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Armor Piercing Question / Anime & Manga

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Armor-Piercing Question in Anime & Manga.

  • +Anima: Crossing over with Does That Sound Like Fun to You?—Magdala, a spoiled girl from one of the Adventure Towns our heroes wander into, tries to rationalize how her servant Sinon really should be thanking her for siccing her pet lions on him, because the panic of potentially being mauled to death made him into a bird +Anima and allowed him to fly. Husky, who's understandably furious, is about to tear into her for it, but Cooro stops him and simply jumps in cheerfully asking Magdala if she would like to become a +Anima like Sinon. Tellingly, Magdala finds herself unable to answer.
  • 7 Seeds:
    • Takashi recruits the celebrities for the Ryugu Shelter by asking if they would be able to fulfill their role, as entertainers, until the very end. The true meaning of the question hits Mark when he observes the culling, realizing just what Takashi had asked of them.
      Can you continue to lie until the very last moment of the very end?
    • When Ango blurts out the horror he and the rest of Team Summer A had been through, including the deaths of everyone but them, and the trauma it has caused them, Arashi stumps him with a question. Which Ango, and Ryo, admit would never have crossed their minds.
      Why didn't you run away?
  • The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You: Rentarou confronts Shizuka’s mother in Chapter 135 after she confiscated her daughter’s phone in the previous chapter, during which the two argue over Shizuka’s struggles with verbal communication. The debate ends when Rentarou asks if Shizuka ever wanted to be like everyone around her, and her mother realizes how forceful she was in handling Shizuka.
  • In Ace Attorney (2016), during the "Recipe for Turnabout arc," Phoenix and Maya meet Viola Cadaverini, the granddaughter of mob boss Bruto Cadaverini, who is apparently in a relationship with loan shark Furio Tigre. Viola is smitten with Tigre over the latter paying for her hospital expenses after she nearly died in an accident, but Phoenix knows that Tigre paid for them out of fear of Viola's grandfather. He then asks the following question of her.
    "If you weren't Bruto Cadaverini's granddaughter, would Tigre have paid for your [medical] expenses?"
  • In Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day, Satoshi Honma is able to point out to his mother Irene just how much the latter had been absorbed in their grief over Menma's death that they had completely neglected him by asking:
    Satoshi: I grew three whole centimeters this year, Mom, did you know that?
  • Asteroid in Love:
    • After it turns out that Ao will have to move during Spring Break because of her father getting a transfer, the Earth Sciences Club, Suzu and even the Newspaper Club get together to brainstorm ways to help her. Misa, the older sister of Ao's best friend Mira, comes in and asks Ao something that the group hadn't even considered.
      Misa: Ao-kun, have you even told your parents that you don't want to move? (Ao gasps) You haven't just accepted that it's already been decided, have you?
      Ao: I haven't told them how I feel. The whims of a child aren't going to change the parents' situation.
      Misa: That's true. But in that case, why not act like a child should and at least try putting up some fight?
    • Mikage makes this during the the twenty-ninth chapter, animated in the ninth episode. Moe agrees to teach her chocolate making for Valentine's, and give her a list of ingredients she needs to bring for the session. Mikage the she suggests buying chocolate ingredients for Moe as well, which reminds Moe of her situation with Misa.
      Mikage: You're giving some out, right? Either friendship chocolate or Chocolate of Romance? (Emphasis in the manga.)
  • Attack on Titan: Late in the Uprising arc, it appears that Historia Reiss will turn into a Titan and eat Eren in order to retake the Founding Titan's ability to control all Titans, something only she, someone of royal blood, can use. Historia then asks a question that helps her realize that if she eats Eren, she'll be controlled by the first king's ideology, thereby losing her free will, which means that she can't free humanity.
    Historia: Father... my sister... why didn't she fight? [...] Not just Frieda. In the hundred years since humanity was first trapped by the Titans... why didn't the Reiss family ever get rid of the threat of the Titans and free humanity?
  • In Bakuman。, Azuma, an older and out of work mangaka who once worked as the main character's uncle's assistant, ends up collaborating with Nanamine to re-establish himself. Azuma says that he couldn't think of anything better on his own, and Hattori says he understands the feeling, but then asks him "Do you think Taro Kawaguchi would be happy about this?" That question resonates most with Azuma out of everything he and Hattori had discussed, and ultimately, he manages to, with Hattori's help, establish a series that gets serialized in Jump and thwarts Nanamine's plan.
  • Berserk:
    • When Guts tells Collette's father in volume 1 that he's being chased by a legion of evil spirits, he laughs and says that Guts is safe with him because he's a priest and has God on his side. The appearance of a frightening incubus that night shocks him and he asks if Guts was being serious before, but Guts points out his Arbitrary Skepticism by asking, "You're sayin' you believe in God, but not in evil spirits?"
    • In the Golden Age Arc, when Guts explains his decision to leave the Band of the Hawk so he can find his own dream to Judeau and Corkus, the cynical Corkus goes on a rant about how having a dream is nothing but an excuse for weaklings who can't face reality. Guts says, "You don't have something like that?" That renders Corkus speechless for a moment, before he dismiss the whole conversation and storms out angrily.
    • In Lost Children, during the pseudo-elf attack on Jill's village, Guts stops them from killing a little boy named Thomas, and then uses the boy as live bait on the end of his sword to lure the elves into a fire trap. Thomas is traumatized, but his life is saved as a result. After the elves are gone the villagers come out of their houses and call Guts despicable for using a child like that, but he throws their hypocrisy back in their faces by saying, "You people make me laugh. When this kid ran out, did even one of you unlock your door?"
  • Black Butler: In chapter 29, Ciel is ill and about to go out when Agni asks Sebastian what kind of butler would let his master go out in that condition. This prompts Sebastian to reconsider his priorities and Ciel ends up back in bed.
  • Bleach:
    • Asking such questions appears to be the Schrift of Sternritter Q, "The Question" Berenice Gabrielli. Unfortunately, this ability doesn't work on deaf opponents; when tried on Kenpachi, who had just killed another Sternritter with supersonic roars as his ability, he can't hear a word of what Berenice is saying, so he simply rips their throat off.
    • During the Wandenreich's second invasion, Haschwalth is stopped by a Kidō barrier made by Nanao, which seems to repel or absorb his powers. Haschwalth then proceeds to ask her if the other captains were taught this Kidō spell. Nanao's reaction tells Haschwalth everything, to which he responds that if she had perfected the spell for everyone else to master, then they would have gone down fighting instead of being executed.
  • Bloom Into You:
    • Koyomi meets her favorite author at a book signing, but is shocked to discover that said author is actually a woman. Maki, who'd run into Koyomi before the book signing, asks her about it, and when she tells him what she learned, he asks "Are you disappointed? Broken-hearted, maybe?" Koyomi, offended, decides to press on and continue writing to show that her admiration for the author is not a mere "childish crush."
    • Some time later, Koyomi reveals that she rewrote the ending to the School Play, so that the amnesiac protagonist, instead of choosing to "become" the person her lover saw her as, instead chooses to be herself, a change that everyone besides Touko accepts. Sayaka then goes up to Yuu, who admits that she asked Koyomi to change the ending because she wanted Touko, who has many parallels with the protagonist, to change and accept herself. The following exchange ensues, and after some reflection, Sayaka admits that she wants the same thing as Yuu, but was too afraid to openly say it.
      Yuu: In the end, this is just me being selfish.
      Sayaka: Yes. It is selfish.
      Yuu: Then... why did you support the new script?
  • Lelouch of Code Geass gives one to the Emperor and Marianne during their final confrontation when he talks about his banishment to Japan, which the Emperor then invaded.
    Lelouch: Only one thing is undeniably certain. I understand now that what you did to Nunnally and me may have been done out of good intentions, but... the hard fact remains that you abandoned us in a foreign land!
    Marianne: But we did that to protect you!
    Lelouch: Then why didn't you stop the war between Japan and Britannia? The plan was such a priority for you both that it didn't matter to either of you if Nunnally and I were alive or dead. That's why you abandoned us; all you have left are self-serving excuses!
    • The Japanese dialogue's a bit clearer, since he argues that his parents only thought they had good intentions instead.
  • In the Cowboy Bebop episode "Ballad of Fallen Angels", Vicious and Spike have each other at point blank range, ready to strike. The question can go either way: Spike's statement left a void in Vicious' understanding to ask a question; so, also, by Spike's straight sentence, he asked an Armor-Piercing Question of Vicious, for which Vicious had no answer — rather than admitting this, he asks Spike the question, either implying that he believed there could be no answer, or that he desperately wanted his old friend to give him the answer. Either way, both strike in the next moment.
    Vicious: The same blood runs through both of us: the blood of a beast who wanders, hunting for the blood of others.
    Spike: I've bled all that kind of blood away.
    Vicious: THEN WHY ARE YOU STILL ALIVE?!
  • Death Note: After twenty five episodes spent trying to get rid of each other, L knows 1. he's going to die soon 2. Light will be the one to do it. Up until this point they've never openly admitted their mutual antagonism and the fact that they both knew the other was gunning for them — that is, until, they're standing on the rooftop in the rain, and in the middle of their conversation, L asks point blank, "Tell me, Light, from the moment you were born, has there ever been a point where you've actually told the truth?" All the sound immediately cuts out so all you can hear is total silence, and the focus is on Light's shocked face to show how hard L has hit the nail on the head. It's extremely significant that the outrageously over-the-top cautious L puts the game on hold to both tell Light that he knows with absolute certainty that he's Kira and to ask Light directly if he really is just that horrible of a person.
  • Digimon Adventure: While Yamato/Matt is taking Takeru/T.K. home on the subway and they're discussing if Yamato should get off at the next stop Patamon asks, "Do you not like separating?" to which Takeru/T.K. promptly tells him to shut up, sparking a fight between them.
  • Digimon Adventure 02:
    • Takeru/T.K. asks the Kaiser/Emperor, "How long are you gonna live under the impression that you're always right? Is it fun?" He goes on to tell the Kaiser/Emperor that he doesn't know anything about the evil powers he's using. This causes the Kaiser/Emperor to lash out.
    • Later, Blackwargreymon arrives at the cabin where Arukenimon, Mummymon and Oikawa are hiding out, claiming to want to look upon his creator's face. Arukenimon sneers at this and points out that's she's the one who gave him life from her hair, to which he responds by asking both her and Mummymon who created them. Neither one has an answer, until Oikawa reveals that he did so.
  • Digimon Universe: App Monsters: The main characters are asked one different question each before receiving their App Drives and Appmons. These questions are connected to their respective character arcs and tend to give them pause before answering. They also get asked the questions again at certain crucial points in the story.
    • Haru Shinkai is asked "Are you a protagonist?", referring to his desire to be the hero of his own story, even though he is insecure that he's too timid to ever be one. Nonetheless his desire to rise above that leads him to answer "Yes" and sets him on his digital adventure.
    • Eri Karan is asked "Is there anyone you want to see smile?". At that point she was a lonely girl whose mother was often too busy with work to come home. Eri had developed an interest in idols and the question inspired her to become one, because idols made her smile and she too wanted to become someone who made people (including her tired mother) smile.
    • Torajiro Asuka is asked "Do you feel it?", which inspires him to follow his dream of being an AppTuber, while also fulfilling his responsibility to his family to carry on their traditions. "Do you feel it?" also becomes his catchphrase as an AppTuber.
    • Rei Katsura is asked "Are you alone?". He's an Ineffectual Loner and mistrusts his Appmon partner Hackmon, because he thinks he's working for the villains, so his initial answer is "Yes". When he learns to trust the other kids and Hackmon, his answer becomes "No", completing his arc.
    • Yujin Ozora is asked "Is there someone you'd give up your life to protect?". Yujin felt inadequate due to not being able to help his best friend Haru in his adventures, so he was happy to receive his own Appmon, as that meant he'd finally be of use to Haru. Becomes even more meaningful when it turns out he's an Unwitting Pawn of the Big Bad, but Haru has come to mean so much to him, Yujin sacrifices his own life to protect him.
  • Denjin N: The Sudou ask Tadahiro what he likes in Misaki more, her appearance or her personality, then cuts her nose. Tadahiro goes into Unstoppable Rage, but Sudou ask the question again and Tadahiro shuts himself up.
  • In Dragon Ball Z, after Vegeta explains why he made his Deal with the Devil to get the power boost from Babidi's magic he would need to fight Goku. He then goes on to say that he doesn't regret it. Goku asks Vegeta if he really believes what he's saying. Vegeta doesn't say anything, only responding with a Death Glare.
  • In Endride, Demetrio is the master of delivering these although a few others get their chance, most of them directed at Emilio about his plans. The one that has the most visible impact is Demetrio's: "So, you kill the king, what happens next?" to which he has no answer.
  • In Fairy Tail, Erza manages to escape from the Tower of Heaven, where she was enslaved, but at the cost of her friend and fellow slave Jellal manipulating her other friends into thinking she betrayed them. Years later, after Sho states that Jellal told him and the other slaves Erza blew up the boats they planned to escape with, Gray and Lucy asks him if that is something the Erza he knew would have done. This question helps convince Sho and the others to turn on Jellal.
  • Fruits Basket:
    • Haru confesses his love to Rin and asks if she feels the same way. Rin replies that Akito has forbidden them to have romantic relationships. Which is true, but doesn't answer Haru's question, so he repeats it until Rin gives a real answer, an answer based on what she thinks.
    • Played for laughs in an omake when Kyo was complaining about attending the same school as Yuki. Yuki simply asks Kyo if he was so set against attending school, then why didn't he just flunk the entrance exam on purpose? Kyo stood wide-eyed in shock and wondered why the hell he never thought of that himself.
    Yuki and Shigure: Because you're an idiot.
    • During the beach vacation, Hiro asks Tohru why she constantly talks about her mother but never mentions her father. This leaves Tohru very visibly shaken, and her behavior afterwards is a major indication that she's not as positive as she seems, as it's later revealed that she was heavily affected by her mother briefly neglecting her and almost committing suicide after her father's death. It's even lampshaded as everyone else can sense that the question clearly affected Tohru, and even Hiro himself realizes that it was a pretty loaded question to ask.
  • Fullmetal Alchemist:
    • Barry the Chopper upon defeat mind rapes Al by asking him how he knows he is even real. This leads Al to question whether he ever existed and if his memories weren't implanted by Ed. Naturally, this turns Al against Ed briefly in the manga (and for a few episodes in the first anime). Later in the series, the final words of Homunculus also pierce their armor.
    • The above situation is resolved by Winry angrily telling Al that the thing Ed had been too afraid to ask Al about was whether Al blamed him for how the attempt to resurrect their mother turned out, and asking him the following.
      "What idiot would risk his own life to create a fake younger brother?!"
    • After the homunculus Envy has been defeated and reduced to a pitiful worm-like creature, he starts a rant about how inferior humans are and ridicules the idea of the Dysfunction Junction Ragtag Bunch of Misfits getting over their mutual hatred and working together. Ed recognises the Inferiority Superiority Complex, and sadly asks him "You're jealous of humans, aren't you?" because of humanity's ability to overcome their weaknesses through their connection to each other. This triggers a Villainous BSoD that causes Envy to speed his own death rather than continue with his humiliation.
    • In the 2003 anime, Ed questions Lust's motives on helping him, pointing out that as a Homunculus, she's got power and immortality, so why would she want to give all that up to become a normal human? Lust counters by pointing out that Ed's brother Al has power and immortality with his armor body, so why take that away from him to make him human? Ed was taken aback as Lust had pointed out her situation is no different from Al's.
  • The Big Bad of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex 2nd Gig, Kazundo Ghoda, delivers one to all of Section 9 after he blatantly uses them to transport a case of stolen plutonium out of a dangerous area: he intentionally opens the case to reveal it was empty, and informs that the real case of plutonium was safely recovered by the military. Batou protests how the jerk just used Section 9 as a decoy, leading to this as his response, making them realize even Section 9 could easily be wiped out in a fight if the enemy has numbers on their side.
    Batou: Just who do you think we are, pal?
    Ghoda: The real question is who do you think YOU are? An elite squad of the hand-picked chosen few?
  • Lampshaded in The Girl Who Leapt Through Space when Leopard asks "Do you humans understand what you are?" and gleefully comments how this question always short-circuits a human mind.
  • In The Girl I Want is So Handsome!, halfway through the story, Shiki kisses Hina, leaving the two in a Heroic BSoD as they try to work through their relationship. Their friends on the team, Hanna and Rei, ask questions of them that force them to come to terms with their feelings for each other.
    • Hanna observes that Shiki was jealous of Rei's closeness with Hina, since Hina was using a nickname on Rei.
    Hanna: Was it because Ayukawa-chan was having fun with someone other than you?
    • Meanwhile, Hina confesses to Rei that she'd always thought Shiki thought of her as a little sister until they kissed. Rei tells her to ask Shiki directly, and when Hina hesitates, Rei responds as follows.
    Rei: What do you want to happen, Ayukawa?
  • In Girls und Panzer, Miho tries giving her mother one in the prequel manga, Little Army, regarding whether Maho needed to shoot an enemy flag tank that went to rescue her teammates, but it fails; her mother coldly brushes off the question as "foolish", and essentially says yes, but the fact that she asked it causes Maho to realize how desperate Miho is, and apologize for her aloof behavior. Miho gives a more successful one to Anchovy in the main series manga when Anchovy approaches her after losing to her.
    Anchovy: There's no meaning to doing Panzerkraft if you don't strive for victory!
    Miho: So, is there no meaning to all the efforts you and your comrades gave?
    Anchovy: What?
  • Gundam:
  • The Guy She Was Interested in Wasn't a Guy At All is about Aya Oosawa, a gyaru who develops a crush on a clerk at a music store she visits, whom she refers to as "Onii-san"Explanation. Aya eventually learns that "Onii-san" is actually her female classmate Mitsuki Koga, and while she's initially angry with Mitsuki for not telling her, the two become friends. At the end of Chapter 74, Mitsuki asks Aya, "Are you being nice to me just because I'm 'Onii-san'?" Aya is unable to answer that question, and while Mitsuki drops the subject and hangs up, it clearly had an impact.
  • In episode 7 of Hell Girl, when budding actress Ayaka is banished to Hell, she says that through acting, she can become anybody. Hone Onna promptly asks her: "So... is there a real you in there?"
  • If I Could Reach You: Kaoru asks two of her husband Reiichi in Chapter 33. First, she asks him when he fell in love with her, a question that catches him off guard until she hits home with an Armor-Piercing Response- "Because you never did fall in love with me." Later that evening, they bring up the subject again, and she asks him the following.
    "Till now, why can't you even say that you love me?"
  • In the anime/manga of The Heroic Legend of Arslan, after Jimsa is Mistaken for Betrayal and was almost killed by his king without giving him a chance to explain and later rescued by the Parsian forces, Narsus asked him to join them. However, Jimsa refused on the basis that prince Arslan's kindness makes him appear weaker compared to his more talented retainers, since in Turan, the king must never be overshadowed by their subjects in order to rule. Narsus points out that strength is not the only qualification for a king's value. After all -
    Narsus: How did King Tokhtamysh treat you?
  • Inuyasha:
    • During the Final Battle, Kagome questions Naraku's motives, observing that he couldn't have manipulated people's hearts so successfully if he didn't understand the human heart. She realises that the reason he still hadn't absorbed the Shikon no Tama was because the transformation into a youkai would destroy his human heart (and thus his power to manipulate the hearts of others). She shatters his composure by asking him if the Shikon no Tama failed to grant his real wish. Naraku's true wish was for Kikyo's heart, which he could never have, so he settled for his second-best wish which just happened to be the same wish the Shikon no Tama itself had.
    • Earlier, Naraku's own subordinate asked him what he was going to wish for now the Shikon no Tama was completed. This makes Naraku understand for the first time that things are coming to an end and that if he cannot have his true wish, he needs to settle for the one wish he wants that can come true, and that is a wish that will not come true immediately. He didn't want the thrill of having a Worthy Opponent to ever end and knows the Shikon no Tama will grant this desire because it overlaps with the jewel's own desire to survive. The jewel's original souls are almost burned out and need to be replaced. Naraku is willing to replace the evil youkai if the jewel uses Kagome to replace the original miko. Naraku gets eternal battle with a Worthy Opponent and has Kikyo's reincarnation with him forever while the renewed jewel has its survival ensured.
  • Jujutsu Kaisen has these examples:
    • Before Yuuji is accepted into the Jujutsu Specialty High School of Tokyo, the principal of the school, Masamichi Yaga, asks him many questions to find out why he wants to attend the school and why he wants to collect the king of curses, Ryomen Sukuna's, remains. When Yuuji fails to answer the questions, the principal asks Yuuji sensitive questions about his grandfather and his true intentions.
    • Mahito also uses this trick as a part of his Hannibal Lecture by asking several questions, such as the meaning of life or the value of the human soul, so that he can corrupt other people easily.
    • Gojo's Evil Former Friend Suguru Geto asks him one to illustrate how, if he had Gojo's power, his "impossible" goal of annihilating all non-sorcerers would suddenly be entirely possible and even plausible. It hits Gojo so hard that he grows out of his own Might Makes Right mentality, resolving to never assume something is the proper thing to do simply because he has the power to do it.
      "Are you the strongest because you're Gojo Satoru, or are you Gojo Satoru because you're the strongest?"
  • Junkers Come Here has Hiromi's tutor, Keisuke, asking this to Hiromi's mother who believes her daughter to be very mature and taking her divorce quite well:
    Keisuke: When was the last time you saw Hiromi cry?
  • Kaguya-sama: Love Is War: Back in middle school, Fujiwara was a musical prodigy who spent every free moment practicing the piano until she was on the verge of burning out. Kaguya commenting "Why don't you just quit?" when seeing how miserable she looked caused her to stop playing the very next day, with her challenging Kaguya to a game to become friends so she could make up for all her lost leisure time. Kaguya wouldn't even find out how significant her words were until several years after the fact in their final year of high school.
  • In The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (2005), several of Zelda’s retainers question whether or not someone like Link can really be the promised hero. When Zelda asks them how they could judge someone’s character when the villain Agahnim was able to scheme right under their noses, they fall silent.
  • Love Live! Superstar!! The money-grubbing Natsumi was talking with Kinako about their dream with Liella. But then Kinako asked Natsumi, what their dream is. Natsumi herself thought about it know and realizes, that she just tries to gather money because she has lost all of her dreams. Kanon, who eavesdropped this conversation, used this confession now to invite Natsumi to Liella!.
  • In Magi: Labyrinth of Magic Aladdin is able to reduce Alibaba to silence by innocently asking why freeing a slave is wrong.
  • Maken-ki!: Takeru has held on to the belief that violence against women in any form is unconscionable due to an incident in his childhood involving his mother dying at the hands of a rival fighter. He is often berated for his mindset, but Akaya from Venus adds on to it by asking what he would do if one of his female classmates was accosted by another female student. Takeru finds himself unable to answer, which prompts Akaya to twist the knife even more:
    Akaya: Are you saying that... as long as it's girls fighting each other, then it's okay for them to hurt each other?
  • Make the Exorcist Fall in Love: When Dante realizes that Father has been abused into a Death Seeker with Blind Obedience to the Church, he forces Father to recognize this by asking, "Looking to martyr yourself so soon? Is living that painful for you?" Father initially shouts at Dante to shut up, but he's soon bawling in Dante's arms, admitting that it hurts and he can't go on living like this.
  • Maria no Danzai: After Mari learned the truth of Kiritaka's death and decided to sever all ties in order to pursue her vendetta against Okaya's gang on her own, one of the first things she did was divorce her husband. Taiichirou was already devastated by the loss of his son; divorcing Mari was more than he could bear. He begged Mari to stay with him, arguing that they could still rebuild and that it was times like this that their family should stay together. When Mari retorted by asking how they could be a family even though Kiri was gone, Taiichirou fell to his knees in shocked silence, with tears running down his face.
  • Mars (1996): Once their relationship is serious enough for Ladykiller in Love Rei to expect more physical intimacy from his Shrinking Violet girlfriend Kira, he realizes that her aversion to men still applies to him, which makes him decide to find out just where Kira's phobia comes from. It doesn't take long for him to piece it together and ask her "Who raped you?" to which he gets the Armor-Piercing Response of "My...my father". The answer also acts as Dropping the Bombshell since there was zero indication before this moment that this would be her response given that her father had died before the story began, Kira seemed to have good memories of her father, and the step-father she is actually talking about had not yet been introduced or even mentioned in the story proper. This response makes Rei have an internal crisis as he realizes Kira's problems are far too big for him to solve in his usual way (with his fists) and they end up breaking up for a while because of his inability to deal with Kira's trauma.
  • In Medaka Box, Ajimu asks Zenkichi just how he plans to "defeat" Medaka. In other words, what exactly does Zenkichi want from his upcoming battle with Medaka? After some soul-searching, during which he deconstructs his own Subordinate Excuse, he finally has his epiphany: "Ah, I see. I want to go out with Medaka-chan."
  • In A Midsummer's Spring Star, Manatsu is less than thrilled with her Childhood Friend Hoshiko becoming the Bifauxnen idol "Hoshi-kun," being dissatisfied with how much Hoshiko has changed. Her sharing those feelings with Hoshiko results in the following exchange.
    Manatsu: Hoshiko, I feel like you've changed so much that you're like a stranger to me. I don't get any of that stuff, like caring about being cool or being an idol... Is this what you wanted to become? It's like you've become a totally different person. You're not the Hoshiko I knew anymore. Back when we were kids, you were-
    Hoshiko: Back when we were kids, I was shy and nervous, and I hated when people looked at me. I used to wish I could just disappear. Manatsu-chan, are you saying you wish I was still like that?
  • Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid: The Bandit does the to Tohru by accident when she asks her what the freedom of being a dragon is like. Tohru had never considered herself free and had never even wondered what she would do if she was.
  • In Monster, Johan delivers one to former cop Richard regarding an incident in which he shot a teenager while intoxicated.
    Johan: You shot that boy while you were intoxicated. That's what you told the media, correct?
    Richard: What are you getting at?
    Johan: You see, I asked several witnesses about you, and they all mentioned seeing drinking in a bar after the incident when you shot that boy. But no matter how many people I asked not a single person could recall having seen you drinking before that.
    Richard: What?
    Johan: I think we've kept up this charade long enough. Detective Braun, were you really drunk when you killed that young man? I believe you were quite sober, and calm. You knew exactly what you were doing. He was scum after all, and so you executed him. Well? Did I get it right?
    Richard: (eyes widen in realization)
    Johan: You're guilty of murder, and you hid from the truth. Tell me, was it a lie to convince the press, or a lie you tell yourself? How will your little girl feel when she finds out that her daddy is a cold-blooded killer?
    Richard: (stares at Johan in horror)
    Johan: (grins sadistically, then pulls a bottle of booze from his coat) Well, Richard, how about a drink?
  • In Muhyo and Roji, after Roji is put on leave as Muhyo's assistant in order to think about what he can do, he starts staying with Judge Imai. Roji then begins offering to do chores for Imai, who angrily responds with "Is that what you want to do? ERRANDS?!" before telling him about how her subordinate Fujiwara was incompetent and cowardly, but worked his fingers to the bone. After that question and the follow-up doesn't quite sink in, Imai replies with "You don't want to know anything, do you?" which results in Roji taking the first steps toward finding out what he can do to improve.
  • My Hero Academia:
    • Dabi receives one from the pro hero Snatch. Who, with his last words, asks him if he's ever actually thought about how he affects the families of the people he kills. Dabi nearly drives himself crazy contemplating this afterwards.
    • Some of the students who failed the Provisional Hero License Exam for various reasons are given an opportunity to take a class that will prepare them to retake the exam. One of the exercises in said class involves them trying to take control of a class of unruly and highly precocious children with powerful Quirks. Unfortunately for Yoarashi, one boy realizes why Yoarashi and the others are with his class today.
      Yoarashi: Can kids who give their teachers trouble become good heroes?
      Boy: No...?
      Yoarashi: Right! In that case...
      Boy: But... (gets Yoarashi's attention) Then... since you all gave the teachers and safety commission more work by making them run this class, you can't become one, either?
  • Naruto:
    • Pain has pinned Naruto down and forces him to listen to his Hannibal Lecture about how people are unable to understand others, and how that leads to all the conflict in the world. When Naruto angrily tells him to shut up, he retorts by asking one, simple question: "Then what would your solution be?", rendering him mute.
    • After the revelation that Danzo might have manipulated Mifune into making him head of the alliance, Gaara notes that if people cannot trust each other, there is no future for the world. While the Tsuchikage mocks his ideals, Gaara asks the other Kages "When did you all forsake yourselves?" and in so doing, causes the Tsuchikage to remember "how (he) was before (he) became a stubborn old man" and veto a potential plan to eliminate the eight- and nine-tailed beast hosts.
  • Negima! Magister Negi Magi:
    • Played for humor with Yue reducing Kotaro to a shivering heap with a series of these types of questions. ("What is love?" "What is the meaning of your existance?", etc.)
    • There's a later example played by Negi on Smug Snake Kurt Goedel as he calls him out on the real nature of the Magic World (with state secret level information, that Negi could not possibly normally know about [thing is, he had his personal information source on this specific issue in the person of Chao...]), and on why he only wants to save the people of his country and not the whole world (meaning he is virtually leaving 17 out of 18 of the Magic World to die). This is particularly satisfying as finally his composed attitude breaks down, when even a Curb-Stomp Battle brought about by Negi's Superpowered Evil Side didn't faze him.
    • Negi himself was eventually hit with an earth-shattering one that he can't bring himself to openly answer: "Which girl do you like the most?"
    • Related to the above, Evangeline is wondering who Negi likes, and pressures him to talk, until Satsuki Yotsuba, the quiet girl who barely talks, asks her:
      Yotsuba: You keep pressuring him to say who, but... Evangeline-san, what will happen if he says it's you?
  • One Piece:
    • Sanji receives one during the Whole Cake Island arc after he tells Luffy that he intends to stay with his abusive biological relatives in order to save the Straw Hats and the staff of the Baratie. Luffy beats the crap out of him and then asks the one question nobody had ever before in Sanji’s lifetime bothered to ask: What does Sanji actually want? Sanji breaks down in tears and admits that he wants to come home to the Thousand Sunny.
    • Sanji later deals a magnificent one to his Honey Trap fiancée Pudding:
      Pudding: You're surprised, huh? You must be disappointed, right? Don't worry, because soon you'll be dead! I've deceived a lot of people like this!
      Sanji: Does that include yourself, Pudding?!
  • In Persona 5: The Animation, when the Phantom Thieves are hesitant to steal Kunikazu Okumura's heart due to unease over certain issues, Morgana(aka Mona), who'd long struggled with his feelings of inadequacy, splits from the group and teams up with Okumura's daughter Haru to steal Okumura's heart first. The Phantom Thieves identify Haru and meet up with her, learning about why she wants to change her father's heart. She then asks two such questions of them.
    Haru: Will you change Father's heart? For the sake of justice, or to become more famous?
    Ryuji: O-Of course it's for the sake of justice!
    Haru: But you can't help Mona-chan, can you?
  • Pokémon: The Series: You wouldn't think Ash Ketchum would be one to do this, but in an episode of Journeys he seriously asks if Go had asked his Raboot's opinion on leaving him behind to be happy in Hoenn. Realizing he didn't, Go tearfully tries to get off the train to find his partner — thankfully, Raboot was already on the train.
  • Puella Magi Madoka Magica:
    • Alien granter-of-wishes Kyuubey, in response to Sayaka's anger over her situation, asks two questions of her. Sayaka's fall into despair is, among other things, coming to regret her becoming a Magical Girl.
      Sayaka: Why... why do we have to go through all this...
      Kyuubey: You had a wish you wanted granted even if it meant being fated to live a life of battle from then on, right? And that wish has certainly come true, hasn't it?
    • Even earlier, Mami made a question to Sayaka that fitted fairly well here...
      Sayaka: Does this wish have to be for ourselves? (...) If there's someone much worse off than me, I was wondering if I could make a wish for him or something like that!
      Mami: I don't really like the idea... Miki-san, do you want to make that person's dream come true? Or do you just want to make him indebted to you for making it come true?
  • Being the Genre Deconstruction of the Fighting Series Played for Laughs, at Ramen Fighter Miki this works to sustain the misunderstanding at the One Dialogue, Two Conversations: Wakana talks about how 10 years is too much a time for Belligerent Sexual Tension between Kankuro and Miki. Unknown Rival Kankuro believes Wakana chastises him because he Can't Catch Up with The Rival Miki:
    Wakana: You're just frustrated because of Onimaru-san, aren't you?... Have you felt that way for a long time?
    Kankuro: Ever since I met her at elementary school... so I guess It has been 10 years now...
    Wakana: Huh?! It's been teen years and you still haven't made any progress?! I can't believe it! And you call yourself a man?
    Kankuro: (thinking) On some levels that hurt more than any of Miki's punches, nya...
  • Rent-A-Girlfriend: Chizuru asks Kazuya's ex-girlfriend Mami, who'd casually dumped him after a month, whether she'd ever taken his feelings for her seriously or truly gave him a chance. This question manages to break through Mami's facade, and she coldly tells Chizuru to "buzz off" before leaving.
  • Rurouni Kenshin:
    • Stepford Smiler Seta Soujirou, while fighting Kenshin, was already starting to suffer from a Villainous Breakdown, is muttering that Kenshin wasn't around to protect Soujirou when it mattered. Kenshin destroys what's left of Soujirou's cool with one question: "Is it too late to start over?"
    • Revenge-obsessed villain Enishi flips out when Kenshin asks if his dead sister is smiling for him.
  • Saike from Saike Mata Shitemo spent most of the series drowning himself to reset time and save people around him in order to be a hero. However, we get insight into his true motives when Hirayasu has this to say...
    Hirayasu: Isn't it more like you just want to be special?
  • In the final arc of Sailor Moon, the Big Bad reveals that she was in fact the Galaxy's greatest Sailor Guardian that even she was unable to contain Chaos inside her, proving that sealing away such evil was impossible. Sailor Moon's response: "Why would you try to do that alone?"
  • In Saiyuki, the villain Kami-sama, who has stolen Genjo's sutra, claims that he was trained by a Sanzo priest and inherited the title from him. However, Genjo has a question for him: "If you really inherited the title, where the hell's your Sutra?" He goes on to point out that Kami-sama went out of his way to steal a Sutra from Genjo because he didn't have one of his own, and that his master may have taught him everything he knows, but he still never gave him the title of Sanzo. At this, Kami-sama finally snaps.
  • In The Seven Deadly Sins, Gowther, after hearing about Slader's loyalty to the King, asks him why he follows orders from the Great Holy Knights. Slader's unfazed until he then tries to tell him that the King is ill and they are just representing him (which was a lie, that the corrupt Holy Knights used to take over the kingdom). Gowther follows through by asking if the King ever ordered him personally. The realization causes Slader to break off conflict and go to the King to confirm.
    Gowther: Is that, what the king said? Did he tell you all this, while you were at his bedside?
  • In Shirobako, Aoi Miyamori, production desk chair, has called production assistant Daisuke Hiraoka in for a meeting over several issues with his work, including his freelancers doing a poor job. Hiraoka gets defensive and rants about how Aoi's insistence on doing things the "right" way will cause her to burn out before long, since Hiraoka's been working for much longer than Aoi. Aoi then asks the following question, which becomes even more poignant in light of revelations that Hiraoka was once very enthusiastic about working in anime.
    Aoi: Then why do you continue doing this job, Hiraoka-san?
  • Skip Beat!
    • The Guam arc shows Kyoko meeting Corn again, though she doesn't know that Corn is Ren Tsuruga's actual self. When Corn wants her to kiss him to lift a curse off of him, Kyoko vehemently refuses because she promised Ren Tsuruga to keep her chastity and virtue intact. Corn asks her why she would promise that to him, especially since Ren Tsuruga is not her lover. The questions stumps Kyoko, but she still tries to figure out a way to help Corn and not break her promise.
    • On a law-discussion show, a caller attempts one on Saena Mogami, Kyoko's estranged and emotionally abusive mother. She's worried her ex-husband is manipulating their child to hate the mother, and thus getting sole custody. Saena cooly states what the law on that matter is, but the woman's infuriated and drops a piercing question. But the pierce doesn't occur.
      Caller: You... you've never experienced labor pains or childbirth, have you?!
      Saena: Certainly, I have no child.
  • The Summer You Were There:
    • After Shizuku tells Kaori that she's afraid she'll end up unwittingly hurting her the same way she hurt Ruri, Kaori asks the following question, which forces her to acknowledge that she does enjoy being around Kaori.
      Kaori: What about you? How do you feel? Do you hate being with me?
    • After Shizuku tries to apologize to Ruri, Ruri asks her, "What do you want from me?" Shizuku inwardly admits that while she was prepared for the possibility that Ruri would never forgive her, a part of her hoped that Ruri would, but she replies that she merely wanted to convey her feelings.
  • In Sword Art Online The Movie: Ordinal Scale, Kirito confronts Professor Shigemura about his Augmented Reality device, the Augma, causing SAO survivors, most recently Asuna, to lose their memories of the game. Shigemura is rather evasive about his responsibility for this, but asks Kirito if some people might be better off without their traumatic memories. Kirito is left at a loss for words and is unable to continue the interrogation.
  • In Tegami Bachi: Letter Bee, a young Zazie's parents come to claim him from the orphanage where they dropped him off, since they paid their debts and don't have to worry about him being taken as collateral, but he doesn't recognize them as his parents or believe them, so he sends them away. The cruel orphan matron then asks him, "If they're not your parents, why would they want a brat like you?" Unfortunately for Zazie, a Gaichuu eats his parents' hearts.
  • Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann:
    • This instance:
      Nia: So does this mean you hate me too, Adiane?
      Adiane: Hate you? I really couldn't care less about you. I was told to kill you, so that's precisely what I'm going to do! Whether I hate you or not is irrelevant.
      Nia: So you're saying that you're willing to kill me simply because you were ordered to do so?
      Adiane: Of course I am, what of it?
      Nia: If my father ordered you to take your own life, would you do that too?
    • Kittan, furious over Rossiu's plan to evacuate the Earth and let everyone who's left behind die, insists that they could Take a Third Option and just destroy the moon. Rossiu then asks a question about the price of failure that leaves Kittan speechless for a moment, then asks him a question about leadership that forces him to concede the argument.
      Rossiu: If we fail, humanity truly will go extinct! Tell me... are you able to bear that responsibility? (Kittan goes silent) [...] A leader's role is not to fight. A leader's role is to make the hard decisions. Do you think I'm wrong?
      Kittan No. No, you're not wrong... but that don't mean I gotta like it!
    • An even better example comes later in the series, when Nia is taken over by her Anti-Spiral programming, and insists she no longer has any emotional ties to her past life. Simon responds to this by asking "if you don't love me anymore, why are you still wearing your engagement ring?"
  • Tokyo Godfathers: "Kiyoko wants to see her mom and dad, why don't you get that?!" It's how Miyuki manages to snap Sachiko out of kidnapping the baby for herself.
  • In Tonari no Seki no Hen na Senpai, when Mayumi is propositioned by closet masochist Kurai to be her sub, her stalker/kind of love interest Akio demands to know if Kurai honestly wants Mayumi, or if any woman will do. Kurai decides he needs to think it over and leaves.
  • When Supernatural Battles Became Commonplace: In Episode 7 of the anime, Hatoko gives many in rapid succession to Andou after she finally snaps, in the form of a speech. She genuinely didn't understand the things he was talking about, and was trying to connect with Andou over the things he likes, but failing.note 
    Hatoko: I don't understand. I don't understand! I don't understand a single word you say, Ju-kun! I don't understand what's good about the things you call good! I don't understand! I can't understand! What's so cool about "Bloody"? I don't like blood. Bleeding just hurts! What's so cool about "madness"? I don't understand what's good about being crazy! What do you mean by "sinful"? What's so good about having sin? Is it cool being a criminal? And what's with "chaos", anyway? Chaos? What about it? What about "darkness"? You want it to be dark? Between justice and evil, why is evil better? Why do you prefer evil? Isn't it evil because it's wrong? What's so cool about your right arm aching? "I love the feeling of being unable to control my power"? What's that? That just makes you a fool! It's much cooler when you have control! That's worthy of respect! What's so awesome about hiding your power all the time? That's just slacking off! It's much cooler to face things head-on, at full strength, without hiding anything! Why do you give everything nicknames and aliases? Having so many different names only makes them hard to keep up with! Don't use English or Katakana for everything! I can’t remember those! Don’t write "elegy" and read it "requiem"! Don't write "forbidden" and read it "taboo"! Don’t write "holy war" and read it "jihad"! Greek myth, the Bible, Norse myth, Japanese myth... Don’t start talking about them just because you did a little research! If you don’t properly explain it, I can't understand what you mean! If you're going to teach me, teach me right! Listening to explanations about mythological weapons is not fun! Gungnir, Longinus, Excalibur, Durandal, and Ama-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi all mean nothing to me! I don’t understand what’s cool about them! All your other terminology is confusing, too! Original Sin, Ten Commandments, Book of Genesis, Book of Revelations, Armageddon... (staring to cry) What do you mean by "their names are cool"? It’s impossible for me to "feel it by their atmosphere"! Relativity, Schrodinger's cat, universal gravitation... Don’t act like you understand them because you read a little on the net! I can't understand them at all if you give half-baked explanations! Don’t quote Nietzsche or Goethe! When you start quoting people I don't know, I can’t understand what you’re trying to say at all! Talk to me in your own words! I'm begging you, speak so I can understand you! What is "chuuni"? What does "chuuni" mean? I don't understand, I don't understand, I don't understand, I don't understand! I don't understand! I don't understand a single word you've ever said at all, Ju-kun!
  • X:
    • A Tearjerker along the lines of a villainous Armor-Piercing Question. The question, asked of a 14-year-old schoolgirl named Yuzuriha Nekoi. "Why is it wrong to kill humans?" Which, in intent, amounts to something like "Why are you guys the Good Guys and we (the Well-Intentioned Extremists) the Bad guys?" The Tearjerker? Her pet spirit wolf Inuki, who has been with her essentially since birth, springs forward to fight for her. And is immediately killed, causing said Genki Girl to go through a less over-dramatic version of a Heroic BSoD.
    • Yuzuriha finds an answer to that question, by the way, which is "Because someone will always grieve for your victim". Inuki is soon reborn shortly after this. Although, Yuuto was actually the one who first said so. And to the very face of Satsuki, the person who made the question.
  • Yu-Gi-Oh!: Although Anzu / Téa is often criticized for her speeches, one of her best moments is when she delivers one of these to Kaiba in a "The Reason You Suck" Speech. Although Kaiba tries to play it off cool ("I have everything I need."), he is visibly shaken.
    Anzu / Téa: What do you have? What do you have at the end of the day? Tell me? TELL ME!
    • There's another one later that overlaps with I Never Said It Was Poison. After losing to Jonouchi/Joey, Bandit Keith accuses Joey of entering the match with someone else's tournament entry card. Jonouchi reveals it to be true... and then promptly asks Keith how he knew that the card Jou was using wasn't his.
    • In the DOMA/Legendary Dragons arc, Amelda/Alister explains that his goal is to ensure that all people he deems "evil" will be taken by the Oricalcos. Kaiba replies by asking what if Amelda's/Alaster's brother was still with him and if he would still execute his goals if it meant hurting him. This causes Amelda/Alister to have a total breakdown, while Kaiba gives him a "The Reason You Suck" Speech about how it was his responsibility to look after his brother, and he failed.
  • In an episode of Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL, Yuma duels a guy who is a member of a famous soccer family. The guy rants that he hates soccer and has become a duelist to get out of his brothers' shadows and prove himself better than them. Yuma shakes him up by asking, "Then why are you using a soccer deck?"
  • In Yuri is My Job!,
    • Sumika learns about Kanoko's Unrequited Love for her best friend Hime, something that Kanoko has never told anyone else about. While Sumika initially tries to get Kanoko to give up on that love, lest her wish to end the schwester system ruin the Liebe salon, she eventually learns that Kanoko has no intention of ever telling Hime that, or several other things. She then asks Kanoko the following question.
      "Can you really continue to love someone while always hiding things from them?"
    • Later on, Sumika complains about how Hime is all Kanoko talks about and how "fruitless" her unrequited love for Hime is. Nene then asks a few questions to force Sumika to confront her feelings for Kanoko.
      Nene: Sumika, you really are in love with Amamiya-san, aren't you?
      Sumika: What? Come again? Do you mean romantically? No way. I'm just worried about her as her big sister.
      Nene: You're always fixated on Amamiya-san and she's all you ever talk about. All you ever worry about. You'd rather... she was in love with you instead of Shirasagi-san, right?
      Sumika: That's not it! I know it's gonna end so poorly for Kanoko-chan that I just... the words slipped out.
      Nene: But what if it did work out? What if Amamiya-san and Shirasagi-san started dating? Would you be able to support that?
    • After the above exchange, Sumika notices that Kanoko is so bothered by the prospect of spending time with Hime with Mitsuki around that she actually refuses an invitation from Hime, and in response, invites Kanoko over to her place. Kanoko asks a question that forces Sumika to question how she feels about Kanoko.
    "Are you saying you did that to get me away from Hime-chan?"
  • Zatch Bell!: "What kind of King do you strive to become?", from Gustav to Bari. This, together with Zatch's own goal of "Becoming a Kind King" makes Bari rethink his style of fighting and define his own goal of "Becoming a Strong King".

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