History Main / InvisibleSubtleDifference

[[folder: Fan Works]]

* ''WesternAnimation/ThePenguinsOfMadagascar'': The lemurs need to install a cooling device on the zoo's furnace before it explodes. The device has seven colored knobs; according to Kowalski, who is giving instructions by telephone, they are red, crimson, scarlet, brick, salmon, ruby and rose. The lemurs are only supposed to turn the scarlet knob, but to them (and to us) they just look the same shade of red.

** Although it's possible to tell Officer Jennys and Nurse Joys apart by the color and shape of the symbols on their hats, they otherwise look identical to one another. Although Brock can tell them apart, it's by traits such as slight differences in hair style or the type of perfume they use that are impossible for the audience to see.

* ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'':

* ''{{WesternAnimation/Tigtone}}'' encounters a civilization of Winged Unicorns having a bloody war against the Horned Pegasus over which faction is more beautiful. Naturally they are all identical.

* In the Creator/DonRosa story ''[[ComicBook/DisneyDucksComicUniverse An Eye For Detail]]'', DonaldDuck is able to tell apart his identical triplet nephews (Huey, Dewey, and Louie). Uncle Scrooge tries to find a way to profit from this talent of Donald's. HilarityEnsues, naturally.

** Each town has an Officer Jenny and a Nurse Joy, who all look identical -- but Brock can tell them apart.
** Similarly, all {{mon}}s of the same variety look identical to the audience, but Pokémon trainers can distinguish ''their'' five Magnemite, or whatever.

* In one ''Fanfiction/ThisTimeRound'' story, it's revealed that the MirrorUniverse counterpart of Bob the Muse is named ... Bob. (Otherside counterparts of authors and muses generally have names that are altered to refer to death and destruction). When the regular version of Bob hears this, he says it's like his name, but reversed.

* In an early ''Magazine/{{MAD}}'' parody of ''Franchise/{{Archie|Comics}}'', Archie reacts angrily to a claim that BettyAndVeronica are alike, claiming that they are very different. In the next panel, the two girls are drawn identically except for hair color. Their hair styles, poses, even the zits on their faces are the same.

* Some [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audiophile audiophiles]] insist that they can hear a difference between music reproduction techniques which, scientifically speaking, should produce exactly the same sound. [[Administrivia/RuleOfCautiousEditingJudgment This has been known to cause flame wars.]]

* ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'': Weiss asks Ruby to pick between two tablecloths for the upcoming dance, and Ruby replies that both tablecloths look the same.

* A RunningGag in ''Disney/CinderellaIIDreamsComeTrue'' has Cinderella being offered a choice between two different fabric colors for objects to be used in a royal banquet, with her two choices always being two different ways of saying "off-white".

** Similarly, all {{mon}}s of the same variety look identical to the audience, but Pokémon trainers can distinguish ''their'' five magnamites, or whatever.

[[folder:Anime & Manga]]

* ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'': In [[Recap/StevenUniverseS3E24Bubbled "Bubbled"]], Eyeball doesn't believe that Steven is [[PosthumousCharacter Rose Quartz]] when he shows her his [[HeartDrive Gem]], claiming it's more of a pinkish red instead of a reddish pink. Steven points out that she's looking at it through his bubble, so of ''course'' it'll look pinkish. [[spoiler:Also? This is important {{foreshadowing}} that Steven's gem isn't ''quite'' what it seems.]]

[[folder:Films -- Animation]]

[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]

[[folder:Web Comics]]

* As mentioned under ComicBooks, WesternAnimation/DonaldDuck can tell Huey, Dewey, and Louie apart. Sometimes Scrooge [=McDuck=] can too. Usually no one else can, unless they're wearing differently colored clothes. Dewey weaponizes the confusion in the ''WesternAnimation/DuckTales1987'' episode "The Duck in the Iron Mask."

* ''WesternAnimation/TheVentureBrothers'': in the episode "Dr. Quymn, Medicine Woman." Hank was indiscriminately interested in both of Dr. Quymn's semi-identical twin daughters, Nancy and Drew, even though he couldn't tell them apart. Dean could tell them apart, and tried to clue Hank in, but it didn't help.
* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'':
** "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS4E19TradeYa Trade Ya!]]": Rarity finds a vintage brooch that Applejack insists is identical to the one that Rarity is already wearing. Rarity insists the vintage one is better because it's older.
** "[[Recap.MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS6E1TheCrystallingPart1 The Crystalling – Part 1]]": While showing Shining Armor crystals and asking him to choose one for the Crystalling ceremony, Rarity mentions that she arranged them in order of purity. Fluttershy points out that they all look the same.
--->'''Rarity:''' Now, I know choosing the crystal of purity is a very important decision. So I have gone through the trouble of arranging them in order from incredibly pure to outrageously pure.\\
'''Fluttershy:''' Um, Rarity, don't they all sort of look the same?\\
'''Rarity:''' Oh, well, to the untrained eye, perhaps.
** "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS7E24UncommonBond Uncommon Bond]]": At an antique shop, Sunburst picks up two identical-looking bricks and show them to Starlight Glimmer.
--->'''Sunburst:''' Wow! What a difference between the hoof-molded bricks and the extruded ones, right?\\
'''Starlight:''' Uh-huh... Ha-ha...
** In "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS7E9HonestApple Honest Apple]]", Applejack's [[BrutalHonesty brutally honest]] opinions on fashion lead her to calling out Hoity Toity and Photo Finish when the two are arguing about which of a pair of virtually identical belts would be a better accessory with a particular outfit.