History Main / LikeRealityUnlessNoted

Many movies deal with, for instance, an attack on the United States government as if it happened in the present day. We can't really have a movie where the [[UsefulNotes/ThePresidentsOfTheUnitedStates actual current elected president]] is killed or kidnapped (the majority of citizens on both sides would likely consider it too soon while they are in office), so a NoCelebritiesWereHarmed substitute or an [[OurPresidentsAreDifferent outright fictional one]] will be in place so the story can take place in RealLife with the rest of our current culture intact.

** ''VideoGame/MetalGearRisingRevengeance'' continues the trend with references to UsefulNotes/TheWarOnTerror [[spoiler: TheManBehindTheMan's plan is to restart it, this time pulling Pakistan in]], the Occupy movement[[note]]mentioned in a Codec conversation sometime during the FinalBoss fight[[/note]] and the Tea Party[[note]]in one of the promotional materials[[/note]].

* WebVideo/TheNostalgiaCritic points out in [[Recap/TheNostalgiaCriticS5E10 his review]] of ''WesternAnimation/ThomasAndTheMagicRailroad'' that the world in which Thomas is set is just like the real world with the exception of the trains talking, thus making the movie's "multiple universe" theme unneeded.
* For the first couple of chapters of ''Literature/{{Pyrrhic}}'' the story seems like it could easily fit in our world, until the mention of things like [[spoiler:the Hydra, vampires, and telekinetics]] bring this story firmly into this trope.

--> '''Tien''': Yeah, right? Dinosaurs are still a thing. It's odd how we never talk about it… And the king of the world is a blue cairn terrier.
--> '''Piccolo''': It's bullshit!
--> '''Tien''': I think it's pretty progressive.

[[folder:Comics]]

* ''Fanfic/ImNobody'': Earth's history up until the discovery of [[Franchise/MassEffect Element Zero]] in the [=22nd=] century is the same as real life Earth, with one crucial difference: the company known as Creator/{{Disney}} does not exist. ''The company.'' The source material they based all their movies on is still around. This becomes ''extremely'' important when the Normandy Crew [[spoiler:becomes stranded on the [[RealAfterAll supposedly fictional]] worlds of ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'', as they are only partially recognizable by the cast. For example, they have no idea what's going on with ''WesternAnimation/TreasurePlanet'', they try to figure out if [[WesternAnimation/TheSwordInTheStone Merlin]] is the [[Myth/{{Merlin}} Arthurian one]], and Ashley recognizes [[Film/JohnCarterOfMars Barsoom]] by the [[Literature/JohnCarter novel]].]]

* ''Fanfic/ImNobody'': Earth's history up until the discovery of [[Franchise/MassEffect Element Zero]] in the [=22nd=] century is the same as real life Earth, with one crucial difference: the company known as Creator/{{Disney}} does not exist. ''The company.'' The source material they based all their movies on is still around. This becomes ''extremely'' important when the Normandy Crew [[spoiler:becomes stranded on the [[RealAfterAll supposedly fictional]] worlds of ''VideoGame/KingdomHearts'', as they are only partially recognizable by the cast. For example, they have no idea what's going on with ''WesternAnimation/TreasurePlanet'', they try to figure out if [[WesternAnimation/TheSwordInTheStone Merlin]] is the [[Myth/{{Merlin}} Arthurian one]], and Ashley recognizes [[Film/JohnCarterOfMars Barsoom]] by the [[Literature/JohnCarter novel]].]]

* For most of ''Manga/OnePunchMan'', it can safely be assumed the series takes place in Japan [[NoCommunitiesWereHarmed with all city names replaced with initials]]. Then we see the Earth from orbit when [[spoiler:Saitama gets punched to the moon]], which features a Pangaea-like supercontinent instead of the normal arrangement.

* ''WebComic/{{Lackadaisy}}'' is a dead-on depiction of UsefulNotes/TheRoaring20s outside of the one little detail of everyone being [[FunnyAnimal an anthropomorphic cat]].

(Of course, if the book claims to be factually correct in some or all areas then it pretty much falls under {{Dan Brown|ed}}ing.)

The accusation that a writer is guilty of DanBrowned or is using ArtisticLicense is entirely based upon the premise that works of fiction ''should'' be Like Reality Unless Noted, and that an incorrect fact is not meant to be correct within the context of the fictional world. For example, it's not uncommon for readers to assume that a superficially MedievalEuropeanFantasy world has the same customs, values, etc. as Medieval Europe. But this [[LogicalFallacies fails the logic test]] for two reasons; one, historical Medieval Europe had no wizards or dragons, and was not on a planet with seven moons and a [[AlienSky lavender sky]]. And two, Medieval Europe covers dozens of cultures evolving (and interacting with dozens of other cultures) over a thousand-year period so there was tremendous variation in the prevailing assumptions and values.

The accusation that a writer is guilty of CriticalResearchFailure or DanBrowned is entirely based upon the premise that works of fiction ''should'' be Like Reality Unless Noted, and that an incorrect fact is not meant to be correct within the context of the fictional world. For example, it's not uncommon for readers to assume that a superficially MedievalEuropeanFantasy world has the same customs, values, etc. as Medieval Europe. But this [[LogicalFallacies fails the logic test]] for two reasons; one, historical Medieval Europe had no wizards or dragons, and was not on a planet with seven moons and a [[AlienSky lavender sky]]. And two, Medieval Europe covers dozens of cultures evolving (and interacting with dozens of other cultures) over a thousand-year period so there was tremendous variation in the prevailing assumptions and values.

* In ''LightNovel/ParallelWorldPharmacy'', illnesses like tuberculosis and the bubonic plague exist in the fantasy world the protagonist finds himself in, complete with similar nicknames like "the Black Death". Falma also finds that these diseases are caused by the same pathogens, and that the laws of chemistry and physics operate as they did on Earth despite the existence of gods and Divine Arts. As a result, he's able to treat these illnesses as he would in modern Japan.

* ''LightNovel/YoujoSenki'' takes places in an earth where magic exists alongside science and it's used for military purposes. The nations are similar to those in OTL ww1 era, but with differences. For example, The Empire (Germany's equivalent) controls both Germany and Austria-Hungary, and all of Scandinavia is united under the Kingdom of Norden.

* ''Blog/ThePredespairKids,'' a Franchise/{{Danganronpa}} CharacterBlog, has advanced machines and artificial intelligences like [[RobotGirl Chiaki]], it's mentioned in passing that 109 genetic diseases have been eradicated, the existence of genuine forms of magic, and TheReveal of [[spoiler: the first successful human clone]]. However, they've also brought up real-world events, such as Brexit and the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

* Inverted in ''Literature/TheRestaurantAtTheEndOfTheUniverse'', one of the books in [[RunningGag increasingly inaccurately-named]] ''Literature/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy'' [[TrilogyCreep trilogy]]. An incident is described in which a reader of the ''Guide'' (which more-or-less purports to be a sort of encyclopedia) sued the publishers over one of the more outrageous bits of inaccuracy contained within the guide. The publishers stand by the disclaimer that when reality contradicts what is written in the ''Guide'', then it is ''reality'' that is in error. To defend their case, they hired a lawyer who argued that what was written was more beautiful than the "correct" version and truth is beauty.

* ''Literature/DanceoftheButterfly'' takes place in our world and only slowly begins to show ''differences'' as the story progresses, revealing an underlying, supernatural context that gives an entirely different complexion to the tale.

* The average man's technology and culture remain just like reality in Franchise/PowerRangers despite humanity having made FirstContact and developing hyper advanced ranger technology. The only noted exception is that the [[{{Fiction500}} ludicrously rich]] can afford anti-gravity craft and such (but never use them in public) and universities now have majors in areas like "Galactic Myths and Legends". Military and law-enforcement agencies also have regular access to advanced cybernetics, cloning technology, power armor, mecha, and exotic weapons and vehicles due to near-constant proliferation of alien and extra-dimensional technology.

* ''Series/TheWalkingDead'': It's not entirely clear just by watching the show (or reading the comics) but WordOfGod is ''The Walking Dead'' is set in an alternate universe where [[Film/LivingDeadSeries George Romero's works]] never existed, and so the idea of zombies never entered mainstream culture, justifying the characters' initial GenreBlindness and NotUsingTheZWord. That aside, the world seems to be more or less identical to our own before the apocalypse started.

[[folder:Web Comics]]

* In ''LightNovel/IsekaiYakkyoku'', illnesses like tuberculosis and the bubonic plague exist in the fantasy world the protagonist finds himself in, complete with similar nicknames like "the Black Death". Falma also finds that these diseases are caused by the same pathogens, and that the laws of chemistry and physics operate as they did on Earth despite the existence of gods and Divine Arts. As a result, he's able to treat these illnesses as he would in modern Japan.

* The setting of ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'' is Like 19th-Century Reality Unless Noted ... except "Noted" is [[EverythingExceptMostThings pretty much every ten seconds]]. It appears to be some kind of AlternateHistory where things keep happening InSpiteOfANail; Europa (Europe), the Americas, and presumably Asia still exist. Europa has much the same countries and cities as IRL (Britain, Paris, Vienna, Transylvania, Norway, etc.), {{Christianity|IsCatholic) still exists given the existance of the Papacy (actually ''seven'' Papacies), Ancient Greece existed in the past, and several historical figures like R(embrandt) Van Rijn still exist. However in spite of that most nobles are {{Mad Scientist}}s called Sparks, Britain has been ruled by an ancient [[GodEmperor God-Queen]] since at least ancient times, Europe was ruled by someone called the Storm King in the 17th century (and is ruled at the comic's start by dictator Klaus Wulfenbach), and the aforementioned Van Rijn created nine hyper-advanced robots.

* In ''Anime/CodeGeass'', [[TheEmpire Britannia]] invades Japan in order to get access to its vast natural resources. Some viewers called foul on this, since in the real world Japan is a fairly resource-poor nation. It takes several episodes before viewers discover that 1) the world of ''Code Geass'' is an alternate history set in our equivalent of 1962, rather than a future version of our own Earth, and 2) the resource Britannia wants from Japan is "sakuradite," a fictional mineral that can be used as an isothermic superconductor or energy source rivaling nuclear power, and [[PhilosophersStone its discovery in the middle ages]] caused technology to develop along a very different path. Also, [[spoiler:later episodes reveal that the whole "invading for resources" thing was a bunch of bull. The real reason Britannia invaded was that the emperor wanted access to the witch's temple on one of Japan's smaller islands so he could complete the Ragnarok Connection]].

* Shows with magic are almost always this; magic is generally known to a small minority who [[{{Masquerade}} go out of their way to keep it secret]].

Many movies deal with, for instance, an attack on the United States government as if it happened in the present day. We can't really have a movie where the [[UsefulNotes/ThePresidents actual current elected president]] is killed or kidnapped (the majority of citizens on both sides would likely consider it too soon while they are in office), so a NoCelebritiesWereHarmed substitute or an [[OurPresidentsAreDifferent outright fictional one]] will be in place so the story can take place in RealLife with the rest of our current culture intact.

* This is, more or less (mixed with ForWantOfANail in hindsight), how ''TabletopGame/BattleTech'' rationalized TheGreatPoliticsMessUp, when they had to explain the game universe's backstory from 1985-3025 that was obviously written before the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union. Essentially, history proceeded exactly as in real life until sometime around 1983-85 ([[SarcasmMode conveniently]], around when the first edition, "[=BattleDroids=]", was published). Instead of Konstantin Chernenko succeeding Yuri Andropov in 1984 (or, conversely, UsefulNotes/MikhailGorbachev succeeding Chernenko in 1985), it was a fictional apparatchik named Oleg Tikonov that took the reins of Soviet leadership at some point in that period, only relinquishing power after a disastrous Second Soviet Civil War in 2014. This war also was the catalyst for NATO becoming the Western Alliance, the precursor to the Terran Alliance, and therefore the forefather to both the Terran Hegemony and the Star League.

* For most of ''Manga/OnePunchMan'', it can safely be assumed the series takes place in Japan [[NoCommunitiesWereHarmed with all city names replaced with initials]]. Then we see the Earth from orbit when [[spoiler:Saitama gets punched to the moon]], which features a Pangaea-like supercontinent nothing like Earth.

** Even [[Film/{{Gojira}} the original film]], whose only fantastic element is the existence of Godzilla itself, has a prehistory in which dinosaurs continued to live until as late as 2 million years ago, rather than 65 million years ago like in real life.

* ''{{Film/Bright}}'' is set in an alternate universe where magic is real and fantastic creatures like Orcs and Elves exist alongside humans in the modern day. There's also mention of [[GreatOffscreenWar a great war 2,000 years ago]] against a Dark Lord who tried to take over the world. But despite all that, its world seems to be fairly similar to our own -- Los Angeles is the setting, and there are passing mentions of the Battle of the Alamo and ''{{WesternAnimation/Shrek}}''.
* The films of Film/TheViewAskewniverse are largely grounded, SliceOfLife stories with the occasional {{slapstick}} comedy. And then there's Film/{{Dogma}}, the ReligiousHorror movie with the [[ItMakesSenseInContext giant poop monster]], which exists in the same continuity.

* The ''Franchise/{{Buffyverse}}'', natch. Vampires and demons and the people who hunt both operate daily. Magic is widely practiced, but only as a small underground subculture that the public takes no notice of. Part of this seems to be that supernatural forces only get up to any real evil when they're in the Sunnydale Hellmouth, where authorities go to lengths to keep everything secret; elsewhere, they're just PunchClockVillains whose activities usually get passed off as normal crime.
** However while both Buffy and Angel are said to exist in our world were everything supernatural is hidden from the public whether by evil forces or the authorities or even the good guys themselves, or as explained by Giles rationalized by the mind of common people, this ends when TheUnmasquedWorld happens in later (and comic-format) seasons and the existence of demons, vampires and magic is made public knowledge. Harmony (a vampire) even stars in her own reality show.

* Although most of the ''VideoGame/{{Touhou}}'' series occurs on the inside of the [[PocketDimension Great Hakurei Border]], there is a very obvious [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Outside World]] that is believed to be a parallel of our own time line alongside the AllMythsAreTrue wonderland, consistent chronologically until at least the moon landing. Of note: the strange college majors of the two popular outsiders are Maribel Han, Relative Psychology, and Renko Usami, Super Unified Physics. Bonus "alternate reality" points if its sister series ''VideoGame/{{Seihou}}'' is the same Outside World. ULIL implies that the stories Renko and Maribel are part of take place TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture. Besides anything related to Great Hakurei Border and the Moon, the Outside World currently IS reality, or at least that's how it seems.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' episode "Dead Celebrities", professional ghost hunters are depicted as being complete idiots for believing in ghosts even though they live in a world where [[MindScrew ghosts are real.]] Similiarily, "The Biggest Douche In The Universe" ends with Stan saying that people shouldn't believe that their loved ones are floating around trying to talk to them, even though there are real psychics in this world. Basically, all RealLife people who claim to have supernatural connections are idiots or frauds, acting like they do in reality, when in a FantasyKitchenSink world, there's no reason why they would act like that.

* The manga ''Manga/{{Pluto}}'' takes place in the future of a world that's largely like our own, with most countries being ones we recognize (like Germany, Greece, Japan, Australia, etc.) but multiple countries are different. Biggest of all are that the United States of America is now the United States of Thracia and the general Middle East has been united into the Republic of Persia.