History LoopholeAbuse / AnimeAndManga

* ''RevolutionaryGirlUtena'': Ain't no rule that says a girl can't wear a boy's uniform! Apparently there's no rule that says it has to be the same color as everyone else's, either!

* In ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'':
** Following a good asskicking by Ichigo, Byakuya Kuchiki becomes more willing to bend the rules a bit. This is made especially clear in the Arrancar Arc, where he was sent to bring Rukia and Renji back to Soul Society, Yamamoto having forbade them from infiltrating Hueco Mundo to rescue Orihime. He notes that while he was ordered to bring them back, he had no orders on what to do after that. He provides them with desert-proof cloaks to wear and helps them get to the human world...and then looks the other way when they make contact with Urahara in order to return to Hueco Mundo.
*** From the [[{{Filler}} Amagai Arc]], when the Gotei 13 is ordered to apprehend Ichigo, Byakuya turns control of the 6th over to Renji, saying that he's going to keep his nose out of the whole affair. This is tantamount to saying "I can't break the rules and help Ichigo, but I can turn over all my authority to my crazy vice-captain who will do just that, and then pretend I never saw it coming."
** Uryuu pulls this on his father to help Ichigo rescue Orihime from Hueco Mundo. Ryuuken offered to restore Uryuu's lost Quincy powers in return for Uryuu agreeing he would never again associate with Shinigami or their allies. Because Ichigo is not a true shinigami (just a substitute) and Soul Society is refusing to authorize a rescue mission (therefore Ichigo is not allied with them at the moment), Uryuu spots a loophole in his father's condition. Ichigo calls Uryuu's reasoning "twisted logic". [[spoiler: Then the final arc reveals Uryuu's logic was more accurate than anyone ever realised.]]
*** The kids may not realize it but the manga strongly suggests Ryuuken anticipated Uryuu would use that loophole. Ryuuken says he doesn't need to read Uryuu's "[[Franchise/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy so long and thanks for all the fish]]" letter to know what it says and Isshin seems to understand. [[spoiler: The final arc also reveals that Ryuuken's known the truth all along about Ichigo.]] Ryuuken forced that condition solely to ensure that Uryuu would have to carefully consider all his options and then face the consequences like the adult he claims to be.

** Following a good asskicking by Ichigo, Byakuya Kuchiki becomes more willing to bend the rules a bit. This is made especially clear in the Arrancar Arc, where he was sent to bring back Rukia and Renji to the Soul Society, Yamamoto having forbade them from infiltrating Hueco Mundo to rescue Orihime. He notes that while he was ordered to bring them back, he had no orders on what to do after that. He actively provides them with desert-proof cloaks to wear and helps them return to the human world and then looks the other way when they make contact with Urahara in order to get to Hueco Mundo.
*** He abused this clause again when he was "facebooked" by Tsukishima's power. Tsukishima expected that thanks to Byakuya's honor, he will not be defeated. Byakuya replied (after punching through him) that it doesn't change the fact he is Ichigo's enemy.
** From the [[{{Filler}} Amagai Arc]], when the Gotei 13 is ordered to apprehend Ichigo, Byakuya tells Renji to lead the 6th squad, saying that he's going to keep his nose out of the whole affair. In other words he said " I can't break the rules and help Ichigo, but I can turn over all my authority to my crazy vice-captain who will do just that, and then I pretend I never saw it coming."
** Uryuu pulls this on his father to help Ichigo rescue Orihime from Hueco Mundo. Ryuuken offered to restore Uryuu's lost quincy powers in return for Uryuu agreeing to never again associate with the Shinigami and ''their'' associates. Because Ichigo is not a true shinigami (just a substitute) and Urahara mentions that Soul Society had abandoned Ichigo, Uryuu spots a loophole in his father's condition: since Ichigo is neither a shinigami nor one their associates, he's free to help Ichigo rescue Orihime. Ichigo calls Uryuu's reasoning "twisted logic". [[spoiler: Then the final arc reveals Uryuu's logic was more accurate than anyone ever realised.]]
*** The kids may not realize it but the manga strongly suggests Ryuuken anticipated Uryuu would use that loophole. Isshin seems to understand when Ryuuken says he doesn't need to read Uryuu's "[[Franchise/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy so long and thanks for all the fish]]" letter to know what it says. [[spoiler: The final arc also reveals that Ryuuken's known the truth all along about Ichigo.]] It appears that Ryuuken forced that condition solely to ensure that Uryuu would have to carefully consider all his options and then face the consequences like the adult he claims to be.

*** The kids may not realize it but the manga strongly suggests Ryuuken anticipated Uryuu would use that loophole. Isshin seems to understand when Ryuuken says he doesn't need to read Uryuu's "[[TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy so long and thanks for all the fish]]" letter to know what it says. [[spoiler: The final arc also reveals that Ryuuken's known the truth all along about Ichigo.]] It appears that Ryuuken forced that condition solely to ensure that Uryuu would have to carefully consider all his options and then face the consequences like the adult he claims to be.

*** The twist in the tale is that, what the kids never realise, is that the manga goes out of its way to show that Ryuuken knew all along that there was a loophole. Not only is he hiding outside the door when Urahara and Uryuu talk about the situation, but Isshin realises what Ryuuken's done when Ryuuken mentions he doesn't need to read Uryuu's "[[TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy so long and thanks for all the fish]]" letter to know what it says. [[spoiler: Final arc revelations also reveal that Ryuuken's known the truth all along about Ichigo.]] It appears that Ryuuken forced that condition solely to ensure that Uryuu would have to carefully consider all his options and then face the consequences like the adult he desperately wants to be.

** Uryuu pulls this on his father to help Ichigo rescue Orihime from Hueco Mundo. Ryuuken offered to restore Uryuu's lost quincy powers in return for Uryuu agreeing to never again associate with the Shinigami and ''their'' associates. Because Ichigo is not a true shinigami (just a substitute) and Urahara mentioned to Uryuu that Soul Society had abandoned Ichigo, Uryuu spots a loophole in his father's condition: since Ichigo is neither a shinigami nor one their associates, he's free to help Ichigo rescue Orihime. Ichigo calls Uryuu's reasoning "twisted logic". [[spoiler: Then the final arc reveals Uryuu's logic was more accurate than anyone ever realised.]] The kids never realise it, but the manga goes out of its way to show that Ryuuken knew all along that there was a loophole. Not only is he hiding outside the door when Urahara and Uryuu talk about the situation, but Isshin realises what Ryuuken's done when Ryuuken mentions he doesn't need to read Uryuu's "[[TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy so long and thanks for all the fish]]" letter to know what it says. [[spoiler: He also knew all along the truth that's revealed in the final arc.]] It appears that Ryuuken forced that condition solely to ensure that Uryuu would have to carefully consider his all options and then face the consequences like the adult Uryuu desperately wants to be.

** Uryuu pulls this on his father to help Ichigo rescue Orihime from Hueco Mundo. Ryuuken offered to restore Uryuu's lost quincy powers in return for Uryuu agreeing to never again associate with the Shinigami and ''their'' associates. Because Ichigo is not a true shinigami (just a substitute) and Urahara mentioned to Uryuu that Soul Society had abandoned Ichigo, Uryuu spots a loophole in his father's condition: since Ichigo is neither a shinigami nor one their associates, he's free to help Ichigo rescue Orihime. Ichigo calls Uryuu's reasoning "twisted logic". [[spoiler: Then the final arc reveals Uryuu's logic was more accurate than anyone ever realised.]] The kids never realise it, but the manga goes out of its way to show that Ryuuken knew all along that there was a loophole. Not only is he hiding outside the door when Urahara and Uryuu talk about the situation, but Isshin realises what Ryuuken's done when Ryuuken mentions he doesn't need to read Uryuu's "[[TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy so long and thanks for all the fish]]" letter to know what it says. It appears that Ryuuken forced that condition solely to ensure that Uryuu would have to carefully consider his all options and then face the consequences like the adult Uryuu desperately wants to be.

** Following a good asskicking by Ichigo, Byakuya Kuchiki becomes more willing to bend the rules a bit. This is made especially clear in the Arrancar / Hueco Mundo arc, where he was sent to bring back Rukia and Renji to the Soul Society, Yamamoto having forbade them from infiltrating Hueco Mundo to rescue Orihime. He notes that while he was ordered to bring them back, he had no orders on what to do after that. He actively provides them with desert-proof cloaks to wear and helps them return to the human world and then looks the other way when they make contact with Urahara in order to get to Hueco Mundo.

** Uryuu sort of does this in order to join Ichigo and Chad to go to Hueco Mundo. In return for his father agreeing to help him get his Quincy powers back, Ryuuken made Uryuu promise that in future, he would no longer associate with the Shinigami or any of ''their'' associates. Uryuu manages to bend the rules thanks to some lucky circumstances: Ichigo is not a true Shinigami, just a substitute Shinigami, and, by Kisuke's wording, one that has been abandoned by Soul Society. In other words, neither a Shinigami nor one of their associates. Ichigo even calls it "twisted logic". [[spoiler: Then the final arc reveals Uryuu's logic was more accurate than anyone ever realised.]]
*** It's also pretty clearly implied that Ryuuken knew EXACTLY where the loophole was in that promise--he doesn't even have to read Uryuu's "[[TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy so long and thanks for all the fish]]" letter to know what it says. Ryuuken made that condition so that Uryuu would have to consider his options and then face the consequences like an adult.

* ''[[RanmaOneHalf Ranma 1/2]]''

* ''GGundam'' has quite a few instances of nations finding loopholes in the rules. One of the most famous is the Nether Gundam; the rules say that any Gundam that goes through the Survival 11 without losing its head makes it to the finals. Neo Holland's Gundam [[TransformingMecha turned into a windmill]], spent the 11 months hiding without participating in a single fight, and qualified ([[JokeCharacter didn't do very well afterwards though]]). Then there's Neo Nepal: the rules say that you can't kill your opponent during a Gundam Fight, but there Ain't No Rule that keeps you from going around assassinating your opponents right before your match...

* ''DragonBall'''s Greatest Under the Heavens martial art tournament's regulations are ''full'' of loop holes. If you don't touch the floor out of the ring, you can fly, grow, become a giant monkey, multiply yourself, use fire-guns, ''stink'' and a long etc.

* SoraNoOtoshimono has Angeloids, All-Powerful Robot Angel Genies which programmed to do anything that their master tells them to, with the caveat that they cannot cancel an order once it has been given. That doesn't stop them from ''forgetting'' that their master gave a specific order, or making it so that whatever went wrong was AllJustADream.

* The latest arc of manga ''Manga/KatekyoHitmanReborn'' is a battle royal with one set of rule that really straightforward and simple it's a wonder why no team tried to exploit for seventeen chapters. [[spoiler: Vindice]] exploit the loophole [[spoiler: with attacking other teams outside of assigned time without wearing their representative watch]] and [[spoiler: Varia also did the same though in their case Squalo just make a come back because they happened to have a spare watch and as lampshaded by himself, there is no rule about using the spare watch]]
* In ''{{Eyeshield 21}}'', after seeing an insulting viral video that embarrasses the NASA Aliens coach Apollo, he furiously declares that if the team doesn't win more than 10 points in the game against Deimon, the NASA Aliens would never go back to America. Despite winning the game, it was less than a 10-point difference. So Apollo declares that he's renaming the team to the NASA Shuttles so the NASA ''Aliens'' won't be returning.
** Hiruma does the same thing. In challenge of Apollo's statement, he said that if the Devilbats doesn't win by more than 10 points, the entire team will leave Japan. However, he never said they would not be coming back.

** Uryuu sort of does this in order to join Ichigo and Chad to go to Hueco Mundo. In return for his father agreeing to help him get his Quincy powers back, Ryuuken made Uryuu promise that in future, he would no longer associate with the Shinigami or any of ''their'' associates. Uryuu manages to bend the rules thanks to some lucky circumstances: Ichigo is not a true Shinigami, just a substitute Shinigami, and, by Kisuke's wording, one that has been abandoned by Soul Society. In other words, neither a Shinigami nor one of their associates. Ichigo even calls it "twisted logic".

** If you want to know the specifics, he wrote [[spoiler:"Naomi Misora will take her gun and go to an abandoned part of the museum at 5:00 PM, then shoot herself six minutes later"]] and [[spoiler:"Shiori will go to an abandoned part of the museum and get shot dead at 5:05 PM"]]. He also points out that Japanese gun control laws (that is, civilians are not allowed to own them) make it extremely unlikely that any other guns would be around to mess this up.

* The latest arc of manga KatekyoHitmanReborn is a battle royal with one set of rule that really straightforward and simple it's a wonder why no team tried to exploit for seventeen chapters. [[spoiler: Vindice]] exploit the loophole [[spoiler: with attacking other teams outside of assigned time without wearing their representative watch]] and [[spoiler: Varia also did the same though in their case Squalo just make a come back because they happened to have a spare watch and as lampshaded by himself, there is no rule about using the spare watch]]

** The written part of the Chuunin Exam is one example. The test consists of ten incredibly difficult questions and cheaters are disqualified after being caught cheating a few times. Similarly to the real life Spartan example below, the true purpose of the test is not to determine the candidate's knowledge, but to test their ability to gather the required information without being caught cheating. Naruto accidentally discovers a real loophole in the written test: you only fail if you're caught trying to cheat, but the test is played up in a way that there is no penalty for not trying at all.

*** The real punchline comes from the fact that the abuser is the Grand Kai himself. His shaky justification is that "If you stand on your head the ceiling is the floor" and gives them a consolation prize of still getting to train with him, but after a century. The real reason he does all this is because he realized during their fight that they both are even more powerful than himself, using the fake loophole as a stall so he can get back in shape in time to train them.

** This is used hilariously yet again at the Other World Tournament where an epic, multi-episode long battle between Pikon and Goku was rendered a draw when both contestants were disqualified. Why? Both had touched the ''roof'' of the dome (the dome is the size of a small galaxy) and technically that was a ring out. Even more hilarious was that both had touched it ''at the same time'', so there was no winner. This comes as a surprise because the entire scene appeared to be just another filler action scene until the Grand Kai pointed it out.

* In ''{{Bleach}}'':

* In episode 8 of CodeGeass R2 (second season), Zero accepts Nunnally's plans to restart the SAZ (Special Administrative Zone, where there was no distinction between the [[TheEmpire Britannians]] and the [[AirStripOne elevens, formerly Japanese]]), and privately makes a deal with the Knights of the Round that he would be exiled instead of executed for his most recent terrorist actions. Suzaku agrees to the plan, and then after they announce Zero's exile, the Black Knights create a smokescreen in the area with 1 million Japanese, [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ei1Gv4w3ATw during which they all don Zero costumes]]. Since they were all Zero, Suzaku would either have to let them all go, or else order another massacre which would no doubt caused more rioting and rebellion in Area 11, as happened accidentally the first time around at the end of Season 1.

* ''YuGiOh'':

* ''FairyTail'' has the guild entering a tournament with strict rules on who can participate. They then manage to sneak [[spoiler:Jellal]] into the contest because, technically, a version of him from a parallel world met the requirements.

* Invoked but averted in chapter 42 of the manga version of ''ShinryakuIkaMusume''. During a soccer match where Ika is performing poorly, her teammates realize the rules only say non-goalkeeper players can't use ''hands'' to move the ball. There's not a thing in the rules about tentacles (especially since Ika's tentacles are technically part of her head, which explicitly can be used to move the ball). But since Ika's trying really hard to play the normal way, they don't mention this loophole to avoid hurting her pride.