Blasting Time

Whenever characters with energy projecting Magic and Powers want to make a big impact crater, they'll follow the sweep of a clock when firing. Much like throwing a baseball, they will raise their arms straight up at 12, start Sucking-In Lines, then lower one or both arms to 3 (or whatever angle their target is at) and let loose. If the character is very fast, he or she may even "chain throw" Ki Attacks by alternating charging and throwing between arms, much like a swimmer's strokes.

This is similar to the Pstandard Psychic Pstance, this pose is meant to give motion and direction to what would normally be intangible forces and liven up dull scenes. In the story itself, this is probably Justified as being necessary for the Full-Contact Magic, pyrokinesis or Combined Energy Attack to be properly executed. In which case immobilizing the arms effectively stops the attack or forces a misfire.

Anime and Manga

 * Dragonball Z. Goku's Spirit Bomb adapts the straight up then bomb position, while the Kamehame Hadoken used start with the arms spread wide at approximately 2 and 10 before cupping the gathered energy at the waist (though later they skipped that part and went straight to cup-and-fire); Vegeta, meanwhile is more adept at chain blasting.
 * In Saint Seiya, Camus and later Hyoga do the double drop as part of Aurora Thunder and Aurora Execution. The former technique executes it quickly, so that the Saint tosses several blasts in succession. For the latter, raising your hands is part of a near-ritualistic stance, rather than a gathering of power.
 * Subverted by the film version of Gemini Saga's Galactic Explosion. He will raise one hand high over his head... while his other hand, held close to his side, grasps a steadily-engorging globe of naked power. The TV and manga versions follow a more standard approach.
 * "Blasting" spells in Slayers, from the basic Fireball to the Dragon Slave are often cast this way, with the mage in question raising her hands as she recites the incantation.
 * A few times in the Ranma One Half animation, though more often than not they will gather energy in their hands by holding them to the side rather than above. In the case of Ryouga's the Shishi Hokodan, the manga depiction will usually have him cross his arms over his chest, and he will only push his palms forward to channel the ki at the last second.
 * Performed by the titular character of Hell Teacher Nube while momentarily transformed into a full oni due to his Red Right Hand. In order to defeat a vicious, nigh-invincible enemy, oni-Nube raises his hand and gathers the love and trust of his students into a sphere that he then flings down at the enemy, blasting a sizable hole through it.
 * Minki, a female oni, also attempts this. But her Power Incontinence often makes her drop the ball of hellfire on top of herself.
 * Digimon Xros Wars: In episode 31, OmegaShoutmon performs an anticlockwise version of this when unleashing a Heavy Metal Vulcan on the mass of Dorbickmon's minions through which he had just torn.

Comic Books

 * In The Big Fables Crossover, Fantasy (as in the Genre given physical form) would routinely lob magical blasts this way.

Video Games

 * In Final Fantasy VI, Sabin's Aura Bolt technique shows him raising his hands above his head to suck in a massive sphere of spiritual power, then he'll aim his hands forward and release it as a gigantic beam.
 * In a rather obvious parody of Dragonball Z, the Oni Spirit Bomb used by Ibuki Suika in the Touhou fighting games.
 * Most nature-oriented Mages in the Fire Emblem series use this form while casting spells.
 * Mario's special attacks animations start with him raising his hands, power animation and then attacking in Super Mario RPG.

Web Comics

 * In Drow Tales, using mana attacks is sometimes done with this motion.
 * Terra in El Goonish Shive apparently likes flashy, though less power-efficient magic.