Surprisingly Similar Stories / Troper Entries J-M

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JackTheHammer

• The villains of this story are Eldritch Abominations running an Ancient Conspiracy who have constructed an artificial country and populated it with tens of millions of humans whose only purpose is to die in one momentous instant. The sheer volume of death occurring at a singular moment in time will force open a metaphysical "heaven's door" that will then force God to descend down to the earth. Also involved are superhumans running around with magical powers thanks to a tattoo somewhere on their bodies that were bestowed upon them by said Eldritch Abominations.
  Fullmetal Alchemist or Final Fantasy XIII?

Jarrod Baniqued

• This 1960s-born science fiction franchise is centered around thoughtful and complex yet madcap Time Travel and Space Opera plots about defeating monsters and Mad Scientist villains. It is known for its populist, humanistic themes. Its protagonists are a dependable, strong-willed archetypal hero (with Ditzy Genius traits) from a technologically advanced society of hyper-intelligent humanoids known for their mastery of time travel and Time Police tendencies, the center of which has a multisyllabic name starting with “Gal” and ending in “y”, who fights relentlessly for justice and is morally bound to the laws of time; and an attractive companion, sometimes shown to be smarter, more independent and impulsive than the hero, and known to be a Morality Chain to him. Doctor Who^note Especially seasons 7, 14, 15, 17, and 24 of the 20th-century run, and series 4 through 6 of the 21st-century run when the companion was a Fiery Redhead or Valérian?

Javertshark13

• This popular anime stars a teenage Manipulative Bastard and Chessmaster who has become disillusioned with the world. One day, he is given a special power that allows him to control people's actions and/or kill them. The character who gives him this power is a supernatural Deadpan Snarker who cannot be harmed by human weapons. The main character decides to use his power to try to change the world for the better, but increasingly ends up Jumping Off the Slippery Slope as he does so. He adopts a Secret Identity which the world knows him as, while trying to hide the truth from those around him. His primary opponent is a Hero Antagonist who is morally dubious himself, and the two share a complex relationship while trying to outdo each other.
  Death Note or Code Geass?
• The two main characters of this film have a Red Oni, Blue Oni dynamic. They used to be very close, but their relationship cools off after an incident where someone loses control of their powers, injuring or killing innocent people. After this incident, many people want to restrict or suppress one of the protagonist's powers for fear of this happening again. This character resents this control and eventually goes rogue, while the other main character pursues them in an attempt to bring them back. Things take a turn for the worse when a major character is imprisoned by people who are afraid of their powers. A major plot point involves the death of one of the protagonist's parents, which severely impacts their relationship with the other protagonist. The climax of both films takes place in a snowy area.
  Frozen or Captain America: Civil War?

JoeMerl

• In this movie, an Adorkable young prodigy with Parental Abandonment visits a friend's large, extended family, made up of too many colorful characters for the viewer to easily keep track of. During his stay he grows closer with the friend and the rest of The Clan. At the same time, a malicious bot tries to use the boy's genius to harm humanity. It turns out the AI was actually created by a member of the family.
  Summer Wars or Meet the Robinsons?

• In this Pixar film, our main characters are a group completely dedicated to keeping a certain child happy; the protagonist is the group's leader, and everybody else is fine with them getting the most attention. However, the protagonist gets upset when another member of the group starts taking over their role, only to come to terms with this through a wacky roadtrip-style adventure.
  Toy Story or Inside Out?

• Our main character is attending a Wizarding School despite being raised by a non-magical family; they are eventually revealed to be The Chosen One able to wield a powerful magical wand. They have two best friends with contrasting personalities and shares a dorm with them. Their rival is a blond-haired Alpha Bitch-type with two unintelligent cronies; this character is from an old, important magical family and looks down on people who aren't. The rival gets at least some Pet the Dog moments, and at some point, one of these two saves the other with a Flying Broomstick. The first installment of this franchise features a dragon and the Philosopher's Stone as plot points.
  Harry Potter or Little Witch Academia (2013)?

• In this story, the protagonist causes another character to lose a contest; this other character becomes consumed with rage and bitterness, and ultimately helps the Big Bad bring about a Bad Future. The protagonist and his best friend (one of whom has blond hair, the other black hair) meet him again through Time Travel and ultimately manage to Set Right What Once Went Wrong. The friends' family histories are plot points; specifically, there's a scene where time travel allows the black-haired friend's father, who was a Doorstop Baby, to briefly glimpse at least one of his birth parents. The black-haired friend is briefly Ret Goned until the blond friend can save him. Also, a sapient hat causes much of the story's conflict, and at the end it is implied that the blond friend will eventually hook up with a relative of the black-haired friend (despite much of the fandom pairing the friends instead).
  Meet the Robinsons or Harry Potter and the Cursed Child?

• Our bespectacled, Adorkable protagonist lives in New York City, was abandoned as a baby and at some point gets Happily Adopted by an unusual scientist. One of these two invents a Time Machine, and the subsequent adventures exacerbate and then resolve issues with the protagonist's family arrangement. At some point the Time Machine breaks and requires fixing. The protagonist gets a Love Interest in the form of a somewhat rude girl whose name ends in the letters -nny.
  Meet the Robinsons or Mr. Peabody & Sherman?

• This Disney-affiliated story features someone punishing another by turning them into a bear. This person journeys through the land with a younger person of the same sex, with whom they have/develop a parent-child bond. However, in an ironic twist, a relative of the Forced Transformation is hunting them with intent to kill, specifically because they discovered the transformed person's ripped-up clothes and believed their loved one was killed by a bear. (This relative has already lost flesh and blood to a bear, incidentally.) Another relative who knows the situation prevents bloodshed, however, and is also able to turn the person back. The transformed person decides to take the form that will allow them to stay with their child.
  Brother Bear or Brave?

• This series begins when an alien, who looks roughly half-human and half-horse, comes to Earth with a warning about evil alien invaders. He is killed by these evil aliens and gives superpowers to a group of children before he dies. The resulting story is Darker and Edgier than your average Wake Up, Go to School & Save the World story. Also, the Kid Heroes frequently get help from an alien Benevolent A.I..
  Animorphs or Power Pack?

JoshuaSweetvale

• As a kid, the main sympathetic adult point of view character was visiting an archaeological dig when their parent of the opposite sex unearthed the male progenitor entity of an ancient race of biologically superior mythical beings. Said male progentior promptly woke up and started killing everything. Our protagonist's parent was only barely able to seal their child into an escape mechanism. The child is forced to watch as they're carried to safety while their parent is incinerated by the progenitor entity that had just woken up.
  When the main story begins, the viewpoint character is all grown up...and human society has been mostly destroyed by the children of the monster their parent unleashed. They are leading the defense of a small bastion of human hope, even trying to keep some greenery alive under their aegis. Their base is fortified but ultimately doomed. When the fight against the monsters inevitably begins again, they must try to balance their ethics and desire to keep their young charges safe with their desire for revenge and a better world. The mythological monsters start dropping like flies from the onslaught of unorthodox and unethical but awesome human ingenuity, but not without their base getting trashed and losing a lot of people.
  So, is this the life story of Misato Katsuragi from Neon Genesis Evangelion, or Christian Bale's character from Reign of Fire?

JuiceheadBaby

• A detective haunted by strange nightmares tracks a Serial Killer who uses antlers as a calling card. But is the detective a robot or just really screwed up?

K

Kadorhal

• A shooter set Next Sunday A.D., concerning a growing ultranationalist power in Russia, who eventually take over, kidnap their own President, and launch attacks on America and its allies. Along the way the player watches their character die to a bomb they can do nothing about, is supported by a character from previous games in the series, chases after a gun runner or two, performs covert operations against Russian forces before they're officially at war, infiltrates a cargo ship, gets caught in a sandstorm, watches civilians in London die horribly, infiltrates a Russian prison, rescues the Russian President, and goes on to take care of the men behind the whole incident in the final mission. And from the real-world side of things: the game includes a metric ton of guns with almost-impossible numbers of accessory rails and attachments to put on them, the game only receives patches within one year of release, the devs don't particularly care to make the PC version work as well as the console versions at release, and the patches generally ignore existing bugs while introducing new ones. The Modern Warfare trilogy, or Ghost Recon: Future Soldier?

Kahran 042

• A vampire lord takes over a mountaintop castle originally built by another group, which has a gate to another world in its depths. He then brainwashes a member of the group that originally owned the castle into his right-hand woman, and intends to use the gate to conquer another world.
  Is the vampire lord in question Baron Sengir or Vamdemon?

Katdo

• This screen work loosely based on one of the most iconic comic franchises of its home country features all the heroes in the franchise teaming up and traveling through time, visiting past entries in the series to collect MacGuffins before the godlike villain does. The oldest and most popular hero, a hand-to-hand fighter, interacts with his past self. The Japanese cast includes Keiji Fujiwara, Kenji Nomura as a minor villain, Kazuhiko Inoue, Kenta Miyake, Daisuke Hirakawa as a character who dresses in green and is killed by the Big Bad, Fuminori Komatsu as a European hero heavily associated with silver who is close to his sister and dies, Hidenobu Kiuchi, Banjo Ginga as a villain, Wataru Takagi, Toshiyuki Morikawa, Yasuyuki Kase, Yūichi Nakamura, Miyuki Sawashiro, Kenjiro Tsuda, and Hiroki Yasumoto. Is this JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Eyes of Heaven or Avengers: Endgame?
• Characters and their supernatural abilities in this manga/anime are named after classic works of a specific medium and the creators thereof. The majority of characters are attractive and well-dressed men, but ActionGirls can be found as well. One faction is a mafia gang whose most prominent member is voiced by Kensho Ono. One character's ability takes the form of a Fighting Spirit with the ability to erase space. JoJo's Bizarre Adventure or Bungou Stray Dogs?
• A high-status couple and their sweet, kindhearted son adopt a child. When the siblings are older, the adopted child ceases to be a living human, gets their brother killed, and possesses his body, ultimately becoming the Greater-Scope Villain of the story. Their actions ultimately lead to the universe being reset. Is this the backstory of Chara or Dio Brando?

KaptainKRapp

• The hero is a silent protagonist with reality-bending powers who finds himself in a strange land unlike his own. Upon arriving, he is greeted by a helpful (if somewhat overbearing) female figure with a Meaningful Name who also happens to be the main villain's former lover. The hero also learns of the local villain (a regal figure who is built up to be ruthless and destructive, only to be revealed as a decent man traumatized by the loss of loved ones and driven to a sense of despairing vengeance), and sets out to stop him from achieving his goals. Along the way, the hero encounters, among others, a fiery hotheaded Blood Knight working for the villain who wants him dead, a conniving spider girl in pigtails who wants money and has a penchant for nice dresses, and a shy nerdy Otaku lizard completely obsessed with all things anime. The hero also encounters a seemingly innocuous villain who is later revealed to be a nihilistic manipulative sociopath and the true villain. Said true villain wants the main villain dead, plays everyone like a fiddle, gains untold power, and becomes a god. As a god, he plans to annihilate all existence and remake it according to his will, and it's up to the hero to stop him with rainbow-colored heart-shaped MacGuffins. Said true villain also has similar powers to the hero.
  Super Paper Mario or Undertale?

Karalora

• A classic Disney musical about British children starved of parental attention who come under the care of a woman with magical powers, including the ability to fly and to make inanimate objects come to life. Mostly live-action, but includes a memorable sequence in which the protagonists visit a fantasy world rendered in animation, with talking animals and a sporting event with an unlikely outcome. Features David Tomlinson in a major role and numerous songs written by The Sherman Brothers.
  Mary Poppins or Bedknobs and Broomsticks?
• This Pixar feature concerns an isolated widower who sets out on an adventure, picking up a flighty traveling companion not long into the trip. The two travel to a region all but unknown by their community, encountering strange creatures and facing terrible dangers along the way. Ultimately, the widower learns that he can't let his lingering grief prevent him from experiencing the joys that yet remain in life, and he and his companion become fast friends.
  Finding Nemo, or Up?
• In this CGI Disney Princess movie, the two leads are the elegant, reserved queen of a kingdom and her immediate relative, a spunky, redheaded princess. The central conflict of the film comes about because one of them is really gung-ho about the princess getting married on short notice, and the other is adamantly against the idea. Her resistance to the marriage causes the second woman to unleash a magical transforming curse that cannot be lifted until the two reconcile their differences.
  Brave, or Frozen?
• The story's central conceit is that mythic figures of childhood like Jack Frost, the Tooth Fairy, and of course the jolly fat man who brings presents at midwinter are real...not only that, but it's very important that children continue to believe in them, both for their own sake and for humanity's. The villain wishes to dispel that belief and twist children's thoughts to his own purposes. Part of his plan involves invading the Tooth Fairy's realm and stealing the stored teeth. The main protagonist is a relative newcomer to this "mythic figure" business who initially doesn't want to get involved but ultimately becomes devoted to the cause, and the belief of a child close to that person proves instrumental in defeating the villain.
  Rise of the Guardians or Hogfather?
• This computer-animated franchise is aimed at young girls but has a notable Periphery Demographic due to being more smartly written and not nearly as saccharine as people would expect given previous iterations of the franchise. It is set in a society of magical beings who oversee the changing of the seasons, ruled by a female monarch associated with golden light. The central protagonist is a relative newcomer to her community who has trouble fitting in at first but soon establishes herself as intelligent and resourceful. The other five main female characters include a ditzy girl, a grower of plants with a Southern accent, a girl who is good with animals, a girl who makes things sparkle, and a snarky girl who is very smug about her flying speed. Each entry in the franchise teaches a lesson about friendship.
  We've all seen My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic. Have we all seen the Disney Fairies movies?
• In this movie from the mid-90s, a highly successful comedian plays a divorced father who feels he doesn't get to spend enough time with his offspring. He assumes an alternate identity that massively changes his appearance, including a great deal of weight gain. This enables him to get the family time he craves, but when his ex-wife and her new paramour discover the situation, they think he's mentally ill and get his visitation rights revoked. Fortunately, the dad is able to use his new role to benefit children in general and prove his sincerity, and he makes peace with the ex and resumes seeing his kid(s), now with a better understanding of what responsible parenthood entails.
  Mrs. Doubtfire or The Santa Clause?
• A young girl who thinks her life is too ordinary has her family kidnapped by a predatory fairy being who can give you every little thing you want, but at a terrible price. With some help from those who are familiar with the fairy's ways, the girl enters the fairy's unreal, cobbled-together world, does battle with her, and, through pluck and brains, manages to defeat her and rescue her family.
  The Wee Free Men or Coraline?

Kartoonkid95

• A social outcast uses somebody's death as a means to become popular and succeeds, but eventually starts having second thoughts about it when questioned if everything he had before was really good enough for him.
  Shark Tale or Dear Evan Hansen?

Kayube

• The main character of the story is a member of nobility, who has spent a long time living a sheltered life in their home. One of the few people they get a chance to meet from outside is a man with whom they develop a close relationship, believing that said man understands them better than anyone else. Not everyone agrees that this relationship is a good one, however, and partly as a result of a disagreement about the issue there is an explosion of magical power, and the two are separated while the main character goes on a journey. During this journey, other characters also express their skepticism about the man, while the main character continues to defend him. While for much of the story the doubts seem unfounded, it is eventually discovered that the man was really using the main character for his own ends, and he ends up becoming the primary villain of the story.
  Frozen or Tales of the Abyss?
• As the end of the world approaches, a group of people come up with a plan to save humanity. However, the plan involves not only leaving the vast majority of humans to die, but also creating a large-scale deception in order to allow the plan to work. The protagonists refuse to accept allowing the species to live by sacrificing so many lives, and eventually (after dealing with betrayal by one or more allies, and one of the leads traveling back in time to send messages to the past, creating a Stable Time Loop) come up with a better solution that saves all the living humans. In the end, the male lead is shown to be traveling to another planet to live alongside the female lead. Also, plants, food, and holes in space play an important role in the setting.
  Kamen Rider Gaim or Interstellar?
• After falling down a hole, a child arrives in another world, in which they are antagonized by a creature that appears to be made of plant matter. The child harnesses a power allowing them to return to the past. During their journey they meet, among other characters: someone who initially blocks them from leaving the starting area due to their age; an elderly shop owner; a couple of fish-related people, including one who's known for singing; a scientist whose research resulted in a horrific mishmash of multiple beings; and a pair of skeletons who banter humorously. In the end, the child discovers that the antagonistic plant creature was Not Himself at the time, and befriends him.
  Undertale or The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask?
• A detective finds himself traveling between two worlds, with alternate versions of people he knows in each of them. One of them is all in his mind, and the other is real, but it's left ambiguous which one is which. He has similar problems to solve in both worlds, and his experiences in one world help solve the case in the other as well. In one of the worlds, someone is trying to get him to give up on the fantasy. The very last scene involves both worlds unexpectedly colliding, after it had seemed like one had proven to be the real world.
  The Sherlock episode "The Abominable Bride", or Awake (2012)?
• This work, part of a fictional universe best known for a particular trilogy, takes place during a war between the forces of good and evil. It involves a group of companions who, setting out from a safe haven, seek to ensure the destruction of the evil forces' ultimate weapon. Ultimately, the group splits up, with only a group of three heading into the heart of the villains' base of operations. The final battle serves to create an opening for the main character, with the help of their one remaining ally, to ensure the success of the mission, which involves a long climb. Once the mission is complete, however, the surrounding area is destroyed, leaving the two companions to presume that their deaths are inevitable. The destruction of the weapon, while it doesn't immediately lead to peace, does bring hope for a brighter future, even if the main character won't be around to witness that future.
  The Lord of the Rings, or Rogue One?
• At nearly the end of the 20th century, a popular series of electronic-talking-pet toys are released. However, people who neglect these toys will, due to the machinations of a malevolent force, meet a horrifying fate. The toys themselves, however, while they do have sapience, are not actually evil, and ultimately end up rebelling against the malevolent force, specifically through a conflict with a different model of toy from the same line.
  Tattletail, or the Big Finish Doctor Who story "Cuddlesome"?
• This game utilizes a lot of fourth-wall-breaking techniques to involve the player in the story. Some of the characters are aware that they're in a computer program, but others are not. After reaching one not-entirely-satisfactory ending, it's possible to play through a second scenario in which the world is increasingly affected by glitches. Finishing the game requires you to look through the game's files and move or delete some of them. At the final end of the game, after a discussion with an entity that has power over the game world, all the characters who died over the course of the story are brought back. Also, there's a club full of avid readers.
  Doki Doki Literature Club! or One Shot?
• A Film Noir-inspired movie that combines live-action and animation, bringing together many well-loved characters in the process. The main character, a human dealing with the loss of a family member, teams up with a long-eared talking animal to solve a mystery. The animal gets on the human's nerves at first but they soon grow close. The ultimate culprit turns out to be an urban developer who intends to, essentially, wipe out his own species.
  Who Framed Roger Rabbit or Pokémon Detective Pikachu?

Khugol

• A man arrives in a city where two criminal gangs are in a rivalry that can degenerate into a full-blown Mob War at any moment. He is an expert wielder of his weapons, presents himself under a made-up name, and starts triggering the mob war through various means, including a False Flag Operation. The local police force is corrupt. One of the gangs finds out about his identity, and he gets captured. He manages to escape by using a clever trick that exploits the stupidity of his captors, and his efforts eventually pay off in the end when both mob bosses end up dead.
  Yojimbo or Cop or Hood?
• Ralph Fiennes plays a badass and gentlemanly British secret agent who wields a Sword Cane and wears an Edwardian fashion suit and a bowler hat. The fancy code names in his secret service don't necessarily fit its agents' gender.
  The Avengers or The King's Man?
• A 2019 film in which a woman who trained hard in a mostly masculine field faces sexism in some form and got estranged from loved ones. She has an orange tabby cat, has to work with a male teammate from an American agency and leaves Earth for space at the end.
  Captain Marvel or Proxima?
• A Darker and Edgier DC Comics-inspired prequel TV series in which the protagonist (a young man who has a lower rank in society, will be part of a famous superhero's household and is played by a British actor) goes up against a dictatorship that took over his home city and country after a coup, then eventually puts down said dictatorship in the finale of a season that first aired in 2019. He also loses his father at one point.
  Krypton or Pennyworth?
• A film adapted from a comic book, is set in The '80s and stars a badass Action Girl. Appearances can't be trusted, the protagonist's male lover was a spy and died in the course of his duty, she's bisexual, she uses a rope during a fight scene (and even swings on it) and a wall gets destroyed. The film also features the remix of a staple of 1980s synth-pop, New Order's "Blue Monday".
  Atomic Blonde or Wonder Woman 1984?
• The wealthy elder of a family dies and an unexpected heir who served said elder inherits all of the elder's fortune, which enrages the elder's Big, Screwed-Up Family, which counts some very politically incorrect individuals, and the situation even prompts them to accuse the heir of sexual services to the elder. Said heir ends up framed for the elder's murder and goes on the run. The story also involves An Immigrant's Tale, with someone being threatened of expulsion.
  The Grand Budapest Hotel or Knives Out?
• The film features a family that's on a downward spiral, in part due to anger leading to hate. The reveal of something unlawful involving a close one of the main protagonist could have dire consequences. An assassination attempt fails. A protagonist who remained virtuous all along ends up having the high ground against the hate-consumed individual(s). Frank Oz has a role in the film, as something of a voice of reason getting ignored and even threatened.
  Revenge of the Sith or Knives Out?
• The film is a sequel. A famous Big Bad of the franchise returns after decades of not being used in it, he has a big and elaborate base in the middle of a barren land, and he's preparing to launch a global security threat. He's also related to the family of the main protagonist, and claims to be behind every trouble said protagonist has faced in the previous films, despite not having been foreshadowed in them (or at least not directly). The protagonist goes to several distant places to locate the villain's big base and kill him.
  Spectre or The Rise of Skywalker?

Kilroy11235

• A young man encounters a deadly war machine when least expected. During their time together, the machine protects the young man while the young man helps the machine understand humanity, teaching him that he can go beyond his programming. During the climax, the machine sacrifices himself in order to prevent a nuclear armageddon.
  Terminator 2: Judgment Day or The Iron Giant

King of the Mime Swing

• A highly beloved series (to the point where criticizing it online would get you a nigh-universal tongue-lashing) about a man who seeks to travel across the constructed universe he lives in, much of which was based on tales and experiences of Western influence. To accomplish this, he gathers a crew of colorful individuals who he deems as the best at what they do, and becomes the captain of a well-loved ship (to the point where it's considered by most as a crew member itself). But despite being the protagonists, they are essentially considered in their universe, and would also be considered as such in ours, criminals. But their positions as criminals is due in part to being in conflict with the totalitarian, enigmatic, morally-dubious government that rules most of their setting. In fact, a few crew members' backstories consist of tragedy at the hands of this mighty regime, even the captain himself. Now, what was the name of the ship that carried this fine crew?
  Her name has to be Serenity, right? How about Going Merry.

Knight Of Nasa

• This dark work features protagonists with a Meaningful Name struggle to survive against the deadly environment using improbable physics and jetpack. At beginning of the story, the only thing between the protagonists and death is a wall, then the wall breaks and someone close to the protagonist dies. Later on, the protagonist suffered a near death experience and gave up on life, but a Helpful Hallucination came to reignite the protagonist's will to live. A secondary protagonist who is stronger than the main protagonist supports the main protagonist at all cost. Muscle memories saves the main protagonist from a certain death. Characters who the audiences is tricked into not dying end up dying in a Tear Jerker scene. The moving version of the work debut in 2013, features Scenery Porn, Awesome Music, more than four years of planning, criticized by some when the trailer first came out, and is considered a Sleeper Hit.
  Is the moving frames Attack on Titan or Gravity?

L

Lale

• The Chooser of the One anoints a man with power, who subsequently goes evilly insane, requiring him to re-do the procedure. There are several big, strong, muscular, physically-impressive candidates who would seem to be the obvious choice to turn into a heroic warrior, but the story emphasizes that, although most men judge by outward appearance, the most important trait to look at is the heart, and the smallest candidate with the least impressive outward appearance is chosen and anointed with the power. A war is being fought that The Chosen One is initially kept out of (he's instead employed as a performer), but, over protests from his superiors, he goes up against the enemy's elite champion and acquits himself very well, particularly with his use of his iconic projectile weapon, becoming a renowned and feared super soldier who leads mighty men to one victory after another.
  Captain America: The First Avenger or the Biblical story of David?
• A young boy with a two-syllable name starting with "H" who gets bullied at school, has no father, and whose mother works at a diner has to hide a super-powerful robot called "Iron [noun]" that can disassemble and put itself back together again in his shed.
  The Iron Giant or Iron Man 3? (Ironically enough, The Iron Giant was inspired by a book named 'The Iron Man'.)
• The Water controller of an Elemental Powers-themed team goes on an obsessive quest to find and get revenge on the man who attacked someone she cared deeply about. She's closely aided by the team Firebender. Her quest ends with a Sword over Head moment where she almost kills the guy before, of course, realizing If You Kill Him, You Will Be Just Like Him!.
  Is the episode "'Teers In The Hood" of Captain Planet and the Planeteers or "The Southern Raiders" of Avatar: The Last Airbender?
• Based on a True Story. Tom Hanks plays a captain whose ship falls victim to an unprecedented disaster (so big that it makes national headlines), endangering the lives of him and his crew and trapping him and a few other men in a lifeboat with little control over the situation. All he can do is be patient and use his brains to stay alive as the agency on the other end of the radio works to get him and his crew home safely.
  Is the captain Jim Lovell or Richard Phillips?

Lapsem

• It's the beginning of the webcomic, depicting a scrap between the hero and the villain, and one socks the other hard. The one who delivered the blow briefly comments on how they were molly-whopped, while the victim of the beatdown slowly gets to their feet, down but not out. About to cut their losses and skedaddle, they look like they're about to swear revenge to their attacker, only to instead wholeheartedly declare their love for their attacker, to her complete befuddlement.
  Glitter and Guilt, or Mage & Demon Queen?^note In fact, when the creator of the former was informed that theirs was a beat-for-beat recreation of Mage & Demon Queen's first chapter, they replied that it was completely unintentional, and were a little cross about it.

LaughsWithGophers

• In this Underdog storyline: Our canine hero finds himself afflicted with a strange condition that hinders him from fighting the villains, thanks to a certain item they left on him. A recurring gag involves people using a rhyme that describes his condition, and he is cured when the item is removed. "Pain Strikes Underdog" or "Round and Round"?
• In this cartoon, a youth enters a talent contest and their friends decide to help them by having them lip-sync to a recording. At the contest, something goes wrong and the contestant can't lip-sync to the recording. But soon they start singing for real and get lots of applause. "Top the Music" from The Mr. Magoo Show or "Come Back, Little Seal Girl" from As Told by Ginger?

lavendermintrose

• The title of this series originally started with a D and featured the main character’s name, but in the US, it was released under a different title, starting with a C. The main character, who is named after an author, appears in both child and adult forms, and he transitions between them faster than that usually happens. He has short black hair, and his personality is that of a typical teenage hero, in many ways. He is smart, and though he appears to be a child, he is actually older, as his actions show. But he is still a teenager, and not the most mature of the main cast. The character with breakout popularity is a handsome blond man who is a little older than the hero, but young for his position. He does not appear in the earlier parts of the story. The hero isn’t sure what side he’s on. He goes by multiple names over the course of the series, and there are easter-eggs to be found by comparing his aliases. The hero has an enemy who mirrors the hero in many ways, and whose origin is closer to the hero’s than he suspects. This character is known for using disguises, and hiding in plain sight as a person everyone assumes is harmless and irrelevant. Other characters include a tough, cold older woman whose name starts with an A, whose past experiences in an organization become a lifesaver when she’s forced to betray said organization and work with the heroes; and a kind, older man whose hair is long on the sides and bald on top, who creates some of the tools most essential to the hero’s victories. The franchise includes, among many other works, a manga by Takahiro Arai. Is this manga an adaptation of a novel that is the original, or a spinoff of a very long running manga that is the original?

• In this musical, the main character is a historical figure.
  • The main character is a descendant of a sovereign named Alexander, whose presence looms over the story even though the two have no scene together. The main character’s family were corrupt and definitely abused their power, but they weren’t the evil monsters that many people have said they were (actually, in the Orthodox Christian church that was the center of the family’s power, someone from the family was made a saint long after the family had lost that power).
  • Even though the character comes from such a powerful family, the character’s connection to the family is imperfect in a way that means that the character cannot always draw on that power. The rise of the family’s enemies also plays a part, and an attack by those enemies about a decade ago also weighs on the story.
  • The story revolves around the main character making a connection with a lower-class character and forming a strong bond with this person. This person does not change the protagonist’s goal, but helps the protagonist find a different path to that goal.
  • It also features characters moving from one European country to another, and discussing the differences. Most of the story takes place around a city that was the center for art in that era, and there are songs about how beautiful that city is. It is contrasted with the city where the main character grew up, which is dirty and corrupt. An extremely famous work of art is referenced in dance and projections, and presented in a way that connects it to the story.
  • One particularly fun scene involves a party where a crowd celebrates a self-serving, inaccurate view of history. One main character tries to correct them, and is ignored.
  • There is an important word that comes up again and again that comes from a Latin or Greek term meaning “Rebirth”, and another important word that comes from the name Caesar. One of these is the name of the main character, and the title of the piece. The other is the reason for the vast changes happening at the historical moment in which the play is set.
  • The set makes incredible use of arches on a turntable, which combine with projections to evoke splendid palaces, as well as cityscapes, including the tower that the setting is famous for.
  • It is based on an illustrated work. The musical was made almost 20 years after the source material debuted. Some characters were made more attractive in the musical.
  • The music fits well with the style of Disney’s animated movie-musicals, but is not made by Disney, making it part of the “Non-Disney” genre.
  • The musical was set to have it’s Japan premier in 2020, but it was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was finally brought back in 2023, with most of the originally announced cast.

Anastasia or Cesare - Il Creatore che ha distrutto?

LB7979

• A book with a three-layered story or story-within-a-story-within-a-story. The innermost story could be read by the Real Life reader on its own; it also exists In Universe just like it does for us in Real Life, and the In Universe author of it (whose story can be considered the "middle-layer" story) is shrouded in mystery, which prompts the In Universe characters of the "outermost" layer to go on a quest to find out more about them. The "outermost" story is of an In Universe character reading the innermost story, wondering about its author, and getting more and more sucked into the (to the Real Life reader) innermost story, to the point they get obsessed with it and neglect the rest of their life (leading to them getting fired/threatened to get kicked out of college) and go on a downward spiral. They lose their friends, get in trouble with the law, and their relationship with their parents, which already was bad, now goes to non-existent. The book as a whole contains copious amounts of Footnotes, lots of Mind Screw, lots of Bilingual Bonus, and various amounts of Unconventional Formatting. The book can be seen as a parody or deconstruction of literary criticism or academic writing. Quite a Genre Buster as well; can be seen as a horror story, a love story, or anything in between.
  House of Leaves or ''S.'' / ''Ship of Theseus''?

Lemia

• A Platform Game with a one-word title becomes famous for its dark subversion of its initial Save the Princess plot, with the "hero" having reality-warping powers that do more harm than good in the long term and the "princess" being strongly hinted to be a highly destructive non-human entity that the hero might have been better off not pursuing in the first place. It also has a difficult-to-get secret ending that can be accessed only after collecting all the special items scattered throughout earlier levels and is even worse than the already-disturbing standard ending due to the hero becoming or being revealed to be a monster.
  This game is Eversion, right? Or wait, is it Braid instead?
• In an animated film, a Fiery Redheaded princess falls in love with a male character who has an animal sidekick, but the major obstacle holding her back from declaring her love to him is that she is not truly human in spite of her appearance and is under a magical spell that decrees that she must receive True Love's Kiss to become fully human herself. She and her love interest come close to kissing on one occasion but are rudely interrupted before they can do so, and the two of them are separated not long after when the film's villain assumes the Romantic False Lead role and persuades one of them to marry him/her. The wedding takes place at sunset and the villain almost succeeds in pulling it off until the other main character crashes the wedding with at least one angry animal sidekick attacking the villain. Unfortunately for the princess, the sun sets just before she can kiss the human prince and her true non-human nature is consequently revealed to everyone at the wedding. Her love interest doesn't care, however, and the villain's eventual demise is followed by the princess happily becoming the same species as her true love for good.
  By "the same species as her true love", do we mean "human" or "ogre"?

LogicButton

• This humorous science fiction story, complete with mystery, horror, romance, and major characters who are ghosts, is notable for its complicated plot that relies on all sorts of shenanigans involving time, space, and computer programming. The writing is deceptively accessible for how dense it is - every time you reread, you'll pick up something new. Also, it contains disappearing cats and a canny, eccentric character named Dirk. Its creator, who was already attracting attention for a previous work at the time that he began writing this one, is prolific but has been known to suffer from the occasional Schedule Slip, partly due to his tendency to take on several projects at once. While his is not a household name everywhere, there are quite a few fannish circles in which everybody expects everybody else to have at least a passing familiarity with his work as a matter of course.
  Homestuck or Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency?
• In a World… where a sizable portion of humans have a superpower that they learn and develop as a science, and that the imperial military weaponizes for conquest, two teenagers leave their rural home for an opportunity that turns out to be much more than they bargained for. One of them, angry and traumatized, has decided to join the military to solve their problems, while the other carries a dark secret on their soul connected to the unusual talent with which they wield the superpower. Most of the people they meet over the course of the story are skilled in either the superpower or in fighting, and occasionally both. There's an imposing, high-ranking, charismatic blonde woman who does not have the superpower, but whose younger sibling does. There's a man who shows particular kindness to the main characters and is killed off early for his trouble. There's a woman with the superpower who is extraordinarily skilled but frequently coughs up blood. There's a man with comically large muscles. Two of the most significant characters after the main pair are a high-ranking man with an unusual specialty in the superpower and a woman who is basically his personal bodyguard, who does not have the superpower but does have formidable skills with her weapon of choice. The two have known each other since long before they had their current positions and have an impenetrable bond, granting them the forethought to devise a way to communicate even when they become separated. Over the course of the series, we learn about the darkness lurking within the upper echelons of the empire, the danger posed by its implacable leader and his mysterious companions with biological immortality, and the tragic, violent origins of the superpower's prevalence.
  Fullmetal Alchemist or The Locked Tomb?
• In this installment of a series themed around the number nine, a muscle-armed lover of terrible jokes travels, not entirely by choice, from the planet they grew up on to the only structure for miles on a desolate landscape. They arrive to find an assortment of strangers with whom they are set loose to explore, and soon discover a locked maze of rooms that turn out to be full of puzzles and hints at some larger mystery, with keys as a reward for solving the puzzles; the rooms nevertheless also appear to be entirely functional (albeit abandoned) spaces for living and working. They investigate laboratories and areas meant to house humanoid constructs, among others, until the discovery of a murder derails the investigation - and despite their best attempts to return to their work, the bodies begin to pile up. They ultimately learn that the process of exploration was itself the key to solving the larger mystery at the heart of the story, that not all of the strangers they met were as clueless as they were on arrival, and that they themself are much more crucial to the fate of the world than they could have known. The hero's closest companion, a short-haired, short-statured, short-tempered young woman, is slow to trust the hero, but by the end there isn't much they wouldn't do for each other. Themes include reflection on the past and the nature of the soul.
  Gideon the Ninth or Virtue's Last Reward?

LordPandon49

• A Cop Show featuring a special squad of detectives solving high-profile cases, with every episode centering on a certain character. However, sometimes, the detectives face against crimes that hit too close to home - and with it they have to find that delicate balance between their personal feelings on the case and doing their duty. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit or Tokusou Saizensen?

Lunarsand

• This work, created at the start of 21th century, is known for its masterful use of Foreshadowing as well as an intricate storyline that, after a certain point, can be described as a pile of plot twists. Despite the work itself being made in Japan, its events take place in a vaguely European location. The main character is a blonde guy who forms an allegiance with a Big Eater girl in order to recover memories that one of them lost. Eventually, it turns out that our hero, despite looking like a human, did not possess that appearance originally; his true form is that of a small black animal. And the body that our hero thought was his? It actually belongs to the main villain. The said villain's body was rendered effectively immortal as an indirect result of his deeds in the past, and his actions in the present day are driven by the death of a woman he had strong feelings for. His Evil Plan involves or involved seeking assistance from a bunch of distinctly-looking foreigners. Upon coming to the realisation that he is not the person he thought himself to be, the protagonist suffers Loss of Identity. The story's climax involves a journey to the past in order to Set Right What Once Went Wrong, in which most of the main characters, as well as the main villain, partake. One of the side characters is a pet deeply devoted to his master, a young girl with some kind of connection to the female lead. After the pet’s death, he becomes the same type of supernatural entity as the protagonist and uses the powers he acquired to protect his master. Also, a pocketwatch acquired by someone early in the story is later revealed to be an important Chekhov's Gun, and a youth unwittingly murders one or more members of their family.
  Is the protagonist's true form a stuffed rabbit or a flesh-and-blood cat?
• This Harry Potter fanfiction, despite allegedly being based on the book series, in actuality has almost nothing in common with them, save for the characters’ names. The biggest offender is Harry Potter himself, who is portrayed as an Omnicidal Maniac bent on killing everyone and then himself, with one particular chapter featuring him cannibalizing a character who canonically was his friend. The writing style of the whole thing is best comparable to the ramblings of a very well-read and eloquent madman, with violent deaths happening almost every chapter and Surreal Horror elements being extremely prevalent. Another thing notable about this fic is its overly long title.
  Am I talking about Harry Potter and the Rest of the Sentence or HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH?

LucaEarlgrey

• You start this game off in a level that is numbered higher than 1, make your way through the levels, and the final stage is designated 1. Sadly, there is no victory to be had, as a massive catastrophe happens next. Is this Radiant Silvergun or Braid?

Luxray1000

• This story is told in multiple parts, the first of which revolves around the acquisition of six similar objects differentiated by colour. Once they are all assembled, the group of heroes are defeated by the main villain, who then proceeds to wipe out a significant portion of the world's population. The heroes are able to regroup and slay the villain, avenging the casualties (which include a witch in red, who was one of the heroes) but their victory feels empty as they were unable to bring everyone back to life. In order to do so, they must resort to time travel, only to unleash an even greater threat and have to stop the new villain too. One of the main characters stays in a new timeline after the battle is over. But what about the original six objects? Were they stones controlling aspects of the universe gathered by the villain, or orbs that opened a path to Yggdrasil, gathered by the heroes?

M

MachRider1985

• An epic Dark Fantasy novel featuring incest, the fate of a family over the course of an epic struggle, a morally ambiguous dwarf, loads and loads of Black and Grey Morality, a sinister supernatural force encroaching from the north and a serious downer ending.
  A Song of Ice and Fire or The Children of Húrin?

MadameButterflyKnife

• A highly flawed protagonist, who's going nowhere in life and is at odds with the people in every single one of their relationships, is exposed to the fact that there are multiple timelines and realities out there when they meet someone who's an alternate version of someone they know and who has the ability to jump worlds. They express romantic feelings for said alternate as a threat to their reality, one that's destroyed many other previous realities, approaches. They meet a figure who has the ability to see every possible reality at once, who ends up being antagonistic to the protagonist. This figure also turns out to be related to the protagonist. The fact that there's different versions of the main character and their loved ones in every reality plays a major part in the story. In the end, the protagonist gains the ability to consciously jump between realities and witness their alternate selves near the end of the story, and eventually resolves the threat by utilizing said alternate selves.
  Everything Everywhere All at Once or Yiik A Post Modern RPG?

Magnus Force

• This action-comedy cartoon parodying the Superhero genre is about the adventures of a middle school boy who lives in an M___ City, which is protected by a superhero voiced by Eric Bauza. The boy looks up to said superhero and helps him out in fighting a comical but menacing Rogues Gallery that includes the superhero's bitter ex-sidekick, an evil genius with mechanical arms, and a monstrous old woman who could be considered their most dangerous foe. While the duo have their differences and often bicker, they are very loyal to each other. The boy's best friend is an impulsive Badass Adorable girl with brightly-coloured hair who often helps the superhero and the boy out despite having no superpowers (except in one episode).
  Is it El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera or Atomic Puppet?
• This fantastical Disney-produced animation from the 2010s features an awkward young Hispanic boy with a red hoodie and a mole under his right eye who discovers and travels to a parallel world full of magic where he unravels its many mysteries, learns valuable life lessons, and gains a new confidence and emotional maturity along the way.
  Is it Coco or Star vs. the Forces of Evil?
• This American animated series created by a guy named Matt tells the story of an ordinary young person who ends up in a weird and crazy world full of adventure that is as spectacular as it is dangerous. Our hero is lazy and Book Dumb but has a heart of gold and is very good with others, quickly befriending the very first people they meet and finding a Family of Choice composed of their Non-Human Sidekick, an Action Girl, a Grumpy Old Man, and a lovable invertebrate. While they adjust to this new world and get to know its unusual inhabitants, they slowly discover that they were not brought into there by accident (in fact, somebody they know deliberately trapped them there) and are actually central to a much bigger conflict that culminates in them saving the universe. Additionally, the series is well known for its great comedy and powerful emotional moments, which has earned it great critical acclaim and a loyal fanbase.
  Is it Futurama or Amphibia?
• This Adobe Flash-animated cartoon from a Commonwealth country follows an adorable and kindhearted girl who lives in a big old mansion with her found family, a quirky but lovable circle of nonhumans whose members include a Small Name, Big Ego self-proclaimed aristocrat, a Lovable Coward, and one who is cursed with constant bad luck. The girl and her circle of nonhuman friends spend their days playing music and throwing parties, but also get into plenty of comedic situations that they always manage to find a solution to thanks to The Power of Friendship and the protagonist's pure-hearted nature. And while the show isn't very well-known, it does have a small but devoted following who find it to be a cute, funny, and charming series with an appealing artstyle, likeable characters, a great soundtrack, and a wholesome sense of humor.
  Is it Ruby Gloom or Kitty Is Not a Cat?
• This Late 2010s cartoon from a Commonwealth country produced by a studio famous for their popular animated Preschool Shows follows a trio of friends consisting of a timid and dorky boy, his much more reckless and arrogant best friend, and a Japanese Cute Ghost Girl. The three deal with magical, fantastical, and supernatural shenanigans caused as much by their irresponsible behavior as the mischief of the strange creatures they encounter on a daily basis. Frequently aiding them in their adventures is a Cool Old Guy well versed with said magical mishaps and creatures, but our heroes always manage to solve the problems they cause through The Power of Friendship and by learning An Aesop or two. While the show isn't very well-known, it has received praise from a number of professional critics for its writing, characterization, and creativity, even being nominated for multiple awards. Another notable trait of the series is its usage of Idiosyncratic Episode Naming.
  Is it The Strange Chores or Wishfart?
• This is the story of a boy who, after years of having his dreams discouraged by cynical adults, discovers a fantastical power (which he channels using a small rod-shaped object) that allows him to live out his wildest dreams and access a magical world full of strange and eccentric people, creatures, and whatnot. As he confronts the various dangers of this strange new world, he is joined with his two best friends, a street-smart and wisecracking inhabitant of this fantastical world, and a very smart girl from the mundane world who helps him in keeping the magical world secret from the normals.
  Is it ChalkZone or Harry Potter?
• This cartoon stars a Pollyanna with a Mysterious Past who lives in a setting full of strange-looking creatures where anything can happen. However, the setting and its inhabitants are menaced by a rather ineffectual Psychopathic Manchild Evil Overlord who stands for a negative emotion and loves to chew the scenery. Fortunately for everyone, our protagonist loves nothing more than spreading happiness and positivity, and while he's not particularly bright and seems oblivious to the hatred the villain has for him, he always manages to get one over the bad guy. It ran for 2 seasons on Disney XD.
  Is it Wander over Yonder or Jimmy Two-Shoes?
• This cartoon stars a boy from a non-standard family with an overemotional teenage sister. The series follows a Strictly Formula in which the boy conducts crazy and improbable schemes that drive his teenage sister crazy while she tries to win the affections of a hunky boy with help from her friend. Assisting the boy in his endeavours are a Badass Adorable girl with a huge crush on him he never notices and a nerdy Asian boy and the burly kid who seems inseparable from him. Every episode has a musical number.
  Is is Phineas and Ferb or Grojband?

Tropers/mariolucario493

• This series developed a HUGE online fanbase, spawning dozens of memes, fanart, etc. The series’ protagonist ends up in a strange town filled with strange semi-humanoid creatures. The protagonist ends up befriending several unusual characters, including a reality warping comedian, a socially awkward shut-in, and a loud show-off who wants to join the kingdom’s military forces. The protagonist goes on adventures defeating villains with The Power of Friendship and reuniting a royal couple (one being the protagonist’s motherly mentor and the other being a tragic Anti-Villain).
  My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic or the pacifist route of Undertale?
• This 90's Disney musical directed by Kirk Wise and Gary Trousdale takes place in medieval France and tells a story of how a woman was refused shelter one dark and stormy night. Years later, a hideously deformed man who stays locked up in a tall stone structure and talks to wisecracking animate inanimate objects befriends a beautiful brunette and fights a villain who lusts after her. The climax of the movie features the villain’s attempt to break into the hero’s home by using a piece of wood as a battering ram on the front doors. The animate inanimate objects take out the villain’s henchmen while the villain finds the hero crying in his room over the apparent loss of his love interest. The hero hides among the gargoyles on the tower to quite literally throw the villain off. The villain falls off the roof to his death below, while the hero reunites with his loved one. Featuring the voices of Tony Jay and David Ogden Steirs and an amazing soundtrack by Alan Menken.
  Beauty and the Beast or The Hunchback of Notre Dame?
• A boy befriends a robot but must keep it hidden from his legal guardian. The robot begins to understand complex subjects such as mortality. The robot is very friendly, but one day, it goes on a violent rampage and attempts to kill people. However, when a threat befalls the town, the robot sacrifices its life to save everyone. Thankfully, the robot leaves one piece of its body behind, allowing it to be rebuilt in the end. Superheroes are a major theme in this animated family picture.
  Big Hero 6 or The Iron Giant?
• Here's a movie about a prehistoric animal who is separated from his family. He finds a small human child and travels across the land with him. Across their journey, they battle intense weather and predators who attempt to eat the human. In the end, the prehistoric animal encounters some adult humans and shares a tearful goodbye with his new friend as the boy rejoins his kind.
  Ice Age or The Good Dinosaur?
• This quirky, self-aware video game series began on the Nintendo 64. It features elements such as a magic book^note Cheato and the Dark Prognosticus, getting flushed down toilets, and a desert-dwelling creature that suffers Amusing Injuries^note Gobi and Whacka. The first game in the series begins with the villain kidnapping a blond girl and locking her up in a castle high above the ground. Our hero must travel through, among other worlds, a haunted forest, a frozen tundra, a tropical island, and an arid desert before reaching the top of the villain's lair. The hero duels the villain at atop the tallest tower. The villain eventually falls off, but doesn't die. The mechanics from the first game are improved upon in the sequel. The hero travels to a new land that is bigger and far more exciting. He will have to battle dragons, travel by train, and explore a seaside town; all while being pursued by three witches. The third game tries something a little different in terms of gameplay, which has resulted in backlash from the fanbase. The main setting of the third game is a town between dimensions that is governed by a mysterious cloaked creature. There is also a fourth game on a handheld console that is considered So Okay, It's Average.
  Paper Mario or Banjo-Kazooie?
• This family sci-fi film begins when a spaceship lands on Earth with the intent of studying the local flora. The ship leaves a mysterious lifeform behind, setting up the events of the film. The main character is an Ugly Cute short creature with long fingers, an extendable neck, and big eyes. His name is an acronym. He is voiced by Ben Burtt, although he isn’t able to speak much English. He is a curious fellow who studies human culture by collecting trinkets and watching old movies. He is accompanied by another creature whose name begins with an E. They have a whimsical adventure together until the curious short creature tragically dies. But thankfully, he comes back to life thanks to a special connection with his new companion.
  E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial or WALL•E?
• This pseudo-anime style cartoon lasted three seasons in the mid-2000’s. In it, a bald monk child with a glowing forehead tattoo travels the world with his friends on the back of a giant flying animal. They fight a whiny teenager using elemental martial arts. Grey Delisle does the voice of a teenage girl with anger issues and the ability to control fire.
  Avatar: The Last Airbender or Xiaolin Showdown?
• This is a story about a mischievious prince who learns responsibility. It's an animated musical set in an African country famous for its heavy drama, Scenery Porn, and an orchestral score by Hans Zimmer. It is actually inspired by famous older story, but they took some creative licence to modernize it. It opens with an epic song that cuts to black as soon as it ends. Then our main character is introduced. He is constantly getting into trouble, and his father has to remind him of the destiny he holds. One day, the protagonist is accused of murder, despite the fact that it was clearly an accident. He runs away from home, getting lost in the desert, where he is rescued by a community of outcasts. They teach him (through song, of course) to be happy with what he has, even if it's not much. Years later, the protagonist, now grown up, receives guidance from a heavenly voice that inspires him to return to his home and confront the oppressive ruler (who is a family member that the protagonist once looked up to). Our hero ends up succeeding in defeating the dictator and leading his people to a new and brighter future. The film ends with the hero overlooking his land atop a mountain as a reprise of the opening song plays.
  The Lion King or The Prince of Egypt?
• Two unlikely heroes, one a wide-eyed idealist and the other a wisecracking sidekick who never wears a shirt, must travel across the ocean to find and restore a McGuffin that rightfully belongs to a green-skinned godlike figure. In order to do so, they must reach the lair of a monster that nobody has ever returned from. Along the way, they meet a greedy crustacean and a sweet old lady who can transform into a sea creature at will. They occasionally break into song and at one point find themselves in an undersea abyss filled with strange creatures. The idealist ends up defeating a villain by singing. Our heroes succeed in their mission while at the same time learning a valuable lesson about identity. The idealist returns home and is given a new position of authority.
  Moana or The Spongebob Squarepants Movie?
• A team of six heroes, one of them a robot, have to save their Americasia -inspired city from absolute destruction. One of the reoccurring elements of the story is tiny pieces that can fit together to form something larger. The six heroes have to fight a villain that got separated from his child some time ago and has become bitter because of it. One of the characters gets his arm detached, but later reattached. There is also a cute cat.
  Big Hero 6 or The LEGO Ninjago Movie?
• A grumpy old man is obsessed with his house, as if it is somehow alive. Turns out he has just been grieving for his deceased wife. But with the help of a younger generation, the old man learns to let go of his past and enjoy his life. In the end, the old man's house is lost.
  Up or Monster House?
• A green monster who dreams of terrorizing children in the middle of the night must come to terms with the fact that he is, in fact, not scary at all.
  Monsters University or Billy and Mandy's Big Boogey Adventure?
• In this Disney/Pixar film, a human child winds up in a land of creatures that appear scary, but are actually quite friendly. These creatures actually require human essence to fuel their world. The child has to wear a disguise to blend in, but a high-ranking member of the land sees through it. The high-ranking individual is actually revealed to be a corrupt coward who only cares about keeping his legacy alive. However, the child and some friends expose the villain by tricking him into revealing his evil plan on camera. The human child goes home, though the creatures from the other world are allowed to visit the human world on special occasions.
  Monsters, Inc. or Coco?
• Talking animals are tired of being enslaved by a larger species as nothing more than a source of food. So one of these animals decides to get help to break free of their captors. The help they find appears promising, but little do they know that the "savior" they summoned is just part of a circus troupe. Nonetheless, the animals get the idea to build a giant flying Bamboo Technology contraption to defeat the tyrannical overlords. By the end, the main villain has been outsmarted by birds, and the heroes are living peacefully on an island.
  Chicken Run or A Bug's Life?
• This edition in a long-running Nintendo franchise features the hero meeting their enemy in the opening cutscene, then falling from a great height. When he comes to, a flying creature decides to aid him on his quest. Other allies include the lead singer in a band and a green-clad man who carries balloons. You travel from land to land, including a wasteland of poisoned water, a seaside town whose ocean has been overrun with giant eels, a desert with talking skeletons and an upside-down temple, and a mountain village whose inhabitants participate in races in which they roll to the finish line (which turns out to be That One Sidequest). The hero uses the ability to control other people's bodies in order to overcome obstacles. There is a bird that steals the hero's items from time to time. One of the bosses is a giant serpentine creature who splits in two. The moon is always present in the sky, and the final boss is actually fought on the moon.
  The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask or Super Mario Odyssey?
• A stop-motion animated film about a boy from Japan who lost an organ (one of a pair) in an offscreen incident. His friends on his journey are talking animals. His enemy is an immediate relative of his (also his only living relative by the end), who he eventually manages to win over. At least one of the characters in the movie is blind in one eye.
  Kubo and the Two Strings or Isle of Dogs?
• A boy who has been reincarnated across generations awakens from a hundred-year slumber to find that the world he once knew has changed. Armed with only a personal glider, he sets out to stop an evil overlord from taking over the world. To do so, he has to unlock the power of the four elements. At one point, the moon turns red when the villains are at their most powerful.
  Avatar: The Last Airbender or The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild?
• Toys are brought to life via the power of imagination. Various characters from different franchises come together in this world in order to prevent themselves from becoming turned into lifeless dolls forever. They include an blue-collar worker with an everyman personality^note Emmet/Mario, a masked warrior with a bat motif^note Batman/Meta Knight, an adorable pink shapeshifter^note Unikitty/Kirby, a bearded man with a baritone^note Vitruvius/Snake, and an astronaut who has experience building spaceships out of stray parts ^note Benny/Olimar. An army of robots serves a mysterious master. As it is eventually revealed, the imaginative being that brought these characters to life is being controlled behind the scenes by the entity that wishes to put the toys into a permanent stasis. Even the most evil of villains are able to be turned to the side of good.
  The LEGO Movie or The Subspace Emissary?
• A young man with a Disappeared Dad winds up on a mysterious planet that he ends up triggering to self-destruct. Barely escaping the planet in time, he realizes he had a surrogate father in a ruthless space pirate all along. But sadly, he has to say goodbye to him as well.
  Treasure Planet or Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2?
• This movie is loosely based on a Shakespeare epic, and features songs by Elton John. At one point, the theme song to a Disney park attraction is played for laughs.
  The Lion King or Gnomeo & Juliet?
• In this early 2000's Disney hit, a little girl makes an unlikely new best friend in a blue monster, much to the displeasure of a neurotic green cyclops. When an Obstructive Bureaucrat (who could actually be considered the film's Big Good) threatens to separate the two friends forever, one of them finds a loophole in the system to allow them to stay together.
  Monsters, Inc. (yes, again) or Lilo & Stitch?
• An animated film based on a Marvel property in which a teenage boy attending a prestigious academy teams up with five other people to form a superhero team. Along the way, the boy discovers the mysterious masked man chasing him down is someone he looks up to. The villain ends up being a sad man who lost a loved one long ago and seeks to open a dimensional rift to set things right. At least one of the characters comes from a futuristic Americasia city and has a cute robot as a best friend.
  Big Hero 6 or Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse?
• A red-clad superhero is still trying to get over an event in his past that changed his life forever. Meanwhile, a man who feels underappreciated uses technology to create false threats so he can become a superhero by pretending to defeat them. In the end, the teenage superhero has become less Adorkable and is now in a relationship. At one point, the protagonist ends up getting framed for collateral damage which was not his fault. Samuel L. Jackson plays a supporting role, and Michael Giacchino composes the score.
  The Incredibles or Spider-Man: Far From Home?
• A man has spent his life searching for an ancient source of magical power. Years later, the man's son takes it upon himself to discover the treasure that his father was never able to find. There is a chase scene involving motorcycles and a part where the protagonist must cross an invisible bridge that is meant to test one's belief in things that they cannot see. He is able to find the treasure (which turns out to have power over life and death), but he does not hold onto it for long. Although the treasure is ultimately lost, the protagonist has developed a closer connection with a family member, proving that the real treasure was the adventure itself.
  Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade or Onward?
• One hundred years after a Physical God's disappearance from the world, they are reawakened in a time of chaos. The Physical God travels the land learning the powers of all the elements of nature. The world is heavily inspired by Eastern mythology and culture. The Physical God's companions include a green-clad Pintsized Powerhouse that ran away from home and a clueless swordsman who is mostly there for comic relief (but is still awesome in his own way). One of the villains is a beautiful young lady who disguises herself as an ally to get close to the ruler of the land. There is a solar eclipse at one point. During the climax, one character has their supernatural powers drained.
  Avatar: The Last Airbender or Ōkami?
• This installment in one of the most beloved fantasy franchises of all time explores the history of the series' main conflict. It all began with two lifelong best friends, one of whom was destined to be The Chosen One. As time passed, the two friends grew further apart, and one of them began to slowly turn evil. The climax takes place upon an erupting volcano, where the two friends reunite. But sadly, the Chosen One is abandoned by the other man and left to burn to death. Despite this, the Chosen One is not completely dead - he is later "reborn" under a new identity. But this kicks off a war that lasts for decades. One of the two friends is able to come back as a ghost to guide a younger hero on his quest to save the world.
  Revenge of the Sith or Avatar S3E06 - The Avatar and the Fire Lord?
• A 2017 release that explores the themes of life, death, and how we remember those who have passed on. A large family lives together in the same house. The stories of said family go back five generations to the beginning of a supposed "family curse." The eldest living member of the family encourages her great-grandchild to discover the secrets of said curse, while other family members would rather forget the pain of the past. At the end, the titular character passes away, and a new family member is born and encouraged to keep the stories of their ancestors alive.
  Coco or What Remains of Edith Finch?
• An adventure fantasy film from the 1980's that infamously blurs the line for what is considered "family-friendly" entertainment. In fact, some scenes were altered or cut out to avoid it from getting an R rating. An evil army seeks the titular MacGuffin, a container of sorts that according to legend wields unlimited power. A Ragtag Bunch of Misfits goes on a quest to find the magical item before the villains do. Although the villains seem to get the upper hand, the titular object proves to be too powerful to wield, and instead violently obliterates the bad guys. The mystical vessel is then put into the custody of a third party to protect it from being used for evil again in the future.
  Is it the critically acclaimed Raiders of the Lost Ark or the critically panned The Black Cauldron?
• A pale man with an army of sentient shadows wages war on a society of nigh-immortal beings after being personally betrayed by them. One outcast member of the immortal beings leads a band of warriors agaist the pale man's army while also searching for his own sense of purpose. Children also rally to fight the shadow monsters in the climax. One character is brought back from the dead.
  Rise of the Guardians or Thor: Love and Thunder?
• A Disney animated buddy comedy that famously cranks the Rule of Funny up to eleven with a ton of self-aware humor and wacky slapstick. A wisecracking skinny guy finds himself lost in the wilderness after leaving home. He encounters a pudgy but kindhearted fellow, and the two eventually become best friends. Along the way, they outwit hungry predators, survive going over a comically large waterfall, eat bugs, and the skinny guy crossdresses. One of the characters is a prince who is trying to reclaim his lost throne. The skinny guy constantly interrupts the movie to comment on his own adventure, as there seems to be No Fourth Wall.
• The Emperor's New Groove or The Lion King 1 ½?

MarioTropes

• Strange events have been happening, so a small party is sent to the source. They come across a land filled with creatures thought to be not alive at the time. After spending some time in the land, a larger party arrives. Terrible events involving some of the creatures causes the combined party to leave the land, bringing some of the creatures with them to a large American city. The chaos, however, follows them to said city.
  The Lost World: Jurassic Park or Heroes And Allies?

Master Ghandalf

• This shorter first installment of a Sequel Series to a popular fantasy epic is set after a lengthy Time Skip and follows a new generation of heroes in a world which was previously early-industrial and is now a mix of early modern and Steampunk. It is primarily set within a single city, and the plot focuses heavily on social upheaval within said city. Three of the main protagonists are a serious, responsible male, a joking, clownish male (both of whom have magical powers) and an elegant rich girl who can handle herself in a fight. The Big Bad is a charismatic masked revolutionary with weird powers who relies heavily on theatricality in his methods. He has a wealthy backer who is related to one of the heroes.
  Is it The Legend of Korra Book One or The Alloy of Law?
• In this Heroic Fantasy series, an Action Girl assassin goes undercover as a minor noblewoman in the court of an Evil Overlord (who is known only by his title and used strange magic forbidden to the lower classes to become a powerful conqueror), in the process attending several dances and balls. She must mask both her competence and her secret heritage, from which she derives her supernatural abilities. She gradually discovers that an ancient evil thought defeated a thousand years ago is stirring, and she may be the only one who can defeat it. Eventually she gets a dog. Another main character is an idealistic young nobleman with a tyrannical, abusive father. In the backstory, one of the protagonists was sent to an infamous death camp but managed to survive.
  Does the assassin kill the Evil Overlord or does she become his champion?

Master N

• This EarthBound (1994)-inspired RPG stars a Heroic Mime boy in a dream world. The boy faces off against a Harmless Villain, saves the First Town from them, then goes off with his friend to visit an area in the forest. However, this happiness is cut short when an Eldritch Abomination invades and begins twisting the dream world into a nightmare. The boy and his allies set off to defeat the entity.
  • The first world is a Green Hill Zone, while the second is more wacky in nature. Said second world pits you against a boss who, later in the game, can be fought again as an optional, and much harder, rematch.
  • The third world is a Big Boo's Haunt.
  • The fourth world pays homage to classic RPG games, and requires the heroes to scale a castle to fight against its owner, a woman who wants one of the heroes for herself.
  • Next comes another wacky world, with the boss of said area being a Dual Boss. The area also contains a pyramid.
  • Next is a water-themed world where the boy temporarily loses his party members and must rescue them. In said world, the boy scales a tall structure and faces off against a Corrupt Corporate Executive. They are also forced to fight against a friend who has become much stronger.
  • Finally, the main game ends with the heroes entering a hi-tech facility that is also a Womb Level, and they must fight against the entity who controls the womb at the end as the normal Final Boss.
  • The Eldritch Abomination is fought four times across the game, in four different forms. Said entity represents the deepest, darkest fears of the boy, and a source of self-loathing for him.
  • Another frequent antagonist the boy faces is a group of petty thugs or hooligans. The boy fights their leader three times, and ultimately the leader does a Heel–Face Turn and joins the boy in his adventure, becoming a party member.
  • Hidden within the saccharine dream world are areas representing the repressed fears and guilt of the boy. Some are optional, a few are mandatory.
  • At some point, the boy must fight an evil alternate version of himself as a late-game boss. In addition, the true final challenge of the game, after going through the real last area, is for the boy to face his fear that his loved ones will hate him for what he feels he has done to them, represented by a twisted, hateful version of either his loved ones or himself. But in the end, the boy is able to overcome this fear and move on.
  • Is this OMORI or Jimmy and the Pulsating Mass?
• This indie RPG with a One-Word Title stars a mysterious protagonist of few words who is on a mission. The game has No Fourth Wall and is often directly Addressing the Player as a separate character from the protagonist. After a short tutorial area, the protagonist finds themselves in a Hub Level consisting of a dark void with several entrances to other areas- the protagonist must travel to three main zones. The first zone has a green color asthenic and pits the protagonist against a bald leader who abuses their subordinates. The second zone requires the protagonist to go through several areas before scaling a large tower; atop the tower lies a wicked magical entity who wreaks havoc on the innocent denizens below. The third zone is a big castle-like structure where our protagonist goes into some tunnels and encounters a monster. The area then becomes a somewhat different, cavern-like area; the boss at the end is a greedy Fat Bastard who rules over said area. Once the fat bastard is defeated, it is revealed that the true purpose of the protagonist's mission has been to Mercy Kill the entire world and its population in order to free them of their suffering. You can then revisit the areas and fight some new enemies, and even a hidden Super Boss. The protagonist must fight a Disc-One Final Boss, a creature made of light who is the last thing standing in the way of the destruction of the world. Once they are beaten, the protagonist must fight an easy boss to finish the job. At different points in each work, you can either continue on with the mission or turn against the one who gave it to you and fight them as the Final Boss instead.
  Is this game OFF or Everhood?
• This game has gained a reputation for being a really dark and screwed up romance. It stars two characters, a brooding and cold male, and a cheery, bubbly, and Ax-Crazy female. The two of them come closer when they are each other's only hope in a world that is hostile to them, and they gradually enter a relationship that society and human decency disapproves of, but that doesn't matter to them. The female is already a killer, and the male starts abandoning his morality to please her. The two engage in things like murder and cannibalism, with the female being a Yandere who goes after another woman in love with the male, wanting to destroy her so she is no longer a threat. As the two grow closer, their codependent Destructive Romance only makes them more twisted and plunges them into the depths of depravity. Is this game The Coffin of Andy and Leyley or The Song of Saya?

MatLShini

• This game's story is about an anti-hero is tasked by a female ally with protecting a teenage girl. He ends up shooting the woman, at one moment points his gun at the girl when he gets suspicious about her but, at another point, has to carry the girl in his arms towards an elevator while avoiding enemies. The story takes place across multiple areas of the United States. One of the villains is an utterly deranged psycho with creepy interactions with the girl. The girl also displays fighting skills of her own. In gameplay, the anti-hero can do stuff such as: stealthfully evading his opponents, throwing bricks and bottles to distract them or use these to kill them. He can also strangle his foes and use his senses to detect their position.
  Hitman: Absolution or The Last of Us?

MayumiWorld

• The Big Bad of this spinoff, acting in grief from the loss of his love, tries to Restart the World by using a Doomsday Device so his minions get to live in the new one (which is a lie), and the protagonists have to stop it under a time limit. Eventually, during the climax, the Big Bad has a realization after talking to his love who was revived one way or another, and lets the protagonists stop his own plans. However, one of his minions betrays the villain after finding out the lie and continue the plans anyway, and the protagonists have to stop it, ending with the Big Bad and his love going out with a smile. Oh, and the work is for kids. Is this Super Paper Mario or Kamen Rider Zero-One: REAL×TIME?

Mercuriesandrandomness

• A Japanese work centered around hope and despair with characters named Kyouko, Sayaka, Junko, and Sakura. There is also someone voiced by Chiwa Saitō. The Big Bad is a cute animal with a high-pitched voice who is a Manipulative Bastard. The protagonist is the most ordinary character on the show and is a bit insecure about their lack of talent, but they are the most optimistic person out of the entire cast and become hope near the end. Sayaka is a blue-haired girl who serves as a bit of a Decoy Protagonist, for she is one of the first characters to die. The show's Deuteragonist is a stoic girl who is associated with the color purple, comes off as incredibly mysterious, and eventually warms up to the protagonist. One of the show's first deaths is incredibly shocking due to how brutal it is, the girl with twintails dies in a memetic manner, someone dies in a fire, and Sakura performs a Heroic Sacrifice. There is a disaster shelter involved in the story, which the protagonist leaves at the end, going against Junko's wishes. At least one character is a Walking Spoiler, there is an sick character, the protagonist has a younger sibling, and the cast's memories of an event have been erased.
  Is thisPuella Magi Madoka Magica or Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc?
• This is the second game in a Visual Novel series by Spike/Chunsoft, which opens with the protagonist opening their eyes and discovering that they are trapped somewhere, and the first character to interact with them has white hair. They then discover that there are multiple people being held in the same place, and that they're apparently at the mercy of a sadistic talking animal who likes poking fun at their situation. There is also a talking rabbit with them. Of the people they are trapped with, the protagonist most closely interacts with a woman who they get some Ship Tease with and the white-haired person who found them. The rest of the people include of an AI, the child of a character from the previous game, a massive Jerkass, and someone voiced by Yoshimasa Hosoya. During the game, the characters undergo a virus being released, being trapped in a building, someone threatening to blow up where they are, and multiple murders. Some reveals include that the surviving characters are not in the location where they think they're in and that the apocalypse has occurred. In addition, the most significant reveal is when the protagonist has a Tomato in the Mirror moment and discovers that they do not look like what they think they look like, and are responsible for the entire plot. Finally, the protagonist from the first game shows up at some point, and the game's name was changed when it was translated into English.
  Now, is the Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair or Virtue's Last Reward?

Mickoonsley 19

• An installment of a long-running cartoon. In this installment, the characters explore and learn about the world. Some Medium Blending is used to incorporate real photos of the world.
  Postcards from Buster or Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf: Around the World in 20 Days?
• A normal boy receives supernatural help with his daily problems, only for things to never go as planned and backfire in the end.
  Doraemon or The Fairly OddParents!?
• A popular cartoon adapted from a comic series. India rebooted it in 2012.
  Ninja Hattori or Motu Patlu?
• A long-running anime that teaches lessons to children. The main character is a blue cat.
  Doraemon or 3000 Whys of Blue Cat?
• A children's animated series centered around a bunch of Anthropomorphic Food items who work together. The show has an Indian English dub. The show has fallen victim to Keep Circulating the Tapes.
  Anpanman or Simple Samosa?

mimitchi33

• This Kidcom, produced by Rick Siggelkow, was created to bring a popular British stop motion series to North America via a Framing Device. In it, a parent-like figure runs a business related to the cartoon the show frames, and they often get visited by a group of kids as well as a crazy adult. There are also some characters that come to life that usually sing songs, represented by puppets. During each episode, the kids face some sort of problem, which is usually solved by one of the characters telling a story, which cuts to the stop motion show in question.
  Shining Time Station or The Noddy Shop?
• In this Christmas Special that's also a musical released in November of 2017, two characters find out that they don't have a holiday tradition. One of their friends tries to fix this by finding a tradition that they would like through a musical number, but a problem occurs with the traditions that they found. In the end, the characters decide to create a tradition that is about bonding with the ones they love.
  Now, is this special's name Olaf's Frozen Adventure or Trolls Holiday?
• This animated musical film is a sequel to a hit movie that proved to be a Cash-Cow Franchise for the company that made it. In it, the female protagonist learns from her parents that there's another world that had ties to her life. Despite her friends and family members telling her not to venture out to this world, she goes ahead anyway and explores it with her friends, meeting the new characters made for the sequel and getting to know a bit about them as the film progresses, and gets to learn a bit more about her society's past as the film progresses. The climax contains the protagonist singing a song about being true to yourself. During this song, she has an Expository Hairstyle Change. There's also a subplot involving a comedy relief character going on their own quest.
  Is this film Frozen II or Trolls World Tour?
• In this installment of the Pretty Cure franchise, a girl who is obsessed with a particular topic meets a girl from a world related to the subject she holds so dear to her heart. Meanwhile, a cute animal that has some relationship to her comes to life. The enemies want to steal items that are based off things that people use in association with birthday-determined fortune-telling. The girls have a unique way of transforming that is different from other Pretty Cure installments as well. Many episodes in this series are also spent in the dimension that the girl the protagonist met calls home, and is also where the character who would become the additional Cure lives. It also stars many seiyuu who mainly do otaku-oriented works, as well as some who played roles in fellow Bandai series Aikatsu!.
  Which Pretty Cure installment does this describe, Maho Girls Pretty Cure! or Star★Twinkle Pretty Cure?
• The protagonist of this animated show aimed at preschoolers is a tiger who wears a red sweater. He has a family that includes a baby sister who often wears pink. He is friends with three other kids, two of whom are a cat and a bird. Later on in the series, a Sixth Ranger who wears purple becomes his new friend. The show generally focuses on problems children face during their everyday life, from dealing with feelings to childhood milestones. Both series also have an emphasis on music.
  What show is being described here, Shima Shima Tora no Shimajirō or Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood?
• In this Kodomomuke anime aimed at girls, a group of girls who own a magical watch have to collect tiny, colorful critters to save another world from danger.
  Is this show Yes! Pretty Cure 5 or Tamagotchi: Miracle Friends?
• This children's show centers around a girl with purple hair and glasses. She meets a blue bunny-esque critter who becomes her best friend, and together, they use a magic watch to find Ridiculously Cute Critters that cause trouble.
  Is this the third season of Yo-kai Watch, or Abby Hatcher?
• This Shōjo anime revolves around a girl with Odango Hair who wants to be a specific kind of person and gets the chance to partake in that particular field on accident. However, she finds it very hard to focus on that career given her extreme clumsiness. She forms a group with two other friends and they also are given the same powers as the protagonist. The protagonist's younger sister idolizes her new self and wishes to become like her, and she gets this chance later on in the series.
  Is this anime Ojamajo Doremi or PriPara?
• In this Magical Girl series, a Power Trio consisting of a girl with blonde hair, a girl with purple hair and a girl with pink hair use the power of jewels to save a fantasy world from evil forces.
  What is the title of this show, Princess Gwenevere and the Jewel Riders or Maho Girls Pretty Cure!?

metaljohn

• This series is CGI in some way. It is about a young hero who is the last of his kind, but people don't seem to bring this up that often. His kind was killed by a ruler who was colored Grayish-White and had Red markings all over him, along with a legion of soldiers who look similar and are all the same species because of knowledge that he shouldn't have heard. The only survivor being an infant: The main Character, but little did anyone know that the people who were killed actually survived by escaping to a faraway place that is difficult to access. In one particular "Episode" of this series, we see the hero join a group that he looks up to, a group who is tasked with defending the Hero's World, and he ends up having to fight a villain who used to be a part of the group, but left due to the current leader of the group in some way. The villain is defeated by completely destroying his body.

Is this "Ratchet & Clank" or "Kung Fu Panda"?

Miracle at St. Olaf

• An underprivileged youth moves to the west coast with his single mother, has trouble fitting in, and is beaten up at a party by a blond-haired bully who practices martial arts. He then trains in that same art under a foreign-born mentor with a tragic past, hooks up with the bully's ex-girlfriend, and then wins the bully's respect by defeating him in the final match of a martial arts tournament.

...Now, are we talking about The Karate Kid (1984), or Never Back Down?

mirisu92

• In this timeless, defining classic of the Horror genre, entire communities of people are being terrorized by an ancient, monstrous, and Super-Persistent Predator with sharp teeth, and by extension, an unmistakable dental Calling Card. The monster begins by attacking the residents of a seaside town. In response to these attacks, a motley crew assembles for the sole purpose of monster-hunting, including the everyman protagonist^note Brody, Jonathan Harker, one expert on the type of monster in question^note Dr Hooper, Van Helsing, and a professional adventurer whose name starts with "Quin"^note Quint, Quincey Morris. The crew then spend several days tracking down the killer. The final chase involves extensive boat trips, and one of the intrepid party is eventually murdered ^note in both cases the "Quin-", before the survivors manage to kill the monster itself in a high-octane finish, surrounded by some form of water. Cue the Sun.
  Is the monster a shark or a vampire?
• In this gritty reboot of a classic media franchise, a major city is targeted by terrorist attacks from a smart, savvy but psychopathic villain, whose main motivation is neither money nor power and whose mouth is severely disfigured in some way. The hero is from a wealthy family and grew up in a Big Fancy House but was orphaned in his Dark and Troubled Past; he's a highly trained fighter with no superpowers but with access to cool gadgets and a Cool Car. In either case the villain kills a Love Interest, and incapacitates a crucial government agency (which includes an official played by a Harry Potter actor), forcing the hero to swoop in and save the day. Also, plenty of sexual tension ensues between the hero and villain, and digital technology plays a huge role in the conflict.
  The Dark Knight or Skyfall?
• In this novel, with a title ending in "-nner" and set in a time of religious and social upheaval, the narrator harbours a deep-seated grudge toward a man who turns out to be his half-brother. Said grudge eventually drives the narrator to attempt to utterly ruin his brother's life. Two fathers are featured in this story; one is fairly liberal for his era, not particularly religious or God-fearing, and considerably wealthy and influential in his society besides, whilst the other is substantially more conservative and a devout follower of his faith. The spectre of religious fundamentalism hangs over the entire book; the primary villain is a scarily convincing religious extremist who is not above murdering all those who do not fit his narrow definition of a true believer—and who is indirectly responsible for the narrator's brother's death. The narrator himself tries to ignore the potentially dire consequences of letting the villain get away with his actions, but towards the end of the novel, when these consequences can no longer be ignored, he begins asking himself: My God, What Have I Done?. ^note Oh, and he's either Sunni Muslim or Calvinist Christian.
  The Kite Runner or The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner?
• A police and crime drama set in a northwestern European town. Main character is a cop who is new to said town or at least is originally from out of town. Murders, the victims of which include dramatic performers of some kind, are committed by some guy in a black hood, cloak, and possibly a mask (and who, of course, might not always be the same guy). Someone gets gruesomely murdered by having a very heavy object dropped on their head from a great height where it's ill-secured. Someone else even gets impaled through his mouth—but nonlethally—after a high-octane chase.
  Season 3 of Babylon Berlin, or Hot Fuzz?
• In this European novel, an antisocial main character with an unnamed disorder and a strong affinity for computers and numbers finds themselves investigating multiple deaths, at least one of which is clearly attributable to murder. At the same time, someone in the novel is also writing a nonfiction book. One domestic animal is brutally murdered, and one human is suspected dead but turns out to be alive and living elsewhere. The abovementioned main character also endures abuse from government authorities, and is thus driven to lash out against them physically. Finally, The Reveal about at least one death takes place when the author of the nonfiction book is in a room Alone with the Psycho—whom said author is fairly closely acquainted with.
  The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time or The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo?
• Series opens with a preteen boy mysteriously vanishing in a small town in the middle of a Western federal country. Said town lies close on the border of the woods and is host to a sprawling, state-run energy facility that becomes a suspect in the disappearances. It turns out the boy, and certain other missing persons, may have somehow ended up in a dimension that is essentially the same as their hometown but with some very crucial differences … and is not normally reachable by current scientific or technological capabilities, as of the show's setting. Oh, and The '80s features as at least one setting, and when the lights start flickering, you know that's when the different dimensions or worlds start to intersect, in the form of inter-world traffic.
  Dark (2017) or Stranger Things?
• An Urban Fantasy / Paranormal Romance set in a central European region shown to be a part of present-day Austria, whose title character is a girl with supernatural powers who, hitherto to the series' beginning, was sealed up in a specialised coffin, until she manages to escape in the middle of a time period corresponding to World War II, and subsequently meets a lighter-haired muggle girl whom she quickly, effectively, falls in a duly reciprocated love with. The couple has saved each other's lives a number of times, including from professional Germanic killers, and one of the two belongs to the traditional nobility of the said central European region.
  Carmilla the Series or Izetta: The Last Witch?
• A Netflix original series centred around a gang of thieves and career criminals who commit largely nonviolent heists, with a female European investigator on their tail who often has to answer to a disagreeing male superior. Some thieves in the series are more dangerous, more morally suspect, and more willing to resort to violence than the others though. The series has a geographical theme, namedropping several world cities, and one of the main characters is a relatively young, pretty, and Hispanic female thief, with a pseudonym based on one of those cities, and an iconic, all-red outfit.
  Money Heist or Carmen Sandiego?
• Smack in the middle of the COVID-19 Pandemic, our Black woman protagonist is drawn into an investigation to expose a famous Tech Bro's unethical business practices—and even possible crimes, up to and including a likely murder implicating him—after his internet startup business goes massive and he grows into full-on Corrupt Corporate Executive territory:
  Kimi or Glass Onion?

MissJennifer

• In this hit musical, a young man has just graduated from college. He doesn't really know WHAT it is he wants to do in life—he just knows he wants it to be extraordinary. However, he finds the search for his true purpose much harder than he was led to believe it would be—and that he isn't quite as special as he was led to think. He persists in thinking his life has to be perfection or nothing, but when that doesn't pan out, he starts sinking into despair. Along the way, he gets into a relationship with someone he has a real connection with, but breaks it off with her because he's afraid being tied down will keep him from realizing the kind of destiny he dreams of. By the end of the show, though, he has gotten back together with her, realizing that there can be a measure of fulfillment here after all even if it's not perfect. The show ends with him realizing that perfection in life is impossible and that sometimes one must compromise or adjust one's dreams, but that there can still be plenty of joy in an ordinary life even if it's not spectacular.

Theater/Pippin or Avenue Q?

• This is a biopic of a renowned composer, whose music is used throughout the film. He meets a woman at a party and the two hit it off and fall for each other. However, the composer is gay/bisexual. The woman assures him she can live with his dalliances with men as long as he keeps them discreet, and the two marry. Throughout their long marriage, the husband does indeed have plenty of liaisons with men, and gets more and more reckless with them, which begins to drive a wedge between him and his wife, who had believed she could handle it. Finally it drives the two apart for a time, but they eventually reconcile, only for the wife to die of cancer, leaving the composer bereft of the love of his life. The last shot of the movie is the composer seeing/remembering her ghost.

De Lovely or Film/Maestro ?

• This movie made under the Disney name is the story of an African prince driven from his home and his throne by a scarred relative. After an encounter with the spirit of his deceased father, the prince is inspired to return to his homeland to reclaim his throne and save his land from the usurper, who has become a dictator, by defeating him in combat.

The Lion King (1994) or Black Panther?

mistercanoehead

• The discovery of a murder victim exactly on the border between their territories forces two cops to work together. Their personalities reflect their cultural stereotypes; one by-the-book, the other considerably more laid back. They speak different languages (which is reflected in the title), but can understand each other perfectly.

Bon Cop, Bad Cop or The Bridge (2011)?

molokai198

• The main characters of this story are a group of beings who live in a realm which protects the hope and feelings of the living world. The villain is an evil, shapeshifting spirit who wishes to eradicate this from people. Two ordinary humans, a boy and a girl, also join them, and along with some of the aforementioned guardians get ready to travel through a teleportation device as part of their plan to stop the spirit. But the device breaks, leaving two of the guardians trapped in a jungle world populated by creatures who are a different species from most characters in the story, at last one of whom resembles an anthropomorphized big cat, and they are stuck there for much of the story. The initial reaction of the character(s) who first see said cat creature is to assume he's a threat. The villain has a human ally who they mentor in using dark powers. In the climax of the story, all hope seems lost, but all of the guardians band together, including the ones who were trapped or otherwise incapacitated for most of the story, and they defeat the villain with the help of his/her human ally, who does a Heel–Face Turn. It ends in a Distant Finale with an aging former major character on regular Earth.
  Is it The Care Bears Movie or The Pendragon Adventure?
  
  * The protagonist of this story is a competent but prideful Tragic Hero, who is the child of highly ranked individuals in their society and descendant of a ruler. They are known for opposing a villain of the opposite gender who looked like a lion but wasn't and spoke very obliquely. Around the time that said villain left, someone in the society was murdered, and all of the characters are now trying to find the killer. There is also a dangerous plague at the same time. The main character eventually finds out that their parents aren't who they think they are, and tries to find them despite misgivings. It is eventually revealed that the protagonist was the murderer, as well as the true identity of their parent, who is someone they were very close to. Said [1] means that the protagonist and mother are in violation of a major taboo in their society, and their horror at this leads to the mother being suicidal and the protagonist running away from the society. The story also involves a male Blind Seer.
  Is it Oedipus the King or Warrior Cats: Power of Three?
• This book follows a Rotating POV of three protagonists, two male and one female. Some of the protagonists have powers and a theme of the story is power and how it can be used for good or evil. The first protagonist has the power to see the future and wants to be a hero in their own right and have accomplishments rather than just being a useless supporting character. The second protagonist has a rather overpowered ability and is terrified that he will be corrupted and do horrible things with it. He has a Childhood Friend who he is forbidden to be romantically involved with and a speckled gray-colored mentor who secretly resents him, and eventually snaps and tries to kill him and his family. The third protagonist is black-colored and ambitious to be a leader change the world for the better. Their parents were in a forbidden relationship and their father, while starting out somewhat of an idealistic romantic, has become bitter and cold towards his children. This protagonist ultimately becomes the villain and confronts and tries to kill one of his parents, despite the other two's attempts to talk him down. They end up underground and seemingly dead, though they are actually alive to reappear in the next installment. All of the characters are not humans but a kind of quadrupedal animal.

Is it Warrior Cats: Power of Three or Wings of Fire Legends: Darkstalker?

• A building is destroyed, leading to a World-Wrecking Wave. The protagonist tries to deal with the threat but is confronted by characters who oppose him due to dismissing the danger. He ends up having to work with someone who initially opposes him as well, due to working for the characters in power, but they eventually become Fire-Forged Friends. Throughout the story the two are aware that they will die as a result of dealing with this threat. Near the end, the two have a scene together where they confront this fate while admiring the beauty of the world around them, with the protagonist's former enemy wondering if his life has mattered and the protagonist assuring him that it did.

Is it Chernobyl or the fifth special episode ofPokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers?

• In this installment of a long-running series in the fourth generation of the franchise, a group of small, cute creatures associated with flowers are going on a migration. One of them gets lost and is nearly unable to make it in time. This character is rude and unfriendly and is constantly worried about not making it to the migration in time, in contrast with their cute appearance. They are helped by the main cast, one of whom struggles with befriending the character despite having experience with companions of different species. The characters go through a portal to another dimension at one point.

Is it Pokémon: Giratina and the Sky Warrior or the My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic'' episode "It Ain't Easy Being Breezies"?

• The story follows twin siblings. The lighter-haired one is the protagonist and has a 5-letter name starting with L. The darker-haired one has a 1-syllable name and has a reckless, bold personality. The two go through personal tragedy, losing someone in their family, and the darker-haired twin is separated from the family as well and is missing for much of the story. The lighter-haired twin finds out they have psychic powers, and gains a group of companions which include a human and a canine. The villain wants to use those psychic powers to reshape the world, so the hero tries to do the same with their own powers to stop the villain. The villain has a mysterious ally who is eventually revealed to be the missing twin Reforged into a Minion, who has the same psychic powers as the hero and so is necessary for the villain's plan. One of the twins dies in the end.

Is it Mother 3 or The Sight?

• This story is set in a forest surrounding a lake. Some of the main characters are young friends who feel outcast from their peers, for at least one of them due to not being as good as those peers at physical activities. They discover orphan babies of a species of furry animal and take care of them. These babies are part of a group of animals associated with the sky, who are being pursued by the Big Bad, whose name is the word "Dark" followed by a body part. Because of this villain, they had to flee their home. The villain comes to the forest by the lake and convinces one of the group of friends to join him. He takes over much of the forest, taking anyone who opposes him to the lake where he makes them mysteriously disappear. After a Time Skip, the baby animals are older and are now helping to fight against the villain. The adults of the sky-related group, however, are missing for much of the story, only showing up near the end. The member of the friend group who joined the villains ultimately turns against him, which leads to her being killed by the villain.

Is it Care Bears Movie II: A New Generation or the first half of Warrior Cats: A Vision of Shadows?

• In this darker take on a typically Wish-Fulfillment filled genre, all of the superpowers in the setting are the result of a group of advanced aliens who give people powers as part of a plan to reverse entropy. They favor teenagers to give these powers to due to their emotional volatility. Becoming a superpowered being allows a person to solve the desperate situation that they were initially in, though in the long term it has a Jackass Genie effect, leading to their self-destruction and never being able to really get what they wished for. Although the superhumans sometimes fight Eldritch Abominations (which, unbeknownst to all the characters, are created as a result of the existence of the superhumans themselves), the very nature of how powers are given also encourages them to fight each other, and leads to evil or self-centered people with powers being more common than heroic ones. One character is a teenaged girl with healing powers who tries to use her powers nobly and according to her personal moral code to the point of refusing help from those she sees as evil even when she desperately needs it, but this proves difficult because (as mentioned before) it's going against the nature of how powers work. She ends up in a self-destructive spiral driven by both her inflexible attempts at heroism and unrequited love. Another teenage girl is set up as this character's Foil, a much more selfish and ruthless character who wants to teach the first one that her method is the best way; she has a traumatic backstory where her whole family was killed. A third character is another teenage girl who has powers that give her more knowledge than other characters of what exactly is going on in the setting, which she got as a result of failing to save someone she loved from death. Though she seems cold and unapproachable, her ultimate motivation is to stop this tragedy from repeating with the protagonist dying (which is hard to due to to said protagonist's tendency to risk herself for others borne from her own insecurities) and she is very loyal to said protagonist. However, in the end she is unable to stop the main character from exploiting a loophole in the seemingly insurmountable cycle of exploitation by the aliens, allowing her to become a godlike creature and defeat the aliens' plans but losing her humanity and identity in the process.
• Worm or Puella Magi Madoka Magica?

Monty Python Fanatic 2

• In this November 2013 Disney film loosely based on Scandinavian legend, two siblings have been separated on the order of their father, the king. Following a death in the royal family, one sibling, an outgoing adventure-seeker, tries to reestablish contact with the other, a withdrawn loner with ice powers, in order to end a crisis that is threatening their kingdom. Neither of the siblings are happy with the state of their relationship, and the outgoing sibling in particular wishes it could be the way it was when they were children. At one point, the ice-powered sibling appears to attack and wound the other. Additionally, the elder sibling rejects the throne, but ultimately the ice-powered sibling has control of the kingdom by the end.
  Frozen, right? Or is it Thor: The Dark World?
• In this Summer 2012 film pegged as a risky venture by box office analysts, a young hero witnesses the death of a beloved family member and embarks on a quest for revenge against the responsible party, honing some newly acquired skills to achieve this goal. However, despite his best efforts, he doesn't find initial success, but is inspired to use his skills to help the greater good when he discovers a major threat to humanity. Eventually, he wins the respect and admiration of countless Americans, who help him foil the villain's plot to begin the end of the human race. However, this victory comes at the cost of a close personal friend.
  Is it The Amazing Spider-Man (risky due to being a reboot of an under-10-year-old series)? Or Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter?

Morenohijazo

• This work's protagonist is a young boy and, despite living in a world with both humans and anthropomorfic animals, happens to be the only human there with a tail, for at first unknown reasons. He doesn't know his true origins, having been adopted at an early age. He's always on the lookout to help those in need, something which ends up getting him allies that were initially his enemies (the first one serving as comic relief during most of the work, but the last one taking a lot to fully integrate into the group even after joining it), and gives him a Super Mode when he's enraged. The story begins when he meets a young woman who needs protection on a long trip and requests his help. Initially, the antagonist is an evil emperor who's looking for a group of Mac Guffins that provide great power, one of them being carried by the girl, but as the story progresses more villains appear. Eventually, the protagonist meets his evil older brother and his origins are revealed: he's an alien and his real purpose was to exterminate the planet's population, but due to a Spanner in the Works, he grew ignorant of it. The protagonist decides his friends are the most important thing to him, and he fights against his own race to protect the planet he grew in.
  Is it Final Fantasy IX, or Dragon Ball?

Morgan Wick

• In a time of myths and legends, The Hero and his band of misfits stumble into a plot by the Big Bad to obtain a great reward by opening one of a number of "gates" and freeing a great menace that will destroy humanity and even threaten the gods (as the Sealed Evil in a Can already once proved against the Greek gods) if unleashed, at the behest of the patron god of one of the main villains. The hero had previously hunted down and fought another one of the villains for more personal reasons, at the time unaware of his involvement in the wider plot; the Big Bad is one of those two. Now the hero and his team must go on a wild goose chase across the world to get to each gate and stop the Big Bad from freeing the world-threatening menace. However, not everything is how the Big Bad thinks it is...
  Is it the Age of Mythology single-player campaign? Or The Order of the Stick?

Mullon

• An Anti-Hero with a knack for gadgets, living on an incredibly polluted Crapsack World, is trying to reach a Utopia floating in the sky called Elysium. Initially trying to reach Elysium for selfish reasons, he eventually starts trying to get to Elysium for altruistic reasons, culminating in performing a Heroic Sacrifice so the person they care about can get to Elysium.
  Elysium or Deponia?

My Final Edits

• This Japanese series has a Story Arc of 26 or 28 episodes whose Big Bad Ensemble consists of seven opponents with exceptional powers who can only be defeated by employing out-of-the-box strategies during the battles. Because of this, the protagonists are initially outskilled, and thus have to enhance their traditional strengths. When the last of the villains falls, though, an evil ruler whose power is even higher and more malicious reveals himself, thus making the main characters know that the definitive battle is still ahead.
  Saint Seiya (Asgard Arc), or YuYu Hakusho (Chapter Black Saga)?
• In this video game, the protagonist enters a surreal world by falling through a seemingly endless hole. Inside, he ventures through a very troubled land where, in one way or another, masks serve as a thematic motif; and more is learned about it as the adventure progresses. Though the story puts emphasis on the protagonist, the player has the option to play as up to four characters, each with their own special ability or gimmick, and each visited region of the land may be suited best for one of them. One of the bosses (the third-to-last one, specifically) is a sturdy aquatic creature which has to be hit five times to be defeated, while another boss is a large serpentine monster whose location is a temple in a wasteland, reached by performing a tall, arduous climb. The Final Boss is fought in a place located very high in the sky, and evil masks are placed in the background of the battlefield, serving as a symbolic audience. The game's setting, defined by a quirky atmosphere and tone, appears to be All Just a Dream (but it's actually real). While the game is an Oddball in the Series, since its release it has become a very influential installment by bringing new elements to its parent franchise, even having a Creator-Driven Successor many years later. As a final side note, in its year of release, the game reached the North American stores in October.
  Super Mario Bros. 2, or The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask?
• This is the third 3D installment in a long-running video game series, but it's chronologically distanced from its two predecessors. As such, it is starred by a protagonist who nonetheless carries the same name as that of the other games, and who accepts a mission for a more personal motivation besides "I want to save the world". At first, it seems like the character's key objective will be completed at the start after having executed a seemingly-flawless plan that included infiltrating through the Big Bad's territory, except said Big Bad catches wind of the plan and ends up torpedoing the protagonist's goal, leaving him in a very delicate situation a normal person wouldn't normally survive. During the course of the game, he rethinks his plan and retries the mission the harder, yet more effective way; and as he does so he'll receive support from allies but also opposition from strong enemies. The protagonist learns to move on from the past and look ahead in the future, and after lots of struggling gets to confront the Final Boss in a serene, yet melancholic battlefield that is later obliterated. The ending is heartbreaking, but necessary in order to assure a better future for the living world.
  The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, or Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater?

MysteriousZorua1994

• Siblings reunite after a long seperation, as something bad begins to unravel that's tied to the protagonists. As the plot advances, the supposed Love Interest of one of the protagonists reveals themselves to be Evil All Along, had been using the targeted protagonist for their own selfish goals, plans on murdering their sibling, and are immoral, power-hungry Gold Diggers to boot. This breaks the protagonist's heart, but they're brought out of their funk by a third person who shows how much they care for them. They save their sibling from the villain in question in the nick of time, reafferm their bond with said sibling, and give the villain a knockout punch.
  Frozen, or Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time?