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[[quoteright:350:[[Manga/{{Naruto}} https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/idiot_idiot.png]]]]

When a ''{{boke|AndTsukkomiRoutine}}'' (silly or idiotic character) says something stupid or foolish, one or more crows may be seen flying past, crying "aho! aho!" or "ba-ka, ba-ka". ''Aho'' is Japanese onomatopoeia for a crow's call ''and'' the ''Kansai-ben'' equivalent to the all-purpose insult ''UsefulNotes/{{baka}}'' (one functional translation of ''aho'' is "idiot"); ''kansai-ben'' is used by both the BokeAndTsukkomiRoutine and TheIdiotFromOsaka.

Much more common in comedy series than serious dramatic {{anime}}, but sometimes found at lighter moments in serious series, too. A rough equivalent WesternAnimation is the braying of a [[AnimalStereotypes donkey/jackass]], though it's never been quite as universal.

Not an inversion of CleverCrows (although one that's also an InsufferableGenius might be prone to this trope too). Similar trope to OwlsAskWho.
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!!Examples:

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:Animation]]
* In episode 10 of ''Animation/HappyHeroes'', a crow flies over the gang when Smart S. asks where to plug in Careless S.'s rice cooker while they're out on a camping trip, with no outlets in sight.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
* In ''Manga/AirGear'', the main character Itsuki Minami is nicknamed ''Karasu-kun'' (Crow-kun) and has a chibi crow as a pet leading to this trope being used many MANY times.
* An ''Literature/{{Anpanman}}'' edutainment OVA had a game where one of the characters would show an item in shadow, and to give a hint, say that the item started with the first character of their name. Katsudonman had "karasu" (crow) for his object, and after Baikinman failed to get the answer multiple times, when it was revealed, Katsudonman happily walked away with the crow following, but the crow turned back for a brief moment to caw "aho, aho!" at Baikinman, making him break down in tears.
* ''Manga/{{BECK|1999}}'' features an Idiot Parrot. Given the [[ObligatorySwearing high ratio of cursing]] in the dub, the same parrot shouts ''Asshole!'' Not to say that the original isn't laden with cursing as it is.
* Happens a lot to Ryo Saeba in ''Manga/CityHunter''. Sometimes the crows are dancing, too.
* ''Manga/DoctorSlump''. In one case, the crow was pummeled by an annoyed Akane Kimidori.
* ''Manga/FireForce'': In "The Man, Assault" (season 2 episode 18), every time Assault defies Tamaki in a duel, he ends up humiliatingly defeated by her "[[WardrobeMalfunction Lucky Lecher]]" because of his ParalyzingFearOfSexuality. And each time, one or two crows fly in the sky to insult him.
* In one episode of the ''Anime/GalaxyAngel'' anime, shortly after Milfieulle trips on a mission, a crow flies by, the English dub has it saying, "moron, moron."
%% Needs context * The anime version of ''Manga/{{Gintama}}'', episode 10, ends with this trope.
* ''Manga/{{Haikyuu}}'' Hinata and Kageyama run too fast and too far during running exercise with the team in episode 1 of season 2, and wind up in another neighborhood. Cue the idiot crows.
* ''Manga/HayateTheCombatButler'', as seen above but also in such times randomly flying through the mansion in response to Nagi's idea of 'culture.'
* ''Anime/IdolProject'' used a ''crow-like alien character'' once for this purpose.
* ''Manga/KenichiTheMightiestDisciple'' has an idiot rabbit that more or less serves the same purpose.
* OlderThanTheyThink: The ''Anime/MazingerZ'' saga has [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Bakarasu the crow]], who by ''Anime/GreatMazinger'' times is Boss and his gang's sort-of mascot.
* A variation occurs in an episode of ''Manga/TheLawOfUeki''. Upon first seeing the gigantic dog-like form of [[SnarkyNonHumanSidekick Tenko]], [[IdiotHero Ueki]] says he thought he looked like a giant chicken. An Idiot ''Chicken'' promptly appears.
* ''Anime/{{Mega Man NT Warrior|2002}} - Stream'': In Episode 38, when Mayl tries looking for Duo's comet, the only thing she saw was a passing crow.
* ''Anime/MermaidMelodyPichiPichiPitch'':
** A seagull do this in Episode 34, flying in circles at the sky, saying, in the fansub at least, "Moron! Moron!"
** And a couple more times in ''[[OddlyNamedSequel2ElectricBoogaloo Pure]]''.
* ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'':
** At least three of these appear in one of the {{filler}} episodes. It also appears in some other episodes, but you'll miss it if ya blink.
** In said gag filler, try to catch the crow ''taking a crap'' during their second plan to remove Kakashi's mask.
** It carried over in ''Shippuden'': with the HotSpringsEpisode of Team 7 and some hilarious post-credits omakes (which included the Wind Release jokes).
** Jiraiya also gets one much earlier in the series.
** The crows frequently appear in most episodes of the spinoff series ''Manga/RockLeesSpringtimeOfYouth'', with the number of crows that appear corresponding to the number of characters that make a fool of themselves in the preceding scene.
* ''Manga/NatsumesBookOfFriends''. The character in question (Nyanko-sensei), even {{lampshades}} it.
* The anime of ''Webcomic/OnePunchMan'' adds these to a scene where jealous A-rank hero "Snake Fist" Sneck threatens Saitama after his placement test in the Hero Association, in an attempt to bully and haze the newly minted hero. [[BullyingADragon This is after he's learned from the association that Saitama's physical abilities are effectively godlike.]] Saitama buries Sneck headfirst in the ground and casually walks away into the sunset while crows caw over Sneck.
* Played with in ''Anime/PaniPoniDash'': the Idiot Crows in Himeko's mind go "[[VerbalTic maho]]". The crows have IdiotHair too.
* ''Anime/PokemonTheSeries'' cleverly uses Idiot Murkrow in one episode.
* In the ''Manga/ThePrinceOfTennis'' chibi filler episodes, there is an idiot crow overhead when "Mama" Oishi forgets his wallet at home.
* In ''Anime/RozenMaiden'', poor [[SmallNameBigEgo Kanaria]] ends up having a precious fried egg of hers stolen by a crow, who immediately invokes this. Eventually, the same crow ends up [[LaserGuidedKarma eating a horribly aborted and poisonous at breakfast]] in almost a mirror of the first incident.
* The ''Anime/SamuraiChamploo'' manga, probably also to [[LampshadeHanging hang a lampshade]] on the more serious crow symbolism used in the anime.
* ''Anime/ScottPilgrimTakesOff'': After Scott explains to Ramona that Wallace let's him use his credit card, his confused reaction to Ramona's comment that it's a "[[MealTicket sugar daddy]]" type situation is accompanied by a cut to a cawing crow overhead.
* In ''Anime/SDGundamForce'', when Captain shows off his brand new upgrade; the ability to make facial expressions, a little chick flies by Shute. Because he and the rest of the gang were expecting weapons.
-->'''Captain:''' ''[makes a u_u face]'' You don't like them.\\
'''Shute:''' ''[while chick flies by]'' No no, they're great... I ''guess''...\\
'''Captain:''' ''[makes a ^^ face]'' I'm glad!
* Early in ''Manga/StrawberryOneHundredPercent'', Junpei had just gotten Tsukasa's phone number. While fretting on whether to call her or not, he falls asleep and drools on the paper, blurring out the number. When he wakes up and sees what happened, the scene cuts outside his house... With the Idiot Crows offsetting what would be a normal exterior shot.
* ''Anime/TropicalRougePrettyCure'': In Episode 33, the team attempts at using an attack which is the combined result of [[OverlyLongName all their individual attack names into one]]. The [[CallingYourAttacks attack call]] went for so long the MonsterOfTheWeek already escaped, leaving crows to fly overhead the team.
* Taken to the extreme by ''Manga/ViolinistOfHameln'': Oboe, Hamel's mentor and companion, actually IS a crow (transformed by magic), and he explodes into barrages of "You fool!" when frustrated with Hamel.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Fan Works]]
* ''Fanfic/AdviceAndTrust'': [[http://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/posts/2203895/ In chapter 4]] Shinji, Asuka and Rei are talking to a classmate. Rei is describing old battles, accidentally making it to sound like what Shinji is having sex with them, and Asuka is trying to explain what Rei really means as denying that she and Shinji are having sex (they ARE, but they are trying to keep it a secret)... but then their classmate tries to placate her by telling Shinji would obviously never do anything with her, Asuka explodes and nearly blows their cover... and Shinji can hear a crow passing overhead and cawing repeatedly.
-->'''Tanaka:''' Is... is she talking about--\\
'''Asuka:''' ''[shouting and blushing]'' '''NO,'''\\
'''Tanaka:''' Um... right. Nothing improper! Perish the thought! Ikari-kun is a perfectly responsible young man! He'd never do anything indecent with you!\\
'''Asuka:''' ''[bristling):''"What do you mean he wouldn't do anything with me?! I'm the most beautiful girl he knows! He'd do anything he could with me, all night long, and beg for more!"''\\
The only sound in their corner of the schoolyard was the gentle click of Rei's chopsticks against the bottom of her bento and the 'caw, caw' of a lone crow passing overhead. Shinji buried his face in his hands.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
* ''Film/CityHunterTheCupidsPerfume'': Such a crow is shown painted on a wall around the scrapyard scene, accurate to its original depiction in the manga. The movie actually manages to fit a flying crow behind Ryo and Kaori just as he uses the wind as a lame excuse for looking at a woman's panties.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
* An Idiot Crow example happening in live-action television (possibly scripted, but the location is actually close to where the crows congregate) in ''Series/GakiNoTsukaiYaArahende'' 2008, "Do Not Laugh Newspaper Agency Special", during the lunch scene.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Video Games]]
* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'': After beating [[spoiler:Magnai]] in patch 4.4, he professes his love towards Y'shtola, only for her to brutally reject him. A bird can be heard chirping in the background once the rejection settles in.
* ''VideoGame/MapleStory'': One of the extra emotions you could buy at the Cash Shop shows your character with a SweatDrop expression, followed by such a crow passing over the user's head, though the "aho-aho" sound is not included. Heck, some of the cutscenes feature a dot dot dot followed by a crow cawing to indicate a stupid moment.
* ''VideoGame/Persona5Tactica'': When Joker, Mona, and Erina break into Marie's prison to free the brainwashed Thieves, Erina has a rather deadpan response to freeing Toshiro, a stranger to all of them. When she asks [[SilentProtagonist Joker]] if he knows him, the latter just tilts his head questioningly while a cut-in cartoon appears behind him, showing a crowing Yatagarasu flying by and leaving ellipses behind.
* ''[[VideoGame/RhythmHeaven Rhythm Tengoku]]'': Failing a rhythm game gives you the "Try Again" rating, which is accompanied by a dissonant piano chord followed by crows cawing in the background.
* ''VideoGame/SengokuBasara'' turns Naoe Kanetsugu into a SmallNameBigEgo [[TheChewToy Chew Toy]] (specifically, a BoisterousWeakling: a big mouth with no ability whatsoever to support any of his claims). Wait to the end of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_RPXghBIuI his introduction]] in ''Sengoku Basara 3'' and you'll hear some crows break the silence for this trope. No surprise he's the series' FearlessFool JokeCharacter.
* ''VideoGame/TalesOfPhantasia'': Cress mishears Claus talking about miasma hurting the spirits as "my asthma", prompting his responce that asthma isn't contagious. Cue crow crying in the distance and Mint's DisapprovingLook.
* ''Franchise/TouhouProject'' takes a more literal interpretation with Utsuho Reiuji (better know as Okuu), an anthropomorphic hell raven who's not very bright (birdbrain puns abound). Unfortunately, her power is over nuclear fusion, which translates to making miniature suns at will.
* ''VideoGame/YoshisStory'': In the ocean-themed levels, seagulls can be heard cawing "Ahou!" over and over again.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Comics]]
* ''Webcomic/{{Dreamrise}}'' [[https://dreamrise-comic.com/assets/images/comics/201703062358007099701/Prologue%2031.jpg uses a butterfly for this effect]], to emphasise Keith's ignorance of the subject.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* One scene in ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'', episode "The Beach", uses an idiot dove for a comment made by [[MagnificentBastard Azula]], of all people. As mentioned in the commentary, the creators stated it was the idea of a Japanese member of the animation staff, who suggested not only that you have to have a bird fly by in such situations, but also the guy should leave the scene as if he's a cardboard cutout. Everyone looked at him as if he was insane. Then they went ahead and did it.
* Downplayed in ''WesternAnimation/MiloMurphysLaw'' episode "Perchance to Sleepwalk": after Cavendish and Dakota escort a bunch of red-beaked crows to a bunch of pistachio plants to get the plants purposefully ruined. When it turns out the corvids are full thanks to the sandwich crumbs the two used to lure them there, Cavendish suggest they should destroy the plants themselves, which is ''presented'' as epic at first, but sluggish and stilted in truth. The choughs don't caw at this development, but do in fact [[BlankStare stare at it in such a deadpan way]] that it ''screams'' "what an idiot".
%%* ''WesternAnimation/TotallySpies'':
%%** A rare western example of this happens in the pilot episode.
%%** Another episode used a duck as a substitute.
[[/folder]]
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