Follow TV Tropes

Following

Context Main / SpeedStripes

Go To

1[[quoteright:316:[[WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/speed_stripes.jpg]]]]
2
3->''"Man, I wish I had swishy lines behind'' me ''when'' I ''did stuff."''
4-->-- '''Narrator''', a Creator/CartoonNetwork ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans2003'' spot
5
6In animated shows, characters moving at high speed often appear in front of a set of moving colored lines -- usually blue background with yellow stripes, although depending on the impact, any color combination may be used. This is usually done because drawing a proper background moving behind the character would require drawing a large background from a camera angle which would only be seen for a split-second. The direction of the lines indicates the direction; if the lines seem to be moving towards or coming from a central point, then it is because the character is moving toward or away from the screen.
7
8A variation of this is the Moving Punchout, where two characters are fighting and obviously moving (usually in the same direction, although sometimes towards each other), with speed stripes as the background.
9
10This is a {{Manga Effect|s}}, and is indicative of a stylistic difference between the West and Japan in the depiction of movement. Whereas speed lines in the West are traditionally drawn on the character and leave the background in focus, the Japanese artist traditionally speed-lines the background, leaving the character in focus. In the Western version, the observer is a stationary bystander being passed or approached by the character, but in the Japanese version the reader is moving ''with'' the character.
11
12Incidentally, it's useful for reducing the budget by avoiding having to draw a background, so you can reuse the footage to your heart's content. Because of this, speed lines are often used in StockFootage with a bit of an animation bump, such as transformations in ''Anime/TransformersArmada'' or Ash catching a Pokémon/giving orders in ''Anime/PokemonTheSeries''.
13
14A slight variation which can appear in both Western and Japanese works is the practice of using SpeedEchoes and/or ColorfulContrails in the same way.
15
16[[JustForFun/IThoughtItMeant Not to be confused with]] [[CoolCar racing stripes]] or motion blur.
17----
18!!Examples:
19
20[[foldercontrol]]
21
22[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
23* ''Manga/DragonBall Z'' is infamous for this, with characters flying in every direction in speed stripe backgrounds. Considering that the show's battles are strong enough to level cities and mountains and happen in nearly ever single episode (with some fights lasting for several episodes), it's easy to either mistake speed stripe backgrounds as the planet being destroyed or lose track of which episode you're watching.
24%%* ''Anime/YuGiOh'' occasionally uses speed lines when a major character is playing a card.
25* The ''Anime/FutureGPXCyberFormula'' series uses these, especially with the NitroBoost in the later [=OVAs=] and when the cars go fast.
26%%* Even ''Manga/HikaruNoGo'' (an anime about, well, people playing ''Go'') gets in the act.
27* ''Anime/PokemonTheSeries'': For a long time, the anime used this for stock footage animation, be it a trainer giving a command or a Pokémon use a move. This was to save time on the various backgrounds these battles typically take place, as well as giving animation more of dynamic punch. With the rise of digital programs overtime, however, this became less frequent as it became easier to insert backgrounds. Most notably, ''Anime/PokemonTheSeriesXY'' dropped speedlines altogether in favor of a 3D camera for more dynamic battle movements. But speedlines haven't fully disappeared in the overall series. ''Anime/PokemonTheSeriesSunAndMoon'' and ''Anime/PokemonJourneysTheSeries'' brought them back to the battles, albeit for the artistic flair rather than being used to save budget.
28%%* ''Anime/SailorMoon'', every time one of the senshi uses a special attack.
29%%* Used in ''Anime/SpeedRacer''. And the 2008 live-action [[Film/SpeedRacer film]] actually replicated this effect.
30* In the later episodes of the first season of ''Anime/WeissKreuz'', the animation budget was so low that sometimes even fast camera pans would make everything devolve into speed stripes for a second. As an example of Administrivia/TropesAreNotBad, it actually looked pretty awesome.
31* The ''Literature/WarriorCats'' manga illustrated by James Barry tend to do this: for instance, when cats chase prey, run from danger, or leap into battle.
32[[/folder]]
33
34[[folder:Comic Books]]
35* Parodied in ''ComicBook/JohnnyTheHomicidalManiac''; one [[ShowWithinAShow Happy Noodle Boy]] strip had Noodle Boy running away, only to remark "Shit! [[MediumAwareness Speed lines are chasing me!]]"
36[[/folder]]
37
38[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
39%%* For a Western CGI example, see ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda''.
40* In ''WesternAnimation/TurningRed'', this is seen just before Mei rams into her mother during the climax.
41[[/folder]]
42
43[[folder:Video Games]]
44* The ''VideoGame/ViewtifulJoe'' series, whenever you activate the Mach Speed VFX.
45%%* Used in the ''Franchise/{{Castlevania}}'' series by Alucard and Soma Cruz.
46* ''VideoGame/Persona5'': White lines appear around the edges of the screen when your main character uses the dash command or launches at high speeds past an environmental hazard.
47* ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'': While the move animations vary from game to game, this effect is often used for high-speed attacks like Extreme Speed and Quick Attack.
48[[/folder]]
49
50[[folder:Visual Novels]]
51* The lawyers in ''VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorney'' do this when [[MundaneMadeAwesome making particularly forceful arguments]]. It can become a BiggerStick if the two lawyers pull these off back and forth in quick succession. One example:
52-->'''Edgeworth:''' ''[speed stripes]'' Can you prove that? I THINK NOT!\
53'''Phoenix:''' ''[speed stripes]'' Oh, yeah? I THINK I CAN! It's simple!\
54'''Edgeworth:''' ''[speed stripes]'' WHAAAAAT!?
55[[/folder]]
56
57[[folder:Web Animation]]
58* ''WebAnimation/SuperMarioBrosZ'', being based on ''Manga/DragonBallZ'', also uses this trope heavily when characters are launched and often when they are fighting in midair.
59[[/folder]]
60
61[[folder:Web Comics]]
62%%* Referenced in this ''Webcomic/QuestionableContent'' strip "[[http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=721 Speed Lines Equal INTENSITY]]".
63%%** Also used [[http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=1463 here]], [[http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=1485 here]], and elsewhere.
64* Parodied during an early page of ''WebComic/TriggerStar''. When a {{Mook}} leaps at Avocado, he gets [[NinjaProp impaled on his own speed lines]].
65%%* In ''Webcomic/RustyAndCo'', [[http://rustyandco.com/comic/level-6-39/ the weapon hurtling toward Madeline's head.]]
66%%* In ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'', [[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2002-07-18 Grace moving Jeremy]] is shown using this.
67* ''Webcomic/GrrlPower'': This is {{exaggerated|Trope}} during [[https://grrlpowercomic.com/archives/comic/grrl-power-823-vantablackbelt/ a match]] between martial artists Jabberwokky and Math, in which nearly every action is followed by a trail of heavy speed lines -- to the extent that at one point, they form a loop-the-loop in the air. The artist {{lampshade|Hanging}}s their overuse:
68-->''"I think I overdid it with the speed lines actually."''
69* ''Webcomic/SleeplessDomain'': The {{magical girl}} Starlight Spear using her power of SuperSpeed is highlighted by the signature trail of cyan and yellow speed lines left in her wake. [[spoiler:When she overexerts this power in one last HeroicSecondWind, her speed lines are accompanied by sizeable droplets of blood streaming behind her as she [[DePower burns out]].]]
70* Speed lines sometimes fill ''Webcomic/{{Huckleberry}}'' panels, when the protagonist uses his ElementalSpeed. In one page it's [[https://huckleberry.thecomicseries.com/comics/pl/1562479 subtle and sky-colored]], in another the lines make [[https://huckleberry.thecomicseries.com/comics/pl/1472041 purple and green stripes]].
71[[/folder]]
72
73[[folder:Western Animation]]
74* A season 4 ''WesternAnimation/{{Reboot}}'' episode makes fun of this, while the characters of Bob and Matrix play a game that combines ''DBZ'' and ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}''. Matrix is held in an airborne kick for an extended shot, and it's revealed that he's on wires in front of a speed-striped rolling background.
75* The Franchise/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles not only get Speed Stripes, they're coordinated to each Turtle's color.
76%%* ''WesternAnimation/{{Gargoyles}}'' would use this on occasion.
77* Even ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' is guilty of this, while Marge is chasing Snake through the city in The Springfield Connection. The opening credits when shown in full seem to contain an example but when watched frame by frame the quick pan across their lawn is actually filled with people.
78* ''WesternAnimation/BeastMachines'' did this in an unusual way, using ''three-dimensional'' speed lines. [[SpecialEffectFailure In many cases, the background could be glimpsed in gaps between them.]]
79%%* ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls'' Intro, and occasionally during action sequences in-show.
80* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'': In "Lesson Zero", Rainbow Dash has these behind her when she's destroying Applejack's old barn.
81* ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime'' often uses this, usually multiple times in one episode. For example, "It Came from the Nightosphere" had speed stripes when Gunther was thrown, [[ItMakesSenseInContext Marceline unleashed the Finn bomb, and her father flicked Finn in the butt without his consent.]]
82* As pictured above, this was done in ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeagueUnlimited'' for the Franchise/TheFlash's SuperSpeed. The moment in the picture comes from "Divided We Fall" when he's alone, fighting [[spoiler:the {{fusion|Dance}} [[TwoBeingsOneBody of]] ComicBook/LexLuthor and ComicBook/{{Brainiac}}.]]
83%%* Speed Stripes were also employed frequently in ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans''.
84[[/folder]]

Top