History CaptainObviousReveal / AnimeAndManga

* ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'':
** The mysterious masked man Tobi being Obito Uchiha. Despite his statements that he was Madara, many people suspect that this was a lie, especially once it is shown that he is in fact ''not'' the man himself during the Fourth Shinobi World WarArc and that "Tobi" is mostly an anagram of "Obito" in both English and Japanese. In the former, the name is just missing a letter, while in the latter it's just the two characters switched.
** Then, of course, there's the fact that Naruto is the 4th Hokage's son...something most of the audience had already figured out since they look similar and the guy's face is carved into the side of a freaking mountain. Just one look at his picture and most of the audience had already figured who Naruto's father was. If you took out the whisker marks on Naruto's cheeks and grew his hair out a little, they could be ''twins''. It really makes you wonder how ignorant the people of Konoha were to not see such an obvious resemblance. Interestingly enough, TheReveal is casually dropped during a conversation between Jiraiya and Tsunade.
** There's also the reveal that the [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Six Paths of Pain]] are just dead bodies being controlled by Nagato. This wasn't revealed until quite a while after Pain (and later Nagato's) introduction into the story, but it was predicted by MANY people in the fandom.
** The reveal that [[GenerationXerox Boruto's]] teammate is Orochimaru's son hardly came as a surprise given that he both resembles Orochimaru and gave many readers the same creepy vibes.
** TheReveal that Sasuke and Naruto were the reincarnations of the Sage of the Six Paths' elder and younger sons respectively. While many were still shocked, just as many were left unsurprised, and those that were shocked admitted it was obvious in hindsight, especially after it was revealed that their respective previous incarnations were Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju, the First Hokage.
* There's a minor reveal in ''Anime/MartianSuccessorNadesico'' that the Jovian Chulips are a kind of warp gate that allow Jovian robots to teleport in directly from Jupiter. Of course, since the audience has already seen the Chulips clearly opening some kind of portal, the biggest surprise is finding out that you weren't supposed to know that already.

* ''Manga/FairyTail'': The siblings of Hoteye/Richard Buchanan and Yukino Agria (Wally and Angel/Sorano, respectively) weren't surprising to the majority of the fanbase who put two and two together. The former pair of brothers have similar appearances with polygonal bodies, while the latter pair of sisters have white hair and are Celestial Spirit Mages. Oddly enough, Lucy, who's fairly intelligent, heard Yukino's story about her sister and knows both Yukino and Sorano, doesn't seem to make the connection.
** Similarly, it didn't take much for the fanbase to realize that Silver Fullbuster and Irene Belserion were the parents of Grey and Erza respectively, or at least related to them in some way. However, other dramatic reveals are mixed in with the confirmation in order to keep the reveal interesting.

* ''Anime/PrettyCure'':
** In ''Anime/YesPrettyCure5GoGo'', Kurumi Mimino aka '''Milky''' Rose being '''Milk''' is so obvious, yet only one character figured this out ''for a while'' before the reveal. The other characters actually realized some similarities, but they still didn't figure it out for four episodes.
** ''Anime/HugttoPrettyCure'': Even if you haven't seen [[SpoiledByTheMerchandise the leaks caused by the Pre-Heart toy]], it was pretty obvious that Ruru would eventually defect from the Dark Tomorrow Company the moment she decided to spy on Hana's family. If that wasn't blatant enough, then the focus on her and Emiru's growing friendship in episode 15 certainly solidify this fact.

* ''Manga/SailorMoon'': Tuxedo Mask's secret identity and the reveal of Usagi's past life were not very surprising, as their alter egos were shown countless times in the series...and, in Usagi's case, the opening of the first series and the ending of the second.
* ''Anime/DragonBallZ'': In ''Anime/DragonBallZLordSlug'', it's treated as a pretty major twist that the titular antagonist turns out to be a Namekian--so much so that the shock of it literally knocks Goku out of his new [[EarlyDraftTieIn (not)]] Super Saiyan transformation. But he's a powerful green-skinned alien with fangs, he identifies himself as the leader of a demon clan, just like the only other evil Namekian we've met, his wish for eternal youth [[RecycledScript immediately calls that same evil Namekian to mind]], his name of Slug is the same as the AnimalThemeNaming that all Namekians share, and he's familiar with and acts nostalgic towards the Dragon Balls, which are a Namekian creation. Not to mention, the film's release date happened right near the end of the Namek Saga's manga version in Japan, so the race would have been pretty firmly embedded in the minds of any viewers. At that point, it would probably be more surprising if he wasn't a Namekian.
* ''Manga/ElfenLied'': Lucy killed Kouta's father and sister. Kouta's shocked expression when he saw her for the first time in the series and the mention of his dead family put two and two together for the audience.
* The reveal in ''Manga/TwentiethCenturyBoys'' that "Yabuki Joe" is actually Kenji is so completely, ridiculously, ludicrously obvious that is most definitely an invoked example. It's so obvious in fact, that the English volumes accidentally spoil it in the translation notes four volumes before it's confirmed.

* ''Music/EvilliousChronicles'': The reveal in ''Literature/GiftFromThePrincessWhoBroughtSleep'' that Hanne Lorre and her sister Hedimarie are actually Elluka and Gumillia under false identities was so obvious that most of the fans took it as a given when the site went up when the reveal itself in the novel doesn't occur until past the halfway point.
* ''Literature/LibraryWar'': You'll already know that Kasahara's "Prince" is Dojou long before it's ''finally'' confirmed since the voice and hairstyle are a perfect match to the silhouetted figure in her flashback. Not to mention, all the times she wonders why [[ShipTease "her heart flutters"]] the few times he compliments her. Plus, he's ''right there'' on the box cover art and is the male lead.
* ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamIronBloodedOrphans'': It's so blatantly obvious that Vidar is Gaelio Baudin in disguise that it could be argued it's not even ''supposed'' to be a secret (at least out-of-universe). They're both played by Creator/MasayaMatsukaze, Vidar knows things that only Gaelio could possibly know (like the circumstances of Carta Issue's death), and he has a deep-seated hatred of [=McGillis=] Fareed, the man who betrayed Gaelio's trust and "[[NeverFoundTheBody killed]]" him. Needless to say, when the mask came off, absolutely nobody was surprised[[note]]Some fans thought they might pull a fake-out and have Vidar be Ein Dalton, but they were still right in a way -- Gaelio uses Ein's brain as part of an advanced [[BrainComputerInterface Ālaya-Vijñāna System]][[/note]].
* ''Manga/MonsterMusume'': Eventually it's revealed that [[OurMermaidsAreDifferent Mero]] is actually a princess. This came to the surprise of absolutely nobody since the foreshadowing is so blatant that it's almost impossible to miss. Most notably, almost immediately after being introduced, Centorea goes off on a tangent about Mero's "royal aura". Even in-universe, the amount of surprise is minimal.

* ''Anime/GundamBuildDivers'': Sarah is actually an AI. Viewers figured out this reveal as early as the first episode yet it takes over 20 episodes to realize something is very off and just thought she had her reasons.
* In the ''Manga/MagiTheLabyrinthOfMagic'' {{Prequel}} ''Adventure of Sinbad,'' it's not entirely clear if it's supposed to be a twist that the [[ChildrenForcedToKill child assassin]] is [[TheGoodChancellor Ja'far]]. On the one hand, his name goes unmentioned and [[BandagedFace part of his face is hidden]] until the end of his redemption arc. On the other hand, [[YouthfulFreckles freckly]] albinos are not exactly common.
* In ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia'', fans had long since guessed Dabi's identity as Endeavor's thought-dead son Toya by the time it was revealed in story. It wasn't too obvious at first, with the only connections being they share a fire quirk and the same eye color. But when it was revealed Endeavor's first son was lost in an accident, and had a fire quirk stronger than his, there was literally nobody else it could be except Dabi.

* ''Manga/RentAGirlfriend'': Ruka being a rental girlfriend is a somewhat well-known aspect of her character, so it's easy to forget that in her introductory arc, in which Kuri takes her on a double date with Kazuya and Chizuru, it was supposed to be a plot twist. The key words being "supposed to," since some easily guessed this based on how it seemed overly convenient that Kuri got a girlfriend and how Ruka easily guessed that Chizuru was a rental girlfriend.
* Racer X's secret identity being Speed's LongLostSibling from ''Manga/SpeedRacer'' is an infamous example. Speed's brother was first mentioned in the same chapter Racer X was introduced, and he kept dropping hints that he was related to Speed's family. A frequent source of parody.
* ''Manga/KindaichiDetectiveFiles'': The culprit of ''The Broken Heart Lake Murder Case'' being Eiji Touno, who had seemingly been killed earlier in the case, is infamous with fans for being without question the easiest mystery in the series. Not only is "Eiji's" face completely destroyed after the murder, a common trope in mystery fiction used to hide the identity of the victim, but his death breaks the series' well-established trait of always showing the victims right before they're attacked and killed, blatantly indicating there's something fundamental about the circumstances of his death which the story is hiding from the reader.
* In ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamTheWitchFromMercury'', the so-called "aERIal" theory--that Suletta Mercury, the main character, was not the girl from the prologue, Ericht Samaya, and Ericht [[PoweredByAForsakenChild somehow lived on inside the Gundam Aerial]]--was so heavily foreshadowed in the series that it bordered on an InternalReveal when Prospera finally put the pieces together. Aerial's name is just a lengthened version of Ericht's nickname (hence the theory's name), Aerial is shown to have both an incredibly sophisticated AI and [[OneHeroHoldTheWeaksauce some kind of X-factor that makes it better than other Gundams]], Suletta does not show [[VolcanicVeins the glowing lines of Gundam use]] in battle when Eri did, and the apparent date for the prologue was revealed to be twenty-one years ago when Suletta is seventeen. These alone would have presented some pretty significant red flags, but the series also tossed in a ton of visual foreshadowing and dialogue hints (Suletta regularly talks to the Aerial as if it's a person and even refers to it as a sister, her mother Prospera outright calls it her daughter and at one point calls Suletta "[[TheUnfavourite that girl]]", Suletta claims to have no memory of her father when Eri did know her father, the series put out [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7p1RIksKp8 a music video where Suletta and Eri are clearly separate]]), and by the reveal, the main counterarguments were just that the theory was either too out-there or too obvious.

* In the ''Manga/{{Magi}}'' {{Prequel}} ''Adventure of Sinbad,'' it's not entirely clear if it's supposed to be a twist that the [[ChildrenForcedToKill child assassin]] is [[TheGoodChancellor Ja'far]]. On the one hand, his name goes unmentioned and [[BandagedFace part of his face is hidden]] until the end of his redemption arc. On the other hand, [[YouthfulFreckles freckly]] albinos are not exactly common.

* In ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamTheWitchFromMercury'', the so-called "aERIal" theory--that Suletta Mercury, the main character, was not the girl from the prologue, Ericht Samaya, and Ericht [[PoweredByAForsakenChild somehow lived on inside the Gundam Aerial]]--was so heavily foreshadowed in the series that it bordered on an InternalReveal when Prospera finally put the pieces together. Aerial's name is just a lengthened version of Ericht's nickname (hence the theory's name), Aerial is shown to have both an incredibly sophisticated AI and [[OneHeroHoldTheWeaksauce some kind of X-factor that makes it better than other Gundams]], Suletta does not show [[VolcanicVeins the glowing lines of Gundam use]] in battle when Eri did, and the apparent date for the prologue was twenty-one years ago when Suletta is seventeen. These alone would have presented some pretty significant red flags, but the series also tossed in a ton of visual foreshadowing and dialogue hints (Suletta regularly talks to the Aerial as if it's a person and even refers to it as a big sister, her mother Prospera outright calls it her daughter and at one point calls Suletta "[[TheUnfavourite that girl]]", the series put out [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7p1RIksKp8 a music video where Suletta and Eri are clearly separate]]), and by the reveal, the main counterarguments were just that the theory was either too out-there or too obvious.

* In ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamTheWitchFromMercury'', the so-called "aERIal" theory--that Suletta Mercury, the main character, was not the girl from the prologue, Ericht Samaya, and Ericht [[PoweredByAForsakenChild somehow lived on inside the Gundam Aerial]]--was so heavily foreshadowed in the series that it bordered on an InternalReveal when Prospera finally put the pieces together. Aerial's name is just a lengthened version of Ericht's nickname (hence the theory's name), Aerial is shown to have both an incredibly sophisticated AI and [[OneHeroHoldTheWeaksauce some kind of X-factor that makes it better than other Gundams]], Suletta does not show [[VolcanicVeins the glowing lines of Gundam use]] in battle when Eri did, and the apparent date for the prologue was twenty-one years ago when Suletta is seventeen. These alone would have presented some pretty significant red flags, but the series also tossed in a ton of visual foreshadowing and dialogue hints (Suletta regularly talks to the Aerial as if it's a person and even refers to it as a big sister, her mother Prospera outright calls it her daughter and at one point calls Suletta "[[TheUnFavorite that girl]]", the series put out [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7p1RIksKp8 a music video where Suletta and Eri are clearly separate]]), and by the reveal, the main counterarguments were just that the theory was either too out-there or too obvious.

* In ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamTheWitchFromMercury'', the so-called "aERIal" theory--that Suletta Mercury, the main character, was not the girl from the prologue, Ericht Samaya, and Ericht [[PoweredByAForsakenChild somehow lived on inside the Gundam Aerial]]--was so heavily foreshadowed in the series that it bordered on an InternalReveal when Prospera finally put the pieces together. Aerial's name is just a lengthened version of Ericht's nickname (hence the theory's name), Aerial is shown to have both an incredibly sophisticated AI and [[OneHeroHoldTheWeaksauce some kind of X-factor that makes it better than other Gundams]], Suletta does not show [[VolcanicVeins the glowing lines of Gundam use]] in battle when Eri did, and the apparent date for the prologue was twenty-one years ago when Suletta is seventeen. These alone would have presented some pretty significant red flags, but the series also tossed in a ton of visual foreshadowing and dialogue hints (Suletta regularly talks to the Aerial as if it's a person and even refers to it as a big sister, her mother Prospera outright calls it her daughter and at one point calls Suletta "[[TheUnfavorite that girl]]", the series put out [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7p1RIksKp8 a music video where Suletta and Eri are clearly separate]]), and by the reveal, the main counterarguments were just that the theory was either too out-there or too obvious.

* In ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamTheWitchFromMercury'', the so-called "aERIal" theory--that Suletta Mercury, the main character, was not the girl from the prologue, Ericht Samaya, and Ericht [[PoweredByAForsakenChild somehow lived on inside the Gundam Aerial]]--was so heavily foreshadowed in the series that it bordered on an InternalReveal. Aerial's name is just a lengthened version of Ericht's nickname (hence the theory's name), Aerial is shown to have both an incredibly sophisticated AI and [[OneHeroHoldTheWeaksauce some kind of X-factor that makes it better than other Gundams]], Suletta does not show [[VolcanicVeins the glowing lines of Gundam use]] in battle when Eri did, Suletta regularly talks to the Aerial as if it's a person and even refers to it as a big sister, her mother Prospera outright calls it her daughter, and the apparent date for the prologue was twenty-one years ago when Suletta is seventeen. These alone would have presented some pretty significant red flags, but the series also tossed in a ton of visual foreshadowing and dialogue hints (for instance, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7p1RIksKp8 a music video where Suletta and Eri are clearly separate]]), and by the reveal, the main counterarguments were just that the theory was either too out-there or too obvious.

* ''LightNovel/LibraryWar'': You'll already know that Kasahara's "Prince" is Dojou long before it's ''finally'' confirmed since the voice and hairstyle are a perfect match to the silhouetted figure in her flashback. Not to mention, all the times she wonders why [[ShipTease "her heart flutters"]] the few times he compliments her. Plus, he's ''right there'' on the box cover art and is the male lead.

* In ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamTheWitchFromMercury'', the so-called "aERIal" theory--that Suletta Mercury, the main character, was not the girl from the prologue, Ericht Samaya, and Ericht [[PoweredByAForsakenChild somehow lived on inside the Gundam Aerial]]--was so heavily foreshadowed in the series that it bordered on an InternalReveal. Aerial's name is just a lengthened version of Ericht's nickname (hence the theory's name), Aerial is shown to have both an incredibly sophisticated AI and [[OneHeroHoldTheWeaksauce some kind of X-factor that makes it better than other Gundams]], Suletta does not show [[VolcanicVeins the glowing lines of Gundam use]] in battle when Eri did, Suletta regularly talks to the Aerial as if it's a person and even refers to it as a big sister, her mother Prospera outright calls it her daughter, and the apparent date for the prologue was twenty-one years ago when Suletta is seventeen. These alone would have presented some pretty significant red flags, but the series also tossed in a ton of visual foreshadowing and dialogue hints (for instance, a music video where Suletta and Eri are clearly separate), and by the reveal, the main counterarguments were just that the theory was either too out-there or too obvious.

* In ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamTheWitchFromMercury'', the so-called "aERIal" theory--that Suletta Mercury, the main character, was not the girl from the prologue, Ericht Samaya, and Ericht [[PoweredByAForsakenChild somehow lived on inside the Gundam Aerial]]--was so heavily foreshadowed in the series that it bordered on an InternalReveal. Aerial's name is just a lengthened version of Ericht's nickname (hence the theory's name), Aerial is shown to have both an incredibly sophisticated AI and [[OneHeroHoldTheWeaksauce some kind of X-factor that makes it better than other Gundams]], Suletta does not show the glowing lines of Gundam use in battle when Eri did, Suletta regularly talks to the Aerial as if it's a person and even refers to it as a big sister, and the apparent date for the prologue was twenty-one years ago when Suletta is seventeen. These alone would have presented some pretty significant red flags, but the series also tossed in a ton of visual foreshadowing and dialogue hints (for instance, a music video where Suletta and Eri are clearly separate), and by the reveal, the main counterarguments were just that the theory was either too out-there or too obvious.

* In ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamTheWitchFromMercury'', the so-called "aERIal" theory--that Suletta Mercury, the main character, was not the girl from the prologue, Ericht Samaya, and Ericht somehow lived on inside the Gundam Aerial--was so heavily foreshadowed in the series that it bordered on an InternalReveal. Aerial's name is just a lengthened version of Ericht's nickname (hence the theory's name), Aerial is shown to have both an incredibly sophisticated AI and some kind of X-factor that makes it better than other Gundams, Suletta does not show the glowing lines of Gundam use in battle when Eri did, Suletta regularly alludes to the Aerial as if it's a person and even refers to it as a big sister, and the apparent date for the prologue was twenty-one years ago when Suletta is seventeen. These alone would have presented some pretty significant red flags, but the series also tossed in a ton of visual foreshadowing and dialogue hints (for instance, a music video where Suletta and Eri are clearly separate), and by the reveal, the main counterarguments were just that the theory was either too out-there or too obvious.

* In ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamTheWitchFromMercury'', the so-called "aERIal" theory--that Suletta Mercury, the main character, was not the girl from the prologue, Ericht Samaya, and Ericht somehow lived on inside the Gundam Aerial--was so heavily foreshadowed in the series that it bordered on an InternalReveal. Aerial's name is just a lengthened version of Ericht's nickname (hence the theory's name), Aerial is shown to have both an incredibly sophisticated AI and some kind of X-factor that makes it better than other Gundams, Suletta regularly alludes to the Aerial as if it's a person and even refers to it as a big sister, and the apparent date for the prologue was twenty-one years ago when Suletta is seventeen. These alone would have presented some pretty significant red flags, but the series also tossed in a ton of visual foreshadowing and dialogue hints (for instance, a music video where Suletta and Eri are clearly separate), and by the reveal, the main counterarguments were just that the theory was either too out-there or too obvious.

** Female Titan's identity being Annie Leonhart was predicted by the majority of the audience due to MorphicResonance.

* ''Music/EvilliousChronicles'': The reveal in ''LightNovel/GiftFromThePrincessWhoBroughtSleep'' that Hanne Lorre and her sister Hedimarie are actually Elluka and Gumillia under false identities was so obvious that most of the fans took it as a given when the site went up when the reveal itself in the novel doesn't occur until past the halfway point.

** To anyone who recognized the name Ymir from Norse mythology, it was no surprise either that she was a Titan or -- when she turned out not to be a particularly important one -- that she was named after one who was _very_ important.

* ''Anime/DragonBallZ'':
** Trunks is Bulma's son. While it was somewhat easier to be surprised by this in the anime (in the manga, [[AdaptationDyeJob Bulma had purple hair]] instead of blue), his haircut resembles his grandfather's and he wore the Capsule Corp logo on his jacket. Not to mention the fact that [[OnlyOnePlausibleSuspect Bulma and Chi-Chi were basically the only female characters still making semi-regular appearances by Trunks's introduction]], and Chi-Chi has an already-existing husband and black hair.
** In ''Anime/DragonBallZLordSlug'', it's treated as a pretty major twist that the titular antagonist turns out to be a Namekian--so much so that the shock of it literally knocks Goku out of his new [[EarlyDraftTieIn (not)]] Super Saiyan transformation. But he's a powerful green-skinned alien with fangs, he identifies himself as the leader of a demon clan, just like the only other evil Namekian we've met, his wish for eternal youth [[RecycledScript immediately calls that same evil Namekian to mind]], his name of Slug is the same as the AnimalThemeNaming that all Namekians share, and he's familiar with and acts nostalgic towards the Dragon Balls, which are a Namekian creation. Not to mention, the film's release date happened right near the end of the Namek Saga's manga version in Japan, so the race would have been pretty firmly embedded in the minds of any viewers. At that point, it would probably be more surprising if he wasn't a Namekian.

* The identity of the serial killer in ''Manga/{{Erased}}'' was guessed by majority and is considered one of the weakest aspects of the story.

%%* ''Anime/GoPrincessPrettyCure'', Wow! '''Close''' was '''Kuroso'''??? Who would have known?

* In ''Manga/OnePiece'', Sabo being alive and a member of the Revolutionary Army. It is strongly implied with how he may have appeared to be shot, but his dead body was never shown, and later on, Dragon finds someone injured who he wants to be taken to the med bay on the Revolutionaries' ship. In the latter part of the flashback, Sabo grows to hate the nobles and by extension the government, so it makes sense that he would become a Revolutionary. Furthermore, the flashback was mostly about Luffy and Ace growing up together -- if Sabo had just been killed off to never play any role in the story again, his character's existence would almost have been {{Filler}}. In addition, one of the chapter covers showed an adult Sabo alongside Luffy and Ace, indicating that his role in the story wasn't finished yet. Despite Oda's initially stating that Sabo is dead, the Dressrosa arc reveals that this is a case of LyingCreator as Sabo is shown to be alive as a Revolutionary.

** Then, of course, there's the fact that Naruto is the 4th Hokage's son...something most of the audience had already figured out since they look similar and the guy's face is carved into the side of a freaking mountain. Just one look at his picture and most of the audience had already figured who Naruto's father was. If you took out the whisker marks on Naruto's cheeks and grew his hair out a little, they could be ''twins''. It really makes you wonder how ignorant the people of Konoha were to not see such an obvious resemblance. Interestingly enough, TheReveal is casually dropped during a conversation between Jiriaya and Tsunade.

** The mysterious masked man Tobi being Obito Uchiha. Despite his statements that he was Madara, many people suspect that this was a lie, especially once it is shown that he is in fact ''not'' the man himself during the Fourth Shinobi World WarArc and that "Tobi" is mostly an anagram of "Obito" in both English and Japanese but just with a missing letter/character.