. Since it's his memories they're exploring, she's not supposed to exist to anyone but him, but at one point towards the end of the episode, Tuvok suddenly tells Janeway that something's gone wrong with the meld. It doesn't take them long to find out what that means.

** In the ''Series/StarTrekDiscovery'' episode ''That Hope Is You, Part 2'', this happens to [[spoiler:[[NotSoImaginaryFriend Gray]] when Adira enters a highly sophisticated holographic simulation that somehow detects his presence and renders him as a hologram both Hugh and Saru can see and physically interact with, to [[TearsOfJoy heartwarming effect]]. It eventually gets PlayedForDrama near the end when they need to turn off the simulation in order to escape and Gray breaks down upon realizing that he'll go back to being [[AndIMustScream invisible and intangible to everyone]] except Adira, only for Hugh to promise that they'll find a way to replicate this]].
* ''Series/{{Supernatural}}''. Played for a HopeSpot in "Party On, Garth". After a number of odd events, Sam and Dean have a long discussion over whether the ghost of Bobby Singer is helping them. They eventually conclude it's wishful thinking on their part and leave the room. Then camera then pans over to reveal Bobby's ghost. Suddenly Dean says HeyWait and rushes back inside.
-->'''Dean:''' ''(looking directly at Bobby)'' There you are!\\
''(Bobby smiles... until Dean picks up a hip flask he left behind and walks out)''\\
'''Bobby:''' I'm right here, you [[CatchPhrase idgit]]!
* Another Marty had a similar reaction, for similar reasons, in ''Series/TeenAngel'' when he met an old lady who could see him because [[spoiler:she was soon to die]].
* The "Weird Superheroes" game on ''Series/WhoseLineIsItAnyway'' throws out the name "Think's He's Invisible Man". And gives it to Tony Slattery. [[HilarityEnsues Hilarity guaranteed to ensue.]]

* This is also true in White Wolf's ''TabletopGame/ChangelingTheDreaming''. Children generally believe anything they see, whereas adults rationalize and have a WeirdnessCensor. And the mentally ill/insane's WeirdnessCensor is broken or gone.
* ''TabletopGame/GeistTheSinEaters'': Sin-Eaters hear this one a lot. Not only can [[ISeeDeadPeople they see dead people]], ghosts will quickly ping to the fact that they're being observed and know that it's the Sin-Eater doing it. Sometimes Sin-Eaters have to suppress their ghost sight if they want to make it down the street undisturbed.
* And in ''TabletopGame/VampireTheMasquerade'' the vampiric discipline "Obfuscate" is a subversion, the subversion being a quirk of the ability that both characters and players themselves may not be aware of. Obfuscate does indeed make one invisible to anyone looking at you (unless they have Auspex or other supernatural means of detecting someone) but it's not actual invisibility, it's a ''mind trick.'' Also it's harder to use if you're actively being watched. Cameras and such will still capture images of someone under Obfuscate. This encourages players to perform the old "Turn a corner and when they follow, I'm not there" trick.

* In ''VideoGame/RuneFactoryOceans'', Aden ends up sharing his body with the consciousness of his childhood friend Sonja, since she was thrown out of her body when they got transported to Fenith Island. People can hear Sonja, but not see her... except for [[FieryRedhead Joe]], whose love events reveal that he ''was'' able to see Sonja and admits that he [[LoveAtFirstSight fell for her]].

'''[=GLaDOS=]:''' ''[audibly exasperated]'' Look, metal ball... I ''can'' hear you.\\
'''Wheatley:''' ''[in his normal voice]'' [[OhCrap Run! I don't need to do the voice, RUN!]]

* A not uncommon phrase uttered by Rogue players (and by extension presumably stealthed cat form druids) in ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' when discovered by other players. Most common on RP severs.

* Mandrakes in ''VideoGame/DawnOfWar'': Soulstorm have two variations: they can hiss "[[PreMortemOneLiner Now you see me!]]" when told to attack or or panic "They see us!" when their morale is broken.
* ''VideoGame/MurderedSoulSuspect'': When the recently dead Ronan catches up with Joy, he tries to use his possess/mind read trick on her to find out more information on his killer. He's more than a bit surprised when Joy resists and starts yelling at him for it; the two trade barbs for a few seconds until Ronan's brain (or whatever it is that make ghosts tick) catches up with his mouth and realizes that she ''can see and hear him''.
-->'''Ronan:''' Holy shit, you're a medium.
* ''VideoGame/Bayonetta2'': Loki is surprised that Bayonetta can see him. She explains to him that they are both in Purgatorio, which is why they are able to see each other.
* In ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsI'', Quelana asks this to you when you speak to her for the first time, and with good reason, since you can't see her without a Pyromancy Flame upgraded to at least +10. [[spoiler:Sadly, this is why Laurentius ends up going Hollow when you point him towards her, as his Flame is only at +8, which means he just wandered aimlessly around the area for Gwyn knows how long, unable to see her despite being practically right next to her, until he eventually lost the will to keep going]].
* Said more or less word for word early in the ''Shadowbringers'' expansion of VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV, when the Warrior of Light, recently arrived on the alternate world of the First encounters the shade of Ardbert, who had been wandering what was left of the First for 100 years, invisible, inaudiable, and intangible, after being defeated and talked down from disrupting the Source at the Ascians' behest. He originally surmises that the Warrior can see him beause they both have the Echo, which is plausible as it had been previously established that those with the Echo can perceive bodiless Ascians when others cannot. [[spoiler:As it turns out the actual reason is that the Warrior of Light and Ardbert are [[AlternateSelf Alternate Selves]] of each other, derived from the same Ancient soul.]]

* Played with in ''Webcomic/GirlGenius''. During a [[MidBattleTeaBreak mid-adventure tea break]] with Zeetha, Bangladesh [=DuPree=] can't see the hidden [[McNinja Smoke Knight]] Violetta, but she sure can tell she's here, on the seemingly empty chair.
-->'''Bang:''' That's really amazing -- but whatever it is you're doing, ''knock it off''.\\
'''Violetta:''' Whoa. You could ''see'' me?\\
'''Bang:''' No. And it was giving me a ''headache''.
* ''Webcomic/ChildrenOfEldair'': While watching the ceremony granting the girls the Goddess' blessing as an AstralProjection, Koe is surprised when the Goddess turns to him and offers him her blessing as well.
* ''Webcomic/QuestionableContent'': In her first encounter with Internet-enabled RobotGirl Momo, May, who at the time was an AugmentedReality construct displayed in Dale's Google Glasses, is surprised that Momo can see her too, which means her avatar and location are public rather than restricted to Dale's Google account.

'''Steve:''' … Uh, no sir.\\

** Similarly, in ''Cheese It, The Cat,'' Ralph Crumden uses "invisible ink" on Norton which actually doesn't make him invisible, but Ralph makes Norton ''think'' he is. The cat can see him but is baffled by Norton's flippancy and nonchalance. Ralph decides to try it, thinking ''he's'' invisible, and subsequently gets mauled by the cat.

* ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'': One episode had [=SpongeBob=] and Patrick turn invisible and play pranks at the Krusty Krab, pretending to be ghosts. Eventually it wears off and [[OhCrap Patrick has to warn SpongeBob that Mr. Krabs can see them.]]
* The titular character of ''WesternAnimation/ElenaOfAvalor'' can see ghosts on the Day of the Dead. The ghosts tend to have this reaction when they learn it.

* Played with in ''ComicBook/IdentityCrisis2004'': in one scene, Flash is vibrating rapidly so he can sit in on a meeting unseen, but Hawkman can still see him (because "his eyes can see a hummingbird's wings flap"). Green Arrow then asks Green Lantern to come out too, and when GL asks how GA could see him, GA says [[YouJustToldMe he just guessed]].

* ''ComicBook/BlackestNight'': At the end of the story, Deadman is freaked out to learn that ''everyone'' can see him -- because he's not dead anymore.
* In ''ComicBook/KingdomCome,'' the Spectre has brought Norman to witness a Justice League meeting. They're in the astral plane, and thus nominally invisible to the heroes -- except for the Flash, whose permanent vibrations mean he sees several layers of reality at once.
* ''ComicBook/TheDeadBoyDetectives'': Charles is surprised when a storeowner catches them sneaking around his store, commenting that he'd thought only children could see them. Edwin replies that supernaturally sensitive adults can likely see them.

* Canada of ''Webcomic/HetaliaAxisPowers'' does this in ''nearly any fic'' that has him as the romantic counterpart to any more prominent character.

* ''FanFic/HeroesOfTheNewWorld''; the Vestiges of One for All can be seen by anyone with sufficient skill in Observation Haki. Unfortunately, they realize this when [[BigBad Kaido]] has Izuku in his sights while Izuku is trying to pickpocket him, and it's only thanks to a timely intervention by Yamato that Kaido doesn't kill Izuku then and there.
* In ''Fanfic/KyonBigDamnHero'', [[VisualNovel/HigurashiWhenTheyCry Hanyuu]] is surprised when Yuki can not only see but also touch her.
* In the first chapter of the ''Rise of the Guardians'' fic, ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/8729513/1/How-to-Make-a-Believer-Believe How to Make a Believer Believe]]'', this is used rather humorously.
* In ''Fanfic/PokemonBlackandWhiteTaleofaLegend'', Victini follows Volantes around mostly undetected -but the young man, spiritual successor to Victini's old friend, the White Hero, notices somebody else has joined the party.

-->'''JP:''' ''[Robot Voice to Alex walking away]'' I hate your face.\\
'''Alex:''' ''[pauses, turns around]'' Did you say something?\\
''[JP hides behind his coat]''\\

'''JP:''' …How did he see me?

* In ''Film/SusieQ'', only Zach can see Susie, [[spoiler: a ghost who died forty years earlier, because he's in possession of the bracelet she wore when she died.]]
* In the "Son of the Invisible Man" segment of ''Film/AmazonWomenOnTheMoon'', Ed Begley Jr. is running around naked while the jaded villagers just humor him.

* A similar situation happens in ''Film/DarkPhoenix'' when Quicksilver realizes that a Phoenix force-empowered Jean Grey can see him even when he uses his SuperSpeed.
* PlayedForLaughs in ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar'': Drax is convinced that he learned how to turn invisible. A shame the fellow Guardians don't share his conviction.
* ''Film/UpstreamColor'': The Sampler uses the mental links created by the mysterious substance to spy on people. When he does this, he appears to stand nearby and observe them without being seen. When he spies on Kris, she eventually turns and levels a DeathGlare directly at him, revealing that she knows he's spying on her, and he's fallen into her trap.

* In ''Literature/ShamanOfTheUndead'' this happens twice when Ida, a medium, talks with ghosts. In first case they were both surprised and reaction was something like "Nobody else can?!", but in second, when she's already trained, her only reaction is a shrug and "Sure I can."

* Also, in the ''Franchise/StarWarsExpandedUniverse'' novel ''Dark Apprentice'', when Luke is turned into an invisible Force Ghost, only his (toddler) niece and nephew can see him.

* In ''Literature/OnAPaleHorse'', the newly-appointed Incarnation of Death is surprised to find some mortals can see him for who he is -- usually those who are sincerely religious, or who have a deep connection to the one about to die. Most people see and hear something else when Death is there.

* In ''Things Not Seen'' by Andrew Clements, the main character Bobby does one of these towards the end of the book.

* Literature/CiaphasCain once encounters a psyker assassin who can turn invisible. However, he got his powers recently through AppliedPhlebotinum, so he doesn't master them enough to avoid InvisibilityFlicker, and thus Cain can still defend against him. Instead of the usual reaction, the assassin is more whiny that his power trip is interrupted than disturbed, not helped by Cain snarking until [[AntiMagic Jurgen]] arrives.
* The third ''VideoGame/{{Myst}}'' book, ''The Book of D'ni'', has an interesting inversion, with a character from distant offshoot of the D'ni asking if he could see our protagonists. [[spoiler:Turns out his society is built on massive amounts of slave labor and they have conditioned themselves to not see the slaves anymore. He wasn't sure if Atrus and co. were slaves.]]

* Played with on ''Series/GhostWhisperer'':

** The first season finale has [[spoiler: Andrea]] realize they're dead when it sinks in Melinda is the only one reacting to her just as they hear [[spoiler: she was on a crashed plane]].

* The above twist was also used in ''Series/SevenDays,'' when Frank becomes invisible but can be heard by a BlindBlackGuy.

* Played with in ''Series/BattlestarGalactica2003''. Baltar can occasionally see an "invisible" Cylon Six. In ''Six Degrees of Separation'', he encounters a ''real'' Cylon Six on ''Galactica'' and mistakes her for the invisible one. When he realizes that everyone can see her, he repeatedly says "You can see her?" and Colonel Tigh deadpans "she's standing right next to you."
** Happens again in the final season when [[spoiler:one of the Sixes who's been seeing an invisible Baltar in the same fashion has a mutual reaction of this with the real Baltar when it turns out each can see and hear the other's invisible companion]].
* In one episode of ''Series/GetSmart'', K.A.O.S. was carrying out a scheme to (falsely) convince Max they had access to an Invisibility Ray. In the end they capture him, and Max "uses" the ray on himself. The K.A.O.S. agents go along with it briefly to maintain the ruse, but then 99 is brought in having no idea what is going on, and Max confuses himself about who can see what.
* In the ''Series/{{Sliders}}'' episode "Gillian of the Spirits", one of the main characters is stuck on another dimensional plane and rendering himself invisible to everyone but a girl named Gillian, who has the ability to see supernatural phenomena.
* Done as a prank on ''Series/NYPDBlue''. The perp has visited a Santaria priest to get a spell where he becomes invisible to police. Martinez and Medevoy pretend they can't see him in the interview room, so he starts to sneak out. Then Martinez stops him.
* ''Series/{{Supernatural}}''. Played for a HopeSpot in "Party On, Garth". After a number of odd events, Sam and Dean have a long discussion over whether the ghost of Bobby Singer is helping them. They eventually conclude it's wishful thinking on their part and leave the room. Then camera then pans over to reveal Bobby's ghost. Suddenly Dean says HeyWait and rushes back inside.
-->'''Dean:''' ''[looking directly at Bobby]'' There you are!\\
''[Bobby smiles... until Dean picks up a hip flask he left behind and walks out]''\\
'''Bobby:''' I'm right here, you [[CatchPhrase idgit!]]
* ''Series/{{The Magicians|2016}}'' has a mutual example in "Be The Penny" when two people who are trapped on the Astral Plane meet each other and both say this.
* At the 2006 [[UsefulNotes/AcademyAwardsCeremonies Academy Awards]], Creator/BenStiller presented the award for visual effects while wearing a green morph suit, seemingly oblivious to the fact that there was no [[ChromaKey green screen]] and everyone in the theater and at home could see him. Avoided in that he never noticed that he was visible.

* The classic psychology paper ''[[http://www.apa.org/journals/features/psp7761121.pdf Unskilled and Unaware of It]]: How Difficulties in Recognizing One's Own Incompetence Lead to Inflated Self-Assessments'' cites a newspaper story about a bank robber who believed lemon juice made him invisible to security cameras. Naturally, ''America's Dumbest Criminals'' has the actual film footage. Amusingly the guy was taking his sweet time, including taking out a shopping cart as if it was just a normal trip to the store. Formally known as the Dunning-Kruger effect, after the psychologists who conducted the study.

-->-- ''Series/{{Being Human|UK}}'', pilot episode

Someone is invisible or otherwise [[TheMasquerade magically disguised]]. At some point, they notice they're attracting an unexpected amount of attention for someone who shouldn't be attracting ''any''. "You Can See Me?" The standard response is some variant of "Why wouldn't I be able to see you?" or, more succinctly, "Well, ''duh''."

* Played with in ''ComicBook/IdentityCrisis'': in one scene, Flash is vibrating rapidly so he can sit in on a meeting unseen, but Hawkman can still see him (because "his eyes can see a hummingbird's wings flap"). Green Arrow then asks Green Lantern to come out too, and when GL asks how GA could see him, GA says [[YouJustToldMe he just guessed]].

* In the ''WesternAnimation/{{Rugrats}}'' episode "Mega Diaper Babies", Lil plays "Dotted-Line Girl", a parody of [[Franchise/FantasticFour The Invisible Woman]]. At one point, attempting to sneak into Angelitron's (Angelica as a giant robot bad guy) fortress, she's spotted and Lil gasps out "But how can you see me? I'm just a dotted-line!" Angelitron's response? "Any idiot can see a dotted-line."

* ''FanFic/HeroesOfTheNewWorld''; the Vestiges of One for All can be seen by anyone with sufficient skill in Observation Haki. Unfortunately, they realizes this when [[BigBad Kaido]] has Izuku in his sights while Izuku is trying to pickpocket him, and it's only thanks to a timely intervention by Yamato that Kaido doesn't kill Izuku then and there.

* ''Film/UpstreamColor'': The Sampler uses the mental links created by the mysterious substance to spy on people. When he does this, he appears to be stand nearby and observe them without being seen. When he spies on Kris, she eventually turns and levels a DeathGlare directly at him, revealing that she knows he's spying on her, and he's fallen into her trap.

* Ryuk in ''Manga/DeathNote'' says this to a criminal who inadvertently touched a piece of the title ArtifactOfDoom as one of Light's gambits, which enables the criminal to see the death note's shinigami prior owner and causes him to freak out.

* Colorblind people were considered useful as sentries or spotters in the early days of camouflage, as camouflage patterns that were based on color stood out to them (due to the shapes not matching with their surroundings), where a person with normal vision might not notice them.