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4[[quoteright:320:[[Manga/DragonBallZ https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dbz_4th_wall.jpg]]]]
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6%%* Ani Yoko is... weird. Weird enough for the main character, a six year old girl, to frequently lampshade/complain about how fanservicey and violent her show is. IT'S A KIDS' SHOW.
7* In the ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'' spin-off ''[[Manga/RockLeesSpringtimeOfYouth Rock Lee & His Ninja Pals]]'', [[InteractiveNarrator the characters constantly interact with the narrator and he appears to be a non-canon character made specifically for the show]]. In one episode the plot revolves around the narrator being ill and finding a suitable interim replacement (Rock Lee, with [[AuthorPowers poor]] [[RealityWarper results]])
8* ''Anime/PokemonTheSeries'':
9** One of Team Rocket's elaborate plans to capture Pokémon is foiled early, so they instead [[InstantKnots wrap the target Pokémon with some whips]] and begin easily tugging them away from their owners. Cut to this brilliant piece of dialog:
10--->'''James:''' Why didn't we just do this in the first place?\
11'''Jessie:''' We ''have'' to fill a half hour!
12** Another episode ends with them remarking "We wasted this whole episode cheering for the good guys."
13** One episode directly acknowledges a mechanic from the video games. Meowth says he can't learn Pay Day because he used up all his move slots. It's later established that the only attack Meowth can use is Scratch or Fury Swipes, because he used the rest of his move slots to ''speak human language''.
14* In ''Tsurupika Hagemaru-kun'', Hagemaru suffers from this and [[GenreSavvy Genre Savviness]].[[note]]These lines are from the Hindi version.[[/note]]
15-->'''Hagemaru:''' Hey, Kaka, don't sneeze like this while you're naked or the censor guys will cut the scene!\
16'''Hagemaru:''' I can do anything, I'm the hero of this series!
17* The ''Anime/{{Gestalt}}'' OVA depends on this trope for half of the episode in which Ohri is under a spell of silence. She communicates using video game style text boxes. Her master Olivier even asks "what is that thing?".
18* ''Manga/HayateTheCombatButler'' has the characters being aware of commercial breaks, the {{Narrator}}, and so forth. At one point [[IntellectualAnimal Tama]] is able to figure out [[SuperPoweredRobotMeterMaids 8's]] identity by remembering the show's TitleSequence. Medium Awareness is constant in the manga, as well.
19* In the first season of ''Literature/{{Slayers}}'', Lina grows so angry with Gourry that she grabs a hold of her own SweatDrop and hits him over the head with it.
20* ''Manga/OnePiece'':
21** The commentator during the Davy Back games announce that the main event will commence after these commercial messages.
22** The Straw Hat crew yell at Crocus to stop doing his "good running gag".
23* The manga of ''Manga/DragonHalf'' does this. For example, one character is explicitly describing objects with their colors, only for another to point out that the previous page was the last one to be in color.
24** The anime takes it further to make it a plot point, not to mention reference ''another'' from the manga that was AdaptedOut - Dug Fin is mad that Mink swore to kill his father, but Mink has no recollection of this. To settle the matter, Fin ''pulls out a VHS copy of the first episode'' and watches it (and discovers, to his shock, that his scenes were "edited out").
25* In the rather naughty ''Manga/KekkoKamen'' anime, the bad guys are caught by surprise because there is no heroic music for one of her arrivals. Granted, in the original manga her appearances are also preceded by a soundtrack, so the music seems to be on their side of the fourth wall.
26* ''Manga/StrawberryMarshmallow'':
27** In one manga chapter, Miu counters Matsuri's assertion that her pet ferret, John, is a good boy by reminding her that she said he was wiggling around "three panels ago".
28** On the first page of Chapter 3, before even the chapter's title page:
29--->'''Chika:''' Miu... and Matsuri... don't get along.\
30''[Nobue looks at Chika as if to say, "Um... who are you talking to?"]''\
31'''Nobue:''' And nobody cares.\
32''[The words "The End" appear]''\
33'''Chika:''' No! Not "THE END!"
34* This happens constantly in several of Ai Yazawa's works, such as ''Manga/NeighborhoodStory'' and ''Manga/ParadiseKiss'' (manga-version only). Characters complain about lack of lines or comment on other characters' thought bubbles. She has also used it in ''Kagen no Tsuki'' and ''Manga/TenshiNankaJaNai'', albeit in a less over-the-top way.
35-->'''George:''' Oooh, Isabella! Your first full-color shot was really impressive! It's a pity it will be b&w in the tankobon edition...
36* ''Anime/ExcelSaga'' does this.
37-->'''Paramedic''': [looks over his shoulder at a montage playing in the background] Oh my, her life's flashing by. That's no good.
38** A lot.
39--->'''Pedro''': Yes. Please take a look at the flashback. ''[background turns into a flashback scene, a construction worker falling off by its sudden appearance]''
40* ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'':
41** Coming off an anime filler arc, the writers used half of the first non-filler episode for Inoue to explain to Ichigo where they'd left off in the main story, using slides with pages of the actual manga to bring him back up to speed.
42** During Uryuu's fight against Szayel-Aporro, the batty Pesche reaches into his loincloth for ''something'' to help and Uryuu informs the audience it's a little too risque to air. Later, Mayuri decides to [[IntimateHealing fix Nemu up]] and Uryuu says that was DEFINITELY too kinky for television.
43** Also in anime-only filler episode (ep. 214), Karukura-Raizer Erotic "in Hyper Erotic Mode, gains several techniques that can't be shown on TV."
44* In the first episode of ''Manga/OuranHighSchoolHostClub'', Tamaki can be seen leaning on a notice which pops up on the screen explaining the real meaning of Kyoya's words.
45* ''Manga/DragonBall'':
46** In the manga, Goku's first fight with Yamcha had him getting kicked into - and bouncing off of - the panels of the page by Goku.
47** Gags like this were also used in Akira Toriyama's earlier series ''Manga/DoctorSlump''.
48** In an episode of ''Anime/DragonBallSuper'' crossing over with ''Dr. Slump'', Vegeta goes up against Arale and quickly realizes he's up against "a gag manga character" who is as strong as she needs to be, and standard fighting tactics are just going to be ineffective against her. He tries using some gags himself ("Look! A UFO!") but it doesn't work, and he gets launched over the horizon. Afterward, he declares he's never fighting a gag character again.
49* Used many times in ''Manga/NegimaMagisterNegiMagi''.
50** [[LovableCoward Misora]] tries to wave away a [[BossSubtitles Caption]] that introduces her as Misora to the readers after she just denied that she was Misora to Asuna.
51** Konoka pulls out the RelaxOVision picture from somewhere in an attempt to censor a scene of [[BoisterousBruiser Jack Rakan]] [[LovableSexManiac licking their enemies' panties]]. "There are children reading this!"
52** When characters have {{Imagine Spot}}s, they're displayed in the background; the people around them sometimes ''[[ImagineSpotting turn to watch]]'' and comment.
53** Jack Rakan once watches another character's flashback.
54* In the ''Anime/TenchiMuyo'' manga, someone comments that Mihoshi resembles some other characters, to which Mihoshi replies that she's shaded with a different screentone than they are.
55** Washuu turns off the narrator while pushing a button. She also makes a pun with the title. Tenchi Muyo essentially means 'right side up', like seen on boxes. She says that despite the title, things can flip around.
56** One chapter starts with an intense fight between Aeka and Ryoko. The page that follows the title page has Washuu with a Ryohoki robot bonking the two and commenting that she's 'too late to appear in the first pages'.
57** Aeka tells Kiyone that she won't appear anymore if she doesn't cooperate, to which she answers that she'd like to keep her limited role as much as possible.
58** Sasami and Tenchi's grandfather also have a moment that when a hard question is asked, they are looking for 'the expert' to appear and explain it. Sasami looks under a rock saying "Where are you?"
59** There's frequent mentions of 'Tenchi being the main character', sometimes himself lamenting his current role (where he's cleaning by lack of having anything to do in that chapter).
60** Mentions of the anime are semi-frequent. One example is in the Jurai tree arc, where Washuu starts talking about her rival Yume. Mihoshi mentions the Doctor seen in the anime, as if it didn't make sense anymore. Washuu answers to 'forget about him' instead of trying to conciliate the two storylines.
61** Azaka and Kamidake also have a bit where they appeared some 6 volumes later. Washuu has a 'long time no see' moment, and they precisely say the volume and page of their last appearance (and even longer time since they had spoken lines).
62* The ''Manga/PrincessPrincess'' characters regularly comment on backgrounds and other elements. Late in the manga, they even complain when EnsembleDarkHorse Arisada receives a very large close-up.
63* In ''Literature/HaruhiSuzumiya'', Kyon's narration is sometimes overheard by the characters, leading to the idea that Kyon just mumbles narration to himself everywhere he goes.
64* In the ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'' manga, Edward lets Winry know how something happened by flashbacking to it and pointing towards that panel.
65** In one instance, when someone mentions his actual height, he covers up the number in that person's speech bubble.
66* ''Literature/{{Bakemonogatari}}'' has Senjougahara complimenting her own seiyuu. Then again, she did so in the original light novel.
67* Every time a character in ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf'' is [[ImagineSpotting aware of someone else's]] [[ImagineSpot daydream]], they look ''up'' at the panel containing said daydream. And comment on it.
68* ''Manga/HoneyHoney'' was already entirely silly, with copious {{lampshade hanging}}s. More than once characters address the commercial break or writers, depending on the dub.
69* ''Anime/PantyAndStockingWithGarterbelt'' makes copious use of {{Written Sound Effect}}s, and at one point, an annoyed Stocking grabs a bunch of the sound effects, wads them up in a ball, and shoves them into [[TeamPet Chuck's]] mouth.
70* When the ''Manga/GAGeijutsukaArtDesignClass'' students are talking about typography, one strip actually has the characters discuss the sound effect typeface ''on that strip''.
71* In ''Manga/BoboboboBobobo'', the characters show a certain amount of medium awareness when not directly parodying anything, such as one note in the English version of the anime where Bobobo has to have a pause between words while talking about traveling in order to accommodate for the translation, and he says after "I hope I can talk normally when we get there", actively acknowledging that the dub had just had to mess up. They also show that they are aware that a narrator is explaining things and will sometimes even talk directly to him. The end of the anime also has all characters bemoaning the fact that it's finally the end, and one even notes that it cuts off in the middle of an arc.
72* In ''Anime/MonColleKnights'', Rokuna at one point dumps the visualized letters of her scream at an attacking group of enemies, Beginner once pushed aside a scene with a resistant Count Collection on it and from time to time the characters will interact with the narrator. At the end of the show, Count Collection talks directly to the audience about his Status Quo.
73* In ''Manga/{{Saiyuki}}'' the characters occasionally comment during some of the comic relief on things like Sanzo's fan coming out of [[{{Hammerspace}} nowhere]], the fact that they can't prove to the reader that Kanzeon is really a hermaphrodite as the rating isn't that high and Gojyo wonders why [[MrExposition Hakkai]] has launched into the recap of what the sutras are and their significance is while they are surrounded by murderous yokai.
74* The characters of ''Literature/StudentCouncilsDiscretion'' begin the first episode arguing how being an anime will affect their story which is being adapted from a series of LightNovels.
75* In episode 4 of ''Anime/MagicalWitchPuniechan'', after Punie's mascot Paya-tan is squished and Punie defeats the badguy, Anego tells Paya-tan "Your status on this show is getting closer and closer to mine." That's not a good thing around Punie.
76* The stinger of the first episode of ''Manga/KotouraSan'' has [[{{telepathy}} Haruka]] do a DirtyMindReading... on the "tons of people on the other side of the TV." This show is aired during OtakuOClock, so viewer sexualization of Haruka is clearly unavoidable. [[AllMenArePerverts Manabe]] is jealous.
77* ''Literature/NyarukoCrawlingWithLove'' has several characters exhibit Medium Awareness as dictated by RuleOfFunny; for example, the first episode of the second season practically has Nyarko recap the entire premise of the series and introduce the entire cast...while [[OnlySaneMan Mahiro]] wonders what the hell she's doing. Before that, the episode starts with a [[ShoutOut parody]] of the opening to ''Series/{{Bewitched}}'', with Nyarko as Samantha and Mahiro as Darrin; we later see it's just a video she's having made. Interestingly, the opening includes credits for their actual voice actresses (Creator/KanaAsumi and Creator/EriKitamura respectively), a fact that not even Mahiro seems to notice.
78** In that same episode, Nyarko and the other aliens use Series/KamenRiderWizard's TransformationSequence to change from their pajamas to their school uniforms; afterwards, Cuko comments that the "[[GeometricMagic magic circle]] effect" is pretty expensive so they decided to use it early on while there's still plenty of money in the show's budget.
79** Mahiro himself exhibits it in an earlier episode, where he can apparently see the little numbering bubbles used to count up the guests for his mother's hot springs trip (since he remarks on the fact that Nyarko's pet Shanta-kun is counted as a guest despite being, well, a pet).
80** In the very first episode, Nyarko is [[MotorMouth rambling endlessly]] until a frustrated Mahiro grabs a nearby fork and plunges it into the table next to her hand. After the title card, a frightened Nyarko asks "What are you trying to do, get us cancelled?!"
81* In the manga of ''Manga/KOn'', Mio seems to have this in a couple of instances:
82** When she and Azusa are beside each other in the bath, Yamanake remarks that she can't tell them apart without her glasses (even though Azusa has acquired a significant tan and Mio has not). Mio wonders if it's a criticism of the manga artist.
83** In college, something happens to Yui at some point, making her punctual, not snackish, focused, and uncomfortable with being clung to. Ritsu feels for lumps, thinking maybe she hit her head, since that's what would happen if it were a manga. Mio says it ''is'' a manga.
84* In the ''Franchise/LupinIII'' franchise, there exists a Semipermeable Fourth Wall nature. It is usually Lupin interacting with whatever element of the work is on our side of the FourthWall, but any of the cast can do it for a RuleOfFunny. (Creator/MonkeyPunch has even turned part of a panel over to show how upset he was when Zenigata had a LeaningOnTheFourthWall line, claiming the current case was as simple as a comic book)
85** A ''Anime/LupinIIIPart1'' episode has Lupin stepping off of a plane and calling, "Title!" to summon the episode's name.
86** The manga stories use many more FourthWall jokes than the anime stories do. In ''"Impression Impossible"'', Lupin has paid someone to roll a panel aside and declare that Lupin III is handsome.
87* Characters in ''Anime/SonicX'' frequently make reference to being in an anime (though only in the original Japanese version) - usually Sonic, but Dr. Eggman occasionally does it too. In one memorable episode, Eggman actually took over the show, changing the name of it to "Eggman X" (complete with new title card). Sonic eventually defeated Eggman by sending him down a maze where the right path was marked by the correct answer to a Yes/No question. The last question was "Who's the main character of this show?" with one path marked with a picture of Sonic and the other with a picture of Eggman. Eggman, naturally, went down the "Eggman" path (even though his robots actually admitted the right answer was Sonic), which naturally led to a trap. (The ''Creator/FourKidsEntertainment'' dub changed the last question to "Who's the coolest guy around?".) In another episode, Team Chaotix learned what had happened while they were away by watching ''Sonic X'' on DVD, even arguing about whether to skip the opening song or not.
88* The cast of ''Manga/SgtFrog'' displays this a number of times: in chapter 69, the threat of [[CharacterFilibuster a lecture from Keroro]] leads to the following exchange:
89-->'''Fuyuki:''' We've just been made into an anime, and we're already going to lose fans.\
90'''Keroro:''' Shut up! I shall only lecture you for about [[TwoOfYourEarthMinutes two of your Pokopenian pages]]!
91* Nui's introduction in ''Anime/KillLaKill'' has her [[NinjaProp leaning against her introductory subtitle, and then stroking Satsuki's hair (who's very far away from her) through a split-screen divider.]]
92** She also hijacked the ending theme before the final episode, just so she could show off [[BigBad Ragyo's Shinra Koketsu.]]
93* Practically everyone has demonstrated some degree of this in ''Manga/{{Gintama}}''. Among other things, they know they're in an anime/manga, and are able to notice the censorship of their dialogue and [[{{Pixellation}} the scenery]] at times.
94** One story arc has the Yorozuya gang trying resolve a time stop that's affected everyone but them. The only reason they're even able to make any progress is due to the fact that they're able to read the speech bubbles of the frozen characters, though Gintoki later tries abuse this by editing what some of them are saying using a marker. They can even see the [[WrittenSoundEffect sound effects]], and Gintoki ends up saving Otae's life by editing the sound of her being hit with a rocket punch into a stick figure saving her from the rocket punch...[[MakesJustAsMuchSenseInContext which she ends up marrying.]]
95* One ''Manga/FrankenFran'' chapter has a doctor refuse Fran's services, because he is all too aware of the BodyHorror she inflicts on her patients in the name of saving their lives. How does he know all this? He holds up Franken Fran Volume 1.
96* ''Manga/CaseClosed'' generally leaves the [[BreakingTheFourthWall Fourth Wall]] alone, but there are occasions where they breaks just a little bit for laugh.
97** One episode end with Conan sharing his thoughts from a panel as usual. But with Ran, instead of looking where he actually is, look at said panel and response to it.
98** In one instance. Conan thought that an incident wouldn't conveniently happens with the main characters because ''this isn't a manga.''
99* In ''Literature/TheCircumstancesLeadingToWaltrautesMarriage'', several characters do this. Some of Waltraute's sisters complain that it's not fair they have less screen time than her. Freyja at one point boasts that she's so sexy she has to be censored.
100* Chapter 8 of ''Literature/TheFamiliarOfZero'' has several girls [[ImagineSpotting look up at the]] ImagineSpot depicting Saito's sexy dream of Louise, and in the next panel Louise is waving her arms through it to dissipate it.
101* In Chapter 162 of ''Manga/KenichiTheMightiestDisciple'', Apachai grabs and peeks out from behind a speech bubble like someone peering around a doorframe, acting confused about its presence.
102* In one chapter of ''Manga/{{Cyborg 009}}'', 009 and 007 are chasing several shady men. As they set off, 007 (who, for maximum funny, has shapeshifted into a dog), notices a taxi.
103--> '''007:''' Well, whaddaya know, a taxi! I love living in a comic!
104* ''Anime/MashinHeroWataruSeries'': Himiko is keen on Soukaizan's Strictly Formula system and uses them to her absolute advantage. When competing ninjutsus with Chuta Oniwaban of Seikaizan, Chuta shows off by transforming himself into a cool dragon, but then Himiko one ups him by transforming herself as Ryujinmaru, and forced smack Chuta as "the background dragon of Ryujinmaru;" you know, the dragon in all of Ryujinmaru's Dynamic Entry sequences.
105* In episode 21 of ''Anime/CowboyBebop'', TheRival of the episode (who shows up whenever Spike is about to apprehend the villain and cocks everything up) has a very distinctive, Music/EnnioMorricone-esque {{leitmotif}} associated with his appearances. Que the final encounter between Spike and the villain and Spike [[IgnoredEnemy shuts up the villain when he suddenly thinks he hears whistling]].
106* In the ''Manga/MagiLabyrinthOfMagic'' prequel series ''Adventures of Sinbad,'' we get this after [[GuileHero Sinbad]], [[RebelPrince Mystras]] and [[OnlySaneMan Ja'far]] wind up [[NakedPeopleAreFunny naked]] in the wilderness.
107-->'''Ja'far:''' ''(pointing from an angle where [[HandOrObjectUnderwear his hands strategically hide the others' crotches]])'' Listen, why don't you hide ''those'' instead?
108-->'''Sinbad:''' Hide what?
109-->'''Ja'far:''' Those ''things'' that aren't supposed to be seen on-screen!
110-->'''Mystras:''' [[AudienceWhatAudience What screen]]?
111* In ''[[Manga/JojosBizarreAdventureStardustCrusaders JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part 3: Stardust Crusaders]]'', at one point, when it seems like enemy stand user ZZ[[note]]named after Music/ZZTop[[/note]] has burned protagonist Jotaro to death, he declares:
112-->'''ZZ:''' "I won! I ended Part Three early!"
113-->'''Jotaro:''' ''[[[ItMakesSenseInContext burrowing out of the ground]]]'' "Oh? And who's going to replace me, Jotaro Kujo, as the main character? You didn't think it would be you, did you?"
114* Done for a gag in ''Anime/{{Aggretsuko}}: A Very Metal Christmas''. When Fenneko proclaims that Instagram is eating Retsuko's soul, Haida comments that "they're not going to like this episode".
115* Yuga Aoyama from ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia''. He's frequently seen mugging at the camera, usually in group shots, with the obvious implication being that he [[{{Narcissist}} wants the viewers to focus on him]].
116* ''Manga/ZettaiBLNiNaruSekaiVsZettaiBLNiNaritakunaiOtoko'': The protagonist is aware that he is inside a BL manga, and that he is just an extra. The manga follows him trying to keep things like that because he doesn't want to date a guy.
117* The 1985 Creator/OsamuTezuka short ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FMKlXmboEo Broken Down Film]]'' has the cowboy hero both able to do things like grab a speech balloon and use it as a weapon, but also take advantage of (or be pestered by) things like scratches in the film, a hair stuck in the projector, and jittering frames.
118* ''Manga/The100GirlfriendsWhoReallyReallyReallyReallyReallyLoveYou'' not only [[NoFourthWall never built its fourth wall]], characters regularly interact with things like the narration boxes.
119* ''Anime/TheBigO'': In-universe example. Gordon Rosewater, the former ruler of Paradigm City and effectively the ''former protagonist'', became aware that his world was one big TrumanShowPlot. While he was okay with being an actor in his own life, he got sick of the show's 'director' nosediving the show - and his empire - into the ground while she refused to take any input from the people living in her nightmare. He decided to 'negotiate' with her. The ratings-fluctuating robot war ended the world, but defeating his own director was the killing blow. [[spoiler:Quite literally, as the previous series' canon was scrapped entirely, and then a new canon was created that only imported a few characters, like Rosewater - and potentially the 'tomatoes'.]] By the end, Gordon remembers he orchestrated Roger Smith's journey in order to make him a true Negotiator between authors and their characters. Though Roger doesn't quite understand, he eventually breaks the in-universe Fourth Wall and manages to properly negotiate with the Director.
120* ''Manga/SpyXFamily'': In the manga, Anya’s telepathy is frequently depicted as her directly looking at other characters’ thought bubbles.

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