History Main / ExtraordinaryWorldOrdinaryProblems

->'''Prime Minister''': But you're wizards! You can do magic, surely you can sort out ''anything!''\\
'''Minister of Magic''': The trouble is, the other side can do magic too, Prime Minister.

* ''LightNovel/KakuriyoBedAndBreakfastForSpirits'' main premise is that Aoi Tsubaki gets abducted by an ogre and taken to the spirit realm where she ends up having to find a job to pay off the debt her grandfather saddled her with. This later morphs into trying to open and run a restaurant in the spirit realm which comes with all the usual problems like finding food suppliers, advertising, managing a budget, et cetera...

* ''Franchise/{{Tron}}'': {{Cyberspace}} is a beautiful, fantastic setting. In [[Film/{{Tron}} the first film]], it's under a totalitarian government persecuting religious believers, trying to invoke OutgrownSuchSillySuperstitions so they viewed the state (and the [[AIIsACrapshoot cruel AI in charge]]) as a quasi-god. The ''Betrayal'' comic and ''VideoGame/TronEvolution'' are all over FantasticRacism between Programs and Isos, with Clu cheerfully fanning the flames to get more power. ''Film/TronLegacy'' has, again, a totalitarian government with Clu believing himself to be a liberator and benevolent dictator when the truth is that he was anything but. ''WesternAnimation/TRONUprising'' has criminal gangs, rogue scientists, occupation forces who really believe that Clu's the best option, and the protagonist has to report to his "day job" in what amounts to an auto repair shop. Even ''VideoGame/TronTwoPointOh'' shows that spam, shady back market products, and criminal malware gangs are a headache on that side of the screen. {{Justified|Trope}} in that the digital world was built by humans and populated by digital avatars that reflect the best and worst of the humans who built them.

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* ''Website/TurkeyCityLexicon'' has the term "Squid on the Mantlepiece" for this trope when it's done badly--that is, when there's a significant mismatch between the mundane drama and the fantastic setting's overblown stakes.

** This contrast is why the trope is often [[PlayedForLaughs employed for comedic purposes]].

-> '''Prime Minister''': But you're wizards! You can do magic, surely you can sort out ''anything!''
-> '''Minister of Magic''': The trouble is, the other side can do magic too, Prime Minister.
-->--''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheHalfBloodPrince''

{{Fantasy}} stories set in [[MagicalLand magical lands]], FairyTale kingdoms, worlds of HighFantasy, HeroicFantasy, or [[SugarBowl Sugar Bowls]] and [[ScienceFiction science fiction]] stories set in a CrystalSpiresAndTogas {{Utopia}} or [[Mohs/ScienceInGenreOnly somewhere on the squishier end]] of the MohsScaleOfScienceFictionHardness seemingly take place in universes far removed from the concerns of reality. Yet despite how fantastic these worlds seem upon the first impression, it can turn out that their denizens still spend much of their time dealing with the same ordinary matters (e.g., money, employment, taxes, bureaucracy, politics, lawsuits, potholes in the street, etc.) that people do in RealLife. This is how the Extraordinary World, Ordinary Problems trope works. It can be invoked by anything from a quick joke, a [[{{Parody}} parody]] of fantasy and science fiction tropes, or a complete [[{{Deconstruction}} deconstruction]] of either genre. One way to get the point across is to feature an outsider who's initially in awe of the new setting but soon learns things really aren't much different from the mundane world he or she came from.

* ''LightNovel/KakuriyoBedAndBreakfastForSpirits'' main premise is that Aoi Tsubaki gets abducted by an ogre and taken to the spirit realm where she ends up having to find a job to pay off the debt her grandfather saddled her with. This later morphs into trying to open and run a restaurant in the spirit realm which comes with all the usual problems like finding food suppliers, advertising, managing a budget, etc...

* ''ComicBook/TopTen'' takes place in a city filled to the brim with people with superpowers, but most of the crimes that Precinct Ten has to deal with are mundane crimes like prostitution, domestic abuse, and public intoxication.

* The Franchise/StarWars universe is one of the [[Mohs/ScienceInGenreOnly softer Science Fiction settings]]. However, in Film/ThePhantomMenace, the invasion of Naboo is sparked by some rather dry and prosaic disputes over interplanetary tariffs and trade. There is also a surprising amount of attention focused on how the corrupt and ineffectual bureaucracy of the Republic helped to enable the crisis.
* Franchise/{{Tron}}: {{Cyberspace}} is a beautiful, fantastic setting. The first film, it's under a totalitarian government persecuting religious believers, trying to invoke OutgrownSuchSillySuperstitions so they viewed the state (and the [[AIISACrapshoot cruel AI in charge]]) as a quasi-god. The ''Betrayal'' comic and ''VideoGame/TronEvolution'' are all over FantasticRacism between Programs and Isos, with Clu cheerfully fanning the flames to get more power. TRON: Legacy has, again, a totalitarian government with Clu believing himself to be a liberator and benevolent dictator when the truth is that he was anything but. WesternAnimation/TRONUprising has criminal gangs, rogue scientists, Occupation forces who really believe that Clu's the best option, and the protagonist has to report to his "day job" in what amounts to an auto repair shop. Even ''VideoGame/TronTwoPointOh'' shows that spam, shady back market products, and criminal malware gangs are a headache on that side of the screen. {{Justified}} in that the digital world was built by humans and populated by digital avatars that reflect the best and worst of the humans who built them.

* ''Literature/ImpracticalMagic'': Istima is a MagicSchool but the student's struggle with overwork, FantasticRacism, the cost of books, sleep deprivation, the addictive properties of cheap stamina potions (amphetamines), and magically horrible public restrooms in college dormitories. It's also noted that species with different body plans are great for books until you have to imagine how an institution would bulk order desks.

* The Wizarding World in which the ''Literature/HarryPotter'' series takes place has many problems that resemble the non-magical world: [[CorruptPolitician political corruption]], [[VastBureaucracy excessive administrative red tape]], manipulated media, and most importantly, FantasticRacism in the form of pure-blood wizards hating those with {{muggle}} ancestry, as a commentary on real-life racism and discrimination. This is even lampshaded in ''Half Blood Prince'', during the meeting in the first chapter between the Muggle Prime Minister, and the Minister of Magic, as seen in the page quote above.

* ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime'' is set at the EndOfAnAge, where TheAntiGod is breaking free of [[SealedEvilInACan his prison]] and TheChosenOne is destined either to win a PyrrhicVictory over him or fail and doom the world. Incipient FinalBattle, [[LegionsOfHell armies of monsters]], regime changes, and high-powered {{Wizard Duel}}s notwithstanding, the most pressing threat to most of the world is... climate change: the Dark One's influence messes with the seasons, which causes escalating food shortages and famines throughout the series.

* ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer40000}}'': The Imperium of Man faces rebellion and invasion on numerous worlds, and its responses to each of these are entirely dependent on how competent the Administratum feels on a regular basis. One mess-up by this organization and insufficient forces can be deployed, entire worlds can starve to death, etc.

* This is common in the ''VideoGame/{{Fallout}}'' universe. While the main quests always resolve around problems specific to the retro-futuristic wastelands of America, many of the sidequests are helping people with their mundane problems, like picking up some paint for a handyman, helping an alcoholic become clean, help an insecure boy become more confident. Given that it is still a game, the problems get a fantastic twist but are ultimately still very mundane.
* ''VideoGame/{{Splatoon}}'' universe is a very colorful, very stylish, and very headbanging world, but despite all the fantastical elements it still has to deal with racism (the [[VideoGame/Splatoon2 second game]] alone has a popular idol pass for the majority and get freaked out when a Splatfest sounds like the verge of a race war), shady businesses done for spending cash, prominent bands moving on or breaking up, and even old hangouts becoming ghost towns.

* WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}: In a world where everyone has special powers, hybrid weapons are commonplace, and giant monsters roam the wilderness, they still must deal with typical burglaries, credit cards being declined, and the stress of high school.

* Website/TurkeyCityLexicon has the term "Squid on the Mantlepiece" for this trope when it's done badly--that is, when there's a significant mismatch between the mundane drama and the fantastic setting's overblown stakes.

* ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' and its sequel series and spinoffs are all set in a fantasy world which mainly borrows from Eastern cultures where certain people can "bend" elements. However, the conflicts in most of the story arcs are often mundane issues that just so happen to take place in such a setting. For example, [[TheEmpire the Fire Nation]]'s imperialism in the first series is shown more akin to something like a European nation at the height of colonialism, the Roman Empire, or even Imperial Japan, rather than hoards of AlwaysChaoticEvil {{mooks}} marching out of {{Mordor}}.
* This is the setting of one of ''WesternAnimation/DextersLaboratory'' sections: ''The Justice Friends'', in which the superheroes [[Comicbook/CaptainAmerica Major Glory]], [[Comicbook/{{Thor}} Val Hallen]] and [[Comicbook/IncredibleHulk Krunk]] live in a leased apartment and how their superpowers and personalities clash with normal life and problems, all themed as a {{Sitcom}}.
* A lot of the humor concerning the Urpneys relates to this in ''WesternAnimation/TheDreamstone'', since, in spite of working for an EvilOverlord of a fantasy world, Frizz and Nug tend to treat their work as a standard dead-end job, being PressGanged into most of the manual labor or scapegoated by {{Middle Management Mook}}s, Urpgor and Sgt Blob (mostly to avoid the pressure of their own boss, Zordrak), and [[VillainBallMagnet being treated as heartless scum]] for an occupation they don't even want to have. Some of the hero grunts, such as the completely apathetic Mr. Blossom and even the Noops, Rufus and Amberley, start to show glimpses of this later on since it is implied their frustrations with the Urpneys lie more in their constant bumbling schemes causing more collateral damage which they are made to fix.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'': The main character, Philip J. Fry, is initially dazzled by the New New York of 3000 A.D. after being frozen for 1,000 years. However, he becomes more blasé about the setting as he finds he still has to do the same things he did back in 1999 like earn money, get a job, find a place to live, and pay taxes.

--''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheHalfBloodPrince''

* The Wizarding World in which the ''Literature/HarryPotter'' series takes place has many problems that resemble the non-magical world: [[CorruptPolitician political corruption]], [[VastBureaucracy excessive administrative red tape]], manipulated media, and most importantly, FantasticRacism in the form of pure-blood wizards hating those with {{muggle}} ancestry, as a commentary on real-life racism and discrimination. This is even lampshaded in ''Half Blood Prince'', during the meeting in the first chapter between the Muggle Prime Minister, and the Minister of Magic:
--> '''Prime Minister''': But you're wizards! You can do magic, surely you can sort out ''anything!''
--> '''Minister of Magic''': The trouble is, the other side can do magic too, Prime Minister.

A variation on RealityEnsues and also FantasyAllAlong if the aspect of Real Life is [[RuleOfFunny only briefly brought up as a joke.]] Compare with LowFantasy, MundaneFantastic, MagicRealism, {{Mundanger}}, and AdultFear. See FantasticAngst, where a character suffers from a real-world personal problem with an extraordinary source. Compare InexplicableCulturalTies.

A variation on RealityEnsues and also FantasyAllAlong if the aspect of Real Life is [[RuleOfFunny only briefly brought up as a joke.]] Compare with LowFantasy, MundaneFantastic, MagicRealism, {{Mundanger}}, and AdultFear. See FantasticAngst, where a character suffers from a real-world personal problem with an extraordinary source. Compare https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/InexplicableCulturalTies.

A variation on RealityEnsues and also FantasyAllAlong if the aspect of Real Life is [[RuleOfFunny only briefly brought up as a joke.]] Compare with LowFantasy, MundaneFantastic, MagicRealism, {{Mundanger}}, and AdultFear. See FantasticAngst, where a character suffers from a real-world personal problem with an extraordinary source.

* The Wizarding World in which the ''Literature/HarryPotter'' series takes place has many problems that resemble the non-magical world: [[CorruptPolitician political corruption]], [[VastBureaucracy excessive administrative red tape]], manipulated media, and most importantly, FantasticRacism in the form of pure-blood wizards hating those with {{muggle}} ancestry, as a commentary on real-life racism and discrimination.

* Saitama from ''Webcomic/OnePunchMan'' is a [[ComicallyInvincibleHero ridiculously overpowered superhero]], who lives in a dangerous world where cities are under constant threat of attack by extremely dangerous monsters and supervillains. But as Saitama can [[OneHitKill instantly defeat any enemy by throwing a single punch at them]], [[VictoryIsBoring he finds his hero work to be too dull and unfulfilling]]; and so he shows relatively more interest in doing mundane tasks like buying food and groceries, rather than in saving the day.

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* In ''Literature/TheStormlightArchive'': Alethkar's War of Reckoning against the Parshendi began in retribution for the assassination of their king, but continues because Parshendi lands are a fantastic source of gemstones to fuel the FunctionalMagic of Soulcasting, which produces a [[MundaneUtility vital source of food for the Alethi armies]]. That the competition over-harvesting gems is a good source of political capital in the Alethi DeadlyDecadentCourt doesn't help matters either.

* In Creator/FranzKafka's short story, ''Poseidon'', the [[Characters/ClassicalMythologyOlympians Greek god of the sea]] does not rule his realm by chauffeuring through the waters with his trident but instead [[BeleagueredBureaucrat spends all his time filling out forms]] and [[PenPushingPresident writing administrative reports]] for his periodic trips to Olympus.

* This is the setting of one of ''WesternAnimation/DextersLaboratory'' sections: ''The Justice Friends'', in which the superheroes [[Comicbook/CaptainAmerica Mayor Glory]], [[Comicbook/{{Thor}} Val Hallen]] and [[Comicbook/IncredibleHulk Krunk]] live in a leased apartment and how their superpowers and personalities clash with normal life and problems, all themed as a {{Sitcom}}.

* ''VideoGame/{{Stellaris}}'' being a simulation 4X grand strategy game, has some aspects of it. The greatest threat to your fleet aren't LovecraftLite horrors older than the universe, but the more mundane budget cuts because you do not think you have enemies worth fighting anymore, and bad ship/fleet designs is not far behind. While the technology has advanced dramatically, people still need food and thus need to tend the fields, larger empires need large amounts of bureaucrats to keep the hyperlane ships running on time, galactic {{Realpolitik}} is shockingly similar to real world Realpolitik, the FictionalUnitedNations that is the Galactic Community is just as prone to corruption and inefficiencies as critics of the real world UN claim it is (especially with the creation of the Galactic Council, which is more or less the UN Security Council, who can denounce an empire that is not actually in breach of Galactic Law to impose sanctions), deep space black sites where the Not NSA is spying on the citizens of a Direct Democracy, drug cartels causing trouble, unemployment still happens depressingly often and is a common problem when running empires... None of the Endgame Crises would stand a chance against a unified galaxy, and yet sometimes not even a common threat to all life is enough to unite the bickering nation states as they are picked off one by one...

* ''VideoGame/{{Stellaris}}'' being a simulation 4X grand strategy game, has some aspects of it. The greatest threat to your fleet aren't LovecraftLite horrors older than the universe, but the more mundane budget cuts because you do not think you have enemies worth fighting anymore. While the technology has advanced dramatically, people still need food and thus need to tend the fields, larger empires need large amounts of bureaucrats to keep the hyperlane ships running on time, galactic {{Realpolitik}} is shockingly similar to real world Realpolitik, the FictionalUnitedNations that is the Galactic Community is just as prone to corruption in inefficiencies as critics of the real world UN claim it is (especially with the creation of the Galactic Council, which is more or less the UN Security Council, who can denounce an empire that is not actually in breach of Galactic Law to impose sanctions), deep space black sites where the Not NSA is spying on the citizens of a Direct Democracy, drug cartels causing trouble, unemployment still happens depressingly often... None of the Endgame Crises would stand a chance against a unified galaxy, and yet sometimes not even a common threat to all life is enough to unite the bickering nation states as they are picked off one by one...

* ''Literature/ImpracticalMagic'': Istima is a MagicSchool but the student's struggle with overwork, FantasticRacism, the cost of books, sleep deprivation, the addictive properties of cheap stamina potions (amphetamines), and magically horrible public restrooms in college dormitories. It's also noted that species with different body plans are great for books until you have to imagine how an institution would bulk order desks.

{{Fantasy}} stories set in [[MagicalLand magical lands]], FairyTale kingdoms, worlds of HighFantasy, HeroicFantasy, or [[SugarBowl Sugar Bowls]] and [[ScienceFiction science fiction]] stories set in a CrystalSpiresAndTogas {{Utopia}} or [[Mohs/ScienceInGenreOnly somewhere on the squishier end]] of the MohsScaleOfScienceFictionHardness seemingly take place in universes far removed from the concerns of reality. Yet despite how fantastic these worlds seem upon first impression, it can turn out that their denizens still spend much of their time dealing with the same ordinary matters (e.g., money, employment, taxes, bureaucracy, politics, lawsuits, potholes in the street, etc.) that people do in RealLife. This is how the Extraordinary World, Ordinary Problems trope works. It can be invoked by anything from a quick joke, a [[{{Parody}} parody]] of fantasy and science fiction tropes, or a complete [[{{Deconstruction}} deconstruction]] of either genre. One way to get the point across is to feature an outsider who's initially in awe of the new setting but soon learns things really aren't much different from the mundane world he or she came from.

Can overlap with WeirdTradeUnion, MagicalSociety, and SignedUpForTheDental when labor issues and disputes crop up in the fantasy or science fiction setting. Often comes up in a FracturedFairyTale. Frequently part of an UrbanFantasy work (and is among the UrbanFantasyTropes).

* Anime/OnePiece: the main premise is about Luffy and his Straw Hat Pirates traveling the world for the ultimate treasure, the titular One Piece, in a highly wacky yet beautiful world. On the many islands they visit, however, they may find issues of oppression (frequently from the place's ruler), rival pirates terrorizing the place, or (like in Enies Lobby or Marineford) the Straw Hats simply trying to rescue one of their friends.

* This is common in the ''VideoGame/{{Fallout}}'' universe. While the main quests always resolve around problems specific to the retro-futuristic wastelands of America, many of the sidequests are helping people with their mundane problems, like picking up some paint for a handyman, helping an alcoholic become clean, help an insecure boy become more confident. Given that it is still a game, the problems get a fantastic twist, but are ultimately still very mundane.

* In ''Webcomic/{{Unsounded}}'', the FunctionalMagic of pymary requires rare First Materials -- primordial versions of mundane materials, left over from TheTimeOfMyths -- to create permanent enchanted items. Many First Materials have been exhausted and others are becoming rarer, so {{Magitek}} engineers struggle to use them as efficiently as possible and the CorruptCorporateExecutive Jab Beadman is willing to go to great lengths [[spoiler:(including regicide and warmongering)]] to secure untapped deposits.

* ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' and its sequel series and spinoffs are all set in a fantasy world which mainly borrows from Eastern cultures where certain people can "bend" elements. However, the conflicts in most of the story arcs are often mundane issues which just so happen to take place in such a setting. For example, [[TheEmpire the Fire Nation]]'s imperialism in the first series is shown more akin to something like a European nation at the height of colonialism, the Roman Empire, or even Imperial Japan, rather than hoards of AlwaysChaoticEvil {{mooks}} marching out of {{Mordor}}.

* A lot of the humour concerning the Urpneys relates to this in ''WesternAnimation/TheDreamstone'', since in spite of working for an EvilOverlord of a fantasy world, Frizz and Nug tend to treat their work as a standard dead end job, being PressGanged into most of the manual labour or scapegoated by {{Middle Management Mook}}s, Urpgor and Sgt Blob (mostly to avoid the pressure of their own boss, Zordrak), and [[VillainBallMagnet being treated as heartless scum]] for an occupation they don't even want to have. Some of the hero grunts, such as the completely apathetic Mr Blossom and even the Noops, Rufus and Amberley, start to show glimpses of this later on, since it is implied their frustrations with the Urpneys lie more in their constant bumbling schemes causing more collateral damage which they are made to fix.

->'''Muggle Prime Minister:''' But for heaven's sake – you're wizards! You can do magic! Surely you can sort out – well – anything!
->'''Cornelius Fudge:''' The trouble is, the other side can do magic too, Prime Minister.
-->-- ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheHalfBloodPrince''

* In Creator/FranzKafka's short story, ''Poseidon'', the [[Characters/ClassicalMythologyOlympians Greek god of the sea]] does not rule his realm by chauffeuring the waters with his trident but instead [[BeleagueredBureaucrat spends all his time filling out forms]] and [[PenPushingPresident writing administrative reports]] for his periodic trips to Olympus.

* In Creator/FranzKafka's short story, ''Poseidon'', the [[Characters/ClassicalMythologyOlympians Greek god of the sea]], does not rule over his realm by chauffeuring the waters with his trident but rather [[BeleagueredBureaucrat by spending all his time filling out forms]] and [[PenPushingPresident writing administrative reports]] for his periodic trips to Olympus.