History Main / LeaningOnTheFourthWall

-->''I'm rescuing a princess with a mercenary, a sentient staff, and a ghost. It's like one of those [=RPG=]s I used to play when I was a kid . . .''

-->'''Ash:''' [[http://www.misfile.com/?date=2013-12-09 . . . Besides, I feel like I have to start being the protagonist in my own life story.]]\\

'''Bob:''' You mean like FourthWallPsych? What about AsideGlance? The inverse would be ThisIsReality. Common subtropes are DiegeticSoundtrackUsage and WhoWouldWantToWatchUs... wait, [[JustForFun/TvTropesWillRuinYourVocabulary why are we talking like this]]?

-->-- ''Anime/PokemonTheSeries'', "Flower Power"

*** After watching ''Film/ReturnOfTheJedi'', [[Characters/MarvelComicsCyclops Scott]] and [[Characters/XMen90sMembers Jubilee]] start discussing which one of the [[Film/XMen1 previous]] [[Film/X2XMenUnited films]] was the best, only for [[Characters/MarvelComicsJeanGrey Jean]] to remark that the [[Film/XMenTheLastStand third movie]] [[{{Sequelitis}} is always the worst]].

* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Scoob}}'' (which is rated PG), Shaggy tells Blue Falcon to drop some F-bombs (as in, "Falcon bombs"), but Blue Falcon misunderstands him and tells him to keep things PG.

* ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'': Velvet is a one-off character who became such an instant hit with the fans that she was given a recurring role and a fan-designed uniform, but her weapon was kept deliberately secret during the design competition. When her team is finally introduced in battle in the Volume 2 finale, Velvet starts to reveal her weapon but is told by Coco to not waste it on the current fight because she's spent all semester working on it. It is a major tease for the audience, but turns out to have a valid in-universe reason for being so restricted in use. [[spoiler:It's a camera that allows Velvet to fight with any huntsman weapon she's photographed. However, it's a one-shot use, and she has to take new photographs before she can use it battle a second time.]]

* PlayedForDrama in the Martian Manhunter vs Silver Surfer episode of ''WebAnimation/DeathBattle''. Both of them ask each other why they're even fighting in the first place, both of them compelled to get into this battle by some outside deity, but neither of them get any revelation that they're fighting for the amusement of millions of viewers. Martian Manhunter requests that Silver Surfer is able to carry the weight of the uncertainty on his shoulders.

'''Misty''': [[WhoWouldWantToWatchUs Who would watch something like that?]]

* In ''Fanfic/AceCombatTheEquestrianWar'', Sky Eye says that "[[VideoGame/AceCombat the game]] [[GameOver is over]]" for [[spoiler:Red Cyclone]] when Fortress Intimidation is destroyed by Rainbow Dash and Firefly.

** In ''Film/TheLastJedi'', when Kylo Ren reveals to Rey that her parents were no one special, he adds that "You have no place in this story."
*** Earlier, when he refuses to leave Ahch-To with Rey, Luke asks her (paraphrased): "Do you think I'm going to walk out with a laser sword and face down the whole First Order by myself? What did you think was going to happen here?" Many fans came into the film expecting Luke to do exactly that. [[spoiler: And at the end of the day, he does, but not exactly in the way you'd expect.]]

->'''Vernon Dursley:''' I am not aware that it is any of your business what goes on in my house--\\
'''Mad-Eye Moody:''' I expect what you're not aware of would fill several books, Dursley.
-->-- ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheOrderOfThePhoenix''

* ''AudioPlay/SonicAndTailsR'' features Ryan Drummond [[RoleReprise reprising his role as Sonic]] a full 16 years after his last official game (2004's ''[[VideoGame/SonicAdvanceTrilogy Sonic Advance 3]]''). Thus, it's only fitting that Sonic's first line in the series (directed at Eggman in-universe) is "Did you miss me?"

* ''ComicStrip/{{Candorville}}'' takes a darker-than-usual approach to this, as shown on the quotes page.

* In the ''Anime/ToLoveRu'' fanfic ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11591414/1/To-Love-CARNAGE To-Love-Carnage]]'' Rito and Yui have a conversation about Fan Fiction that heavily implies they know they're in a fan fiction. Citing Fan Fiction tropes and hoping "God" won't [[RageAgainstTheAuthor write them out of the story]].
* In ''Fanfic/NewChance'', Naruto met his father (still alive) in the first chapter. Chapter 2 starts with Naruto waking up and [[ThisIsReality thinking it one of the many dreams]] he has had where "his parents were still alive, sometimes only one, or the Kyuubi didn't attack Konoha.", to name a few, not realizing how many FanFic premises he's [[LampshadeHanging listing.]]
* The ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda'' fanfic ''Fanfic/ADifferentLesson'' has a brilliant send-up of this trope via a bookseller the heroes visit, where a scroll is for sale which tells the story of the movie. Thanks to GossipEvolution, willful misinterpretation, and a certain amount of {{Shout Out}}s to {{Fanon}}, Po is turned into a FakeUltimateHero who took out Tai Lung all by himself while the Furious Five did next to nothing (the fight at the bridge becomes a "footnote"); Viper [[{{Flanderization}} only cares about makeup and pretty clothes]], [[MandatoryLine Monkey is mute]], while Shifu's CynicalMentor and {{Jerkass}} tendencies are {{lampshade|Hanging}}d; the filmmakers' ploy with making Tai Lung ''appear'' to be a mindless beast before TheReveal of Ian [=McShane=]'s voice is also referenced by making the snow leopard a drooling savage with HulkSpeak, and... [[ViewerGenderConfusion Tigress is a man]].

* In ''Fanfic/AceCombatTheEquestrianWar'', Sky Eye says that "[[VideoGame/AceCombat the game]] [[GameOver is over]]" for [[spoiler:Red Cyclone]] when Fortress Intimidation is destroyed by Rainbow Dash and Firefly.

* ''Fanfic/DistortionsSymphogear'': [[MetaGuy Yumi]], is talking to [[Anime/{{Symphogear}} Hibiki]] about the recent events and how they feel like a fanfic to an anime.

* During the battle against Frieza in ''Fanfic/DragonBallZDynasty'', there's this gem by Frieza himself that lampshades his infamous... perception of time:
-->'''Frieza:''' I cannot risk accidentally ending one of your miserable lives too early. With how angry you've made me... I plan to give each of you ''ten minutes''.\\
'''Piccolo:''' You think you can end this in ten minutes!?\\
'''Frieza:''' Oh my word, you poor Namekian. You don't seem to realize...\\
'''Piccolo:''' Realize what!?\\
'''Frieza:''' A mere ''five minutes'' with me is almost like an eternity~!

* ''Fanfic/ThereWasOnceAnAvengerFromKrypton'': The big reveal in Chapter 34 of ''The Girl Who Could Knock Out the Hulk'' allows the author to get pretty meta about the whole concept of this fic series. Specifically, [[spoiler: Doom and original Reed [[MergedReality splicing things from other universes into the MCU]] in order to try and make it harder for Thanos to harm Earth is both a reflection of how the author keeps finding new franchises that they like and finding ways to insert them into the Kryptonverse, and an InUniverse justification for the MassiveMultiplayerCrossover nature of the setting. Doom and Reed's explanation of all this to Kara also gets very meta in places, like in describing Kal-El's role in the DC universe and why he didn't get sent to the Kryptonverse instead of Kara.]] The chapter can also be seen as meta in regards to the author's views of their previous attempts at writing for the Kryptonverse, as [[spoiler:their previous fics that were meant to kick off the storytelling multiverse were dropped and are shown as prior failed iterations of the universe that Reed and Doom show Kara]].

* ''Fanfic/FireEmblemThreeHousesFifthPath'': While Byleth doesn't have the same Fourth Wall Breaking skills as Sothis, she does get a leaning moment at the end of the prologue.
-->'''Byleth:''' (Well, Here we are. It all begins here.)\\
'''Sothis:''' ''I thought it began when you traveled back in time.''\\
'''Byleth:'''(That was more like a prologue. This is the real beginning.)\\
'''Sothis:''' ''If you say so.''
* ''Fanfic/PennySavesPaldea'':
** The first Team Star boss Juliana defeats is Mela; this confuses Penny because Mela is only the second-weakest boss on the team, with Giacomo being the least powerful of the five. This is a nod to how ''VideoGame/PokemonScarletAndViolet'' players thought Mela would be the WarmUpBoss of "Starfall Street" due to her being the only boss shown in prerelease material, when Giacomo is supposed to be fought first as his levels are the lowest.
** Arven interprets the tone of Team Star's whispers about his condition as being "as clear as a thirty-minute day." The day/night cycle in ''Scarlet and Violet'' has half an hour each of daytime and nighttime.

* ''Webcomic/NaruHinaChronicles'':
** In Chapter 21, Hinata notices Sai and comments that it's been a while since the last time she saw him. In this case, this is a reference to the fact that Chapter 21 is the first time Sai made any appearance in ''NHC''.
** Naruto and Shikamaru ask Tsunade about the results regarding some thieves that are seemingly [[spoiler:Jiraiya and Asuma]]. The next few panels show Tsunade taking her time before answering. Both Naruto and Shikamaru are annoyed by that, with the former complaining that she's just keeping them in suspense. Their reactions reflect the readers who wanted mattwilson83 (the creator of ''NHC'') to show the results already.

* ''WebAnimation/ReturnToKrocodileIsle'': While speculating why King K. Rool had gone missing, Krusha suggests that a [[Creator/{{Nintendo}} higher power]] forced the Kremlings into hiding because [[ScrewedByTheLawyers it deemed them unfit to continue co-existing with the Kongs.]]

* In ''Manga/SoulEater'', when the teachers are having their meeting about how to rescue Kid from the Book of Eibon, Maka and Soul are trying to listen in on what's going on. They are hiding behind a wall corner in a very over dramatic spy-esque fashion, and [[BadassBookworm Maka]] says something along the lines of:
-->'''Maka:''' The way we're sneaking around like this, it's almost like we're the protagonists of some supernatural crime story!
* ''Manga/NegimaMagisterNegiMagi'':
** Fairly early in the manga, Ako tells an aged-up version of Negi that she envies Negi because she feels like she's just a supporting character and he's the main character. She is, of course, absolutely right. Negi counters that even if she's a minor character in someone else's story, she's still the main character of her own. As she was the main character of [[ADayInTheLimelight that particular mini-arc]], he was right, too.
** In an especially tongue-in-cheek moment, Natsumi refers to herself as a side character right before making a casual observation that turns the chapter (#257) into a WhamEpisode.
** It also has a more FourthWall-[[{{Buffyspeak}} breaky]] one when Negi sees [[spoiler:what his father was like]]: he exclaims, "It's like he's a character from a totally different manga!"
** Asuna says something similar when Kotaro first breaks out his demon form. Also a LampshadeHanging, as said demon form is an {{Homage}} to ''Manga/InuYasha''.
** Similarly, in chapter 277, minor character Tosaka says to Ako and Akira, "Us side-characters gotta look out for each other."
** In one of the ''Negima?!'' {{O|riginalVideoAnimation}}VAs (legal, US/Canada only) has a line lampshading the use of towels in a HotSpringsEpisode, noting that it isn't some TV anime. ("{{O|riginalVideoAnimation}}VA" being comparable to what is known in the west as "direct to video" but generally of higher quality)
--->'''Haruna:''' ''[to Nodoka while she and Negi [[ItMakesSenseInContext are together in the hotspring]]]'' This isn't some erotic anime, you know! ''[grabs at Nodoka's towel]'' You gotta ditch the unmentionables!
* ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'':
** More than once, Naruto is described as being the sort of person who could never be the main character of anything. They are, of course, absolutely wrong.
** There's one point in the manga where Naruto comes running into a fight late yelling, "The main character of a story usually shows up in these types of situations and instantly kicks the enemy's ass!" [[TemptingFate Naturally]], he then proceeds to be on the receiving end of said ass-kicking.
** Jiraiya having written a book about a ninja {{Determinator}} whose name is Naruto (which the character of the series was named after by his parents after they read the book) is fourth wall-leaning enough, but a couple of pages of Chapter 448 [[https://web.archive.org/web/20100117220717/http://forums.narutofan.com/showpost.php?p=30487214&postcount=104 which were only in the volume release]] has part of Naruto's speech to Pain/Nagato nearly have him talking about himself as if he was fully aware that he was a fictional character, and all of this is done in a ''completely serious fashion''.
** Acting also as a TakeThatAudience moment, Sakura's [[NeverLiveItDown infamous]] [[FalseConfession fake love confession]] to Naruto is a verbatim reading of all the arguments Naruto/Sakura [[ShipToShipCombat shippers]] used to justify why they should be together (paraphrasing: "I used to love Sasuke, but he's now evil and he's breaking my heart, but you, on the other hand, have always been there for me", and "You used to be a dork but ''now'' you're the village's hero, so of course ''now'' I love you."). Not only does ''every single person present'' have a DisapprovingLook on their faces, but Naruto easily sees right through her, [[WhatTheHellHero calls her out for lying]], and [[ShipSinking rejects her outright]] by telling her that he '''hates''' people who lie to themselves.
** In Episode 499, the penultimate episode of ''Shippuden'' (the arc of the preparations for [[OfficialCouple Naruto and Hinata's]] wedding), after learning of the rest of cast's mission to get the perfect wedding gift for them, Hinata innocently says "I never thought our wedding would cause so much trouble." Considering the amount of ShipToShipCombat and [[DieForOurShip/{{Naruto}} Die For Our Ship]] that [[BrokenBase split the fanbase]] through the course of the series, despite Naruto/Hinata being one of the ''biggest'' {{Fan Preferred Couple}}s in anime and manga for the last fifteen years with the manga's entire run, this is perfectly fitting.
** The SequelSeries, ''Manga/{{Boruto}}'' opens with a monologue in which Naruto's son, Boruto, stresses that this will be ''[[ThisIsMyStory his]]'' [[ThisIsMyStory story]] and that his father was only a part of it at one point; this seems dedicated to assure the fanbase that for his parental similarities, Boruto [[IAmNotMyFather is]] ''[[IAmNotMyFather not]]'' [[IAmNotMyFather like his father]].
** In one episode of the ''Boruto'' Anime, a villain rants about how this "New Era" is a [[LighterAndSofter pathetic add-on]] to the glorious [[Manga/{{Naruto}} previous Shinobi era]], naturally [[ShutUpHannibal he gets both a physical and verbal smackdown]] by Mirai Sarutobi, one of the new generation characters.
* When some of the members of ''Manga/{{Genshiken}}'' graduate, they have a discussion about where the story could go now that several of the characters have left -- except it turns out they're actually talking about ShowWithinAShow ''Anime/KujibikiUnbalance'', which is doing a graduation story at the same time.

* In ''Manga/DemonSlayerKimetsuNoYaiba'', an anime original scene, at the beginning of the Swordsmith Village Arc, where Aoi narrates what Inosuke and Zenitsu have been doing separately since Tanjiro spent more time than his buddies recovering, has Zenitsu directly address Aoi's narration in a comically exasperated manner. That's an uncharacteristic scene for the main duration of a given episode, since ludicrous fourth wall leaning moments like these are reserved for post-episode segments such as the Taisho Rumors/Secrets where there are no rules.

* During an insult contest between Ed and Pinako in ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'', one of Ed's is "You're so short you're two-dimensional!"
* America has one of these moments in ''Webcomic/HetaliaAxisPowers''.
-->'''America:''' I'm not stepping out of the house until spring comes around!\\
''[the light goes out]''\\
'''America:''' And the light bulb burns out as soon as I say that?! What is this, a comedy movie?!

* In the ''Manga/{{Bokurano}}'' manga, several people compare the plot to that of an in-universe manga which is also about kids piloting a giant robot. [[spoiler:[[EverybodyDiesEnding At the end of that manga, the kids all die and Earth is destroyed.]]]]
* In the ''Manga/AhMyGoddess'' chapter where [[IntoxicationEnsues Belldandy somehow gets drunk on cola]], Keiichi chases after her and trips over an empty liquor bottle, saying, "Geez, you'd think this was a stupid [[{{Manga}} comic book]] or something!"
* ''Anime/PokemonTheSeries'':
** One episode had Misty say that when Jigglypuff drew on her, she looked like a cartoon character. Ash says how ridiculous it would be if they were in a cartoon.
** An ''Orange Islands'' episode has Ash and Pikachu take part in a stage show where the trainers do voice-overs that make the Pokémon look like they can talk. In the dub, Ash comments on how hard it is [[LipLock to match the lip-flaps]].
* ''Anime/PokemonHorizonsTheSeries'': In the second episode, Liko muses (to her dismay) that the bizarre turn her day has taken -- suddenly being hunted down for a family heirloom by a mysterious organization and being absconded via an airship by yet ''another'' mysterious organization (who later turn out to be bodyguards hired by her parents) -- might mean she's the heroine of some story.
* In ''Manga/OnePiece'':
** On the last page of Chapter 597 [[spoiler:Luffy]] says "[[spoiler:The pirate 'Straw Hat Luffy']] is going on a holiday for a bit", then at the bottom of the page it is announced that the manga is going on a four week break, its longest so far. We get it, [[Creator/EiichiroOda Odacchi]].
** In chapter 627, after a seven-chapter-long flashback (one of the longest flashback arcs seen so far), [[spoiler: Jimbei]] apologizes to everyone that it took so long to tell the story. Almost as if Oda was apologizing to the audience for taking so long by having [[spoiler: Jimbei]] say it.
** In episode 268 of the dub, Sanji's worried Nami's hurt when the train they were riding on is blown up, with Zoro commenting that she'll be alright since she isn't a background character like Sanji. More likely just part of their rivalry and played for laughs.
* Happens often in ''Manga/OuranHighSchoolHostClub''.
-->'''Tamaki:''' This anime is obviously a romantic school comedy. Haruhi and I are the main characters, and that means we are love interests.
* The third season of the ''Anime/CrayonShinChan'' GagDub has a voice announcing "Creator/AdultSwim" followed by another saying "they always kick us out right when we catch on".
* Creator/OsamuTezuka is famous for this, at least in his less-serious stories. In the ''Manga/BlackJack'' story "Baby Blues", a teenaged girl brings Jack an abandoned baby, and he asks, "Whose baby is it? Is it yours?" The girl slaps him -- but instead of Jack she's slapping Tezuka himself, with the caption ''standing in for the slap''. Tezuka is of course gone by the next panel and the story continues.
%% In the ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsOriginalGeneration'' anime, a direct translation from the game leads to a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FfN65U1OIM#t=145s hilarious fourth wall breaking moment.]]
* One episode of ''Manga/Bastard1988'' had Gara proclaim that you never defeat a major enemy while off screen.
* There are two cases in the dub version of ''Anime/YuGiOh5Ds'' where the theme song for the dub ("Hyperdrive") appears in the story; in one episode, Yusei is listening to it on the radio while fixing his D-Wheel in a garage, and in another, Rex Godwin's henchman Akutsu is humming it to himself while working. (Of course, it is ''possible'' that the song simply exists in-universe, as none of its lyrics mention any characters or events important to the plot.)
* In ''Anime/KillLaKill'', the appearance of any new character or technique is commemorated with [[BossSubtitles giant red kanji]]. In later episodes, it appears as if the kanji are actually physical objects, breaking when struck and having a visible reflection. Nui even leans on hers while talking.
* ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'':
** In the pilot, when Madoka mentions how she first saw Homura in a dream the previous night, Sayaka says that "the anime character in [her] is popping out."
** The music Madoka is listening to in the first episode is the anime's theme tune.
** In series finale, Madoka's mom also asks if her daughter is an anime character when talking with Homura [[spoiler:after she re-writes the laws of the universe and everyone else in the world has forgotten her]].
** In [[Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagicaTheMovieRebellion the movie]], Mami hums her [[{{Leitmotif}} theme music]] while brushing her hair.
* At the end of ''Anime/PrincessTutu'', when the characters have [[ScrewDestiny defied Drosselmeyer]] and [[EarnYourHappyEnding got their happy endings]], Drosselmeyer wonders just how they were able to overcome [[RewritingReality him as the author of their story]]. This makes him wonder if he himself is just a character to another author.
* In ''Manga/AssassinationClassroom'', the students wear casual street clothes instead of their typical school uniforms on the first day of their vacation. On the following day, they've already gone back to wearing their P.E. jerseys. Two of the students explain that they're both comfortable and that "it would cruel to have to think up clothes for a second day". The context implies that it would be hard for the mangaka to have to think up new clothes to draw for each of them.
* In one chapter of ''Manga/{{Ojojojo}}'', Tendou holds up some rectangular narrative speech bubbles on a stick as she recaps the events of the previous chapter. Haru dismisses the act as another one of her friend's silly antics.
* At the start of the final third of ''[[Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion The End of Evangelion]]'', animation ceases and live-footage commences, displaying Tokyo urban life in the early morning. As the VA's for Misato, Asuka, and Rei stand still amidst a bustle of pedestrians, Shinji and Rei discuss via narration why it is that audience members care about the fate of fictional characters so very much. [[Music/JohannSebastianBach Bach's]] ''[[AwesomeMusic/NeonGenesisEvangelion Jesus Bleibet Meine Freude]]'' [[TearJerker plays simultaneously]]. Heck, the sequence even outright ''bends'' the wall, as the live action footage has quite a few fictional elements slyly inserted in it. The Tokyo skyline has several buildings from the fictional Tokyo-3 placed among the real ones through effect shots, and the shots of the voice actresses alternates between them [[AsHimself as themselves]] facing the camera and them in cosplay as their characters with their backs to the camera.
* In the GO Chrono Stone series of ''VideoGame/InazumaEleven'', the main characters use their [[ItMakesSenseInContext flying time travelling caravan flown by an android bear to create a fictional timeline around a King Arthur story book so they can find King Arthur and transfer his aura into one of their soccer players]]. When they create the storybook world, they're forcefully thrown into it as the story's characters. This leads to multiple exchanges where the protagonist Tenma is referred to as the main character, and some other characters lamenting how they're a minor character.
* Though Ryou of ''Manga/GourmetGirlGraffiti'' never specifically address viewers, [[SupremeChef she]] often holds ingredients or dishes she made towards the camera.

* ''Manga/MadeInAbyss'': In the anime's second episode, Riko declares that her discovery of a mysterious robot from deep beneath the earth must signify [[AGirlAndHerX the beginning of something important in her life]]. Right after she rhetorically asks what else could possibly be such an obvious story-starter, the opening theme plays.
* ''Anime/SpacePatrolLuluco'' has a rather spoilerish example. [[spoiler: While in hell, [[WebAnimation/InfernoCop Inferno Cop]] tells that he was in Space Patrol with Luluco replying that makes Inferno Cop her predecessor. This is true both figuratively and literally as Inferno Cop was the first of Trigger's works and Luluco's show is the one that takes the most after his from the three that came afterward (''Anime/KillLaKill'', ''Literature/NinjaSlayer'', and this show).]]
* In the first episode of the ''Anime/{{Tamagotchi}}'' anime, the idol singer Lovelin is providing coverage of a [[TheBigRace big race]] that is occurring where each racer must complete events placed along the way to continue. At some point in the episode, she informs the spectators to stay tuned. As if to hint that she may have been talking to the audience watching the anime as well, the episode immediately cuts to a commercial break after she says this.

* ''Manga/CardcaptorSakura'':
** A {{lampshad|eHanging}}ing of the many relationships in the series:
--->'''Tomoyo:''' It seems our relationship chart has gotten rather complicated.
** In the FreakyFridayFlip episode, she [[LampshadeHanging notes that]] the combination of a comical Li and serious Kero provides excellent humour.
--->'''Tomoyo:''' You have the perfect timing, as if I was watching a wonderful comic combo...
* In ''Manga/{{Dramacon}}'', Emily complains that people keep on glomping her because apparently, she looks like some manga character.
* At the start of the last chapter of ''Manga/HaruAndMidori'', a flashback shows [[PosthumousCharacter Tsugumi]] talking with her classmates about how a drama ended just as it was getting good.
* ''Manga/{{Haikyuu}}'': A rather sad example. After losing to Karasuno in the Interhigh preliminaries, Ikejiri comments that if they were in a work of fiction, those that won and go on to nationals would be the protagonists, and those who lost and had their season cut short were just the extras.
* ''Manga/StoryOfADumbPrefectAndHighSchoolGirlWithInappropriateSkirtLength'': In Chapter 38, Tsukishima and Tasaki (the only main characters without love interests) start hanging out discussing manga, and the conversation gets to talking about the tendency of manga writers to PairTheSpares...to which they both say in unison "[[ShipSinking I absolutely hate it when the leftover characters start dating each other!]]"
* ''Manga/MyDressUpDarling'': In Chapter 32 (Episode 10 of the anime), Marin visits Gojo and he lends her his shower so she can wash all the body makeup off her skin. [[TheTease Marin jokingly asks]] if he's gonna try to peep on her while she's in the shower, causing him to get flustered, and then she comments how if they were in a manga, [[AllMenArePerverts he would probably jump at the chance to take a peek]] [[PervertRevengeMode and she would yell at him]].

* ''Manga/SleepyPrincessInTheDemonCastle'': One chapter begins with the Demon King announcing to his minions than an anime about life in the Demon Castle is going to be produced, and everyone needs to act natural while the team shoots reference footage. All of the demons immediately begin to act out every manga cliche they know, with Princess Syalis being the only one who acts normally (that is, getting up to a lot of mischief). As a result, the reference footage of the overacting demons gets thrown out, with only footage of Princess actually getting sent in. As a result, the anime ends up being purely about her, and the havoc she wreaks in the castle while trying to sleep. If you haven't already guessed, the chapter was released at the same time as the announcement that the series would be getting an anime.
-->'''Demon King Twilight:''' The anime will be about a hostage wreaking havoc and taking naps? They're calling it ''Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle''!?

* The ''Manga/{{Magi}}'' fanfic ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11781463/1/Take-Up-My-Sword Take Up My Sword]]'' ends with [[spoiler: [[DoomedByCanon Hakuei being painfully possessed by Arba]] ]]. The last lines of the story are [[spoiler: Arba]] doing a mix of this and EvilGloating.

* Happens accidentally in ''Film/TheRoom''. When Claudette discovers Mike and Michelle, who are introduced as they inexplicably come into the apartment to make out and eat chocolate, she asks, "What are these characters doing here?" The audience is probably wondering the exact same thing.

* In ''Film/TheMatrixReloaded'', halfway through the Burly Brawl, the fight cuts to an Agent being [[CloneByConversion copied over by Agent Smith]]. Adter being transformed, the two clones look at the massive fight happening in front of them for a brief moment, some fans have however interpreted this as the clones staring at the viewer, [[TheFourthWallWillNotProtectYou possibly preparing to assimilate them too]]