Misused: Not So Different

Not So Different is meant to be about two enemies realizing they have things in common, or at least needs one of the enemies to claim they have things in common. It's use on the wiki, however...

In the Not So Wick Check, I looked at 121 wicks. The full wick check is in the sandbox if you'd like context, but the "quick results" are as followed:

• Correct (14/121, or 12%)
• Non-Enemies (13/121, or 11%)
• Realization made by an outsider (12/121, or 10%)
• No Realization (33/121, or 27%)
• Entire groups (22/121, or 18%)
• ZCE (23/121, or 19%)
• Misc (12/121, or 10%)

This means the most common form of use on the wiki involves there being no realization what-so-ever. It's either the audience's interpretation of the characters or the work juxtaposing them but never having them realize their differences. The second most common form of use (ignoring the ZCE pile, which could fit into anything) is when two entire groups are similar, many of them also fitting into the "no realization" category as well. The other usages aren't exactly uncommon, but aren't as common.

I suspect the issue might be with the title. Not So Different is, well... Not So Clear. This is another trope I believe has a title vague enough to be a source of serious decay. I don't know what I'd replace it with, however- Enemy Similarity Realization? Clunky, but it might work.

Edited by WarJay77 on Feb 17th 2021 at 1:06:20 PM

Opening.

Rename to "We Are Not So Different"?

I wouldn't object to expanding the definition to apply to entire groups in addition to individuals.

I don't mind expanding to groups, but I'd prefer we clean up misuse (the work juxtaposing them but never having them realize their differences) by moving them to Foil. I'm not certain that audience comparisons are a trope, so much as it is a Writing Prompt for an English essay.

No New Stock Phrases

I'm good with expanding. As for renames, I can go either way.

This TRS had to happen. I've seen this one misused too often. My preference for a rename would be ''Not So Different'' Realizsation.

Edited by eroock on Mar 20th 2021 at 9:01:51 AM

So, both and War Jay's suggested title seem to imply that there is commonality that is acknowledged. What does that imply for the situation when a villain trys to claim this and gets no-sold? Is that an attempted Invoke?

^ This or some playing with Not So Similar.

I don't have any ideas for what to do at the monent, but I'm against changing the name to We Are Not So Different or another dialogue-based name.

Edited by GastonRabbit on Mar 20th 2021 at 11:51:47 AM

Oh, hey, this opened. Neato.

I still do believe the name is the biggest issue here. I also agree that the misuse belongs better on foil. I don't have a strong opinion one way or another about the "entire groups" thing. It was just a surprisingly common usage and I had to make a category for it.

Is this exclusively for enemies? I never realized this, maybe because the second paragraph of the description says, "The punch line to about 50% of plots in an Odd Couple or Odd Friendship series."

Yeah, that's a very weird line. It might be trying to say the characters are enemies until they realize they're "not so different", or maybe it's just because they're expected to fight and butt-heads, but either way, the entire rest of it is about enemies, so I'm not sure what that line is doing there.

At the very least the characters should be at odds and eventually discover how similar they are (or one should try and claim there's a similarity).

Edited by WarJay77 on Mar 20th 2021 at 2:27:04 PM

I'm okay with expanding the definition beyond enemies. I think I'd also be okay with third parties making the comparisons, or comparisons about entire groups.

It just needs to be made clearer that the trope here is about someone making the comparison, not the mere fact of similarity.

Edited by wingedcatgirl on Mar 20th 2021 at 1:44:32 PM

I could get behind that. I still think the title needs to change, though.

I support this, too. But this way, it will be even more difficult to come up with a new title. X)

Edit: Can it be something like Stating Their Similarities, perhaps? Or Resemblance Realization or Remarking on Their Resemblance?

Edited by Tenebrika on Mar 20th 2021 at 3:26:59 PM

I'm fine with that. Would a rename even be necessary if we expanded the definition?

Edited by GastonRabbit on Mar 20th 2021 at 4:10:15 AM

^ I think so because the main portion of misuse (around 40% of the sample base) comes from users who obviously never read the description and thought that characters being similar is enough to qualify for the trope.

Edited by eroock on Mar 20th 2021 at 6:12:32 AM

Yeah, exactly.

In that case, I'm still fine with renaming.

I'm not as confident in the need for a rename, but will suggest Not So Different Speech, since a "realization" can happen in the audience's mind as well.

I agree that that "speech" sounds better than "realization".

Edited by GastonRabbit on Mar 20th 2021 at 8:32:21 AM

Sounds good to me too.

Not So Different Speech gets it across a lot clearer.

How about No So Different Epiphany?