Break the Fake: Difference between revisions

* Averted in ''[[Gunslinger Girl]]'' when the fake antique kaleidoscope is damaged, but repaired, despite the fact that everyone involved suspects it's a fake.

* Played with in ''[[Hunter X Hunter]]''. An episode is dedicated to someone who makes counterfeits of rare artifacts. They come across an artifact at an auction: A sealed clay container for valuable jewels. The only surefire way to determine its authenticity is to break it and see the contents inside, but this would ruin its value as an artifact. The counterfeiter gets into a heated debate with an appraiser over its authenticity, both trying their hard not to resort to breaking the object. The counterfeiter ultimately convinces the appraiser that it's fake, {{spoiler|but it's actually real--he can sell the jewels inside for a lot more money than he paid for the supposedly fake container.}}

* ''[[Bleach]]'' anime episode 137. After the arrancar Patros is defeated, the Hogyoku he stole from Lord Aizen breaks into pieces. Kisuke Urahara explains that Aizen let Patros steal a fake Hogyoku, because the real Hogyoku would never have broken so easily.

 

== [[Film]] ==

* Invoked in Dreamworks' ''[[Flushed Away]]'' when Roddy smashes Rita's prized ruby to prove that it's fake.

* Done in the Russian comedy ''Shirly-Myrly'' by a man who wants to buy a huge diamond. The one really shocked, BTW, is the ''seller'', who never let another man hold the suitca- [[Oh Crap]]!

 

== [[Literature]] ==

* In ''[[Myth Adventures|M.Y.T.H. Inc. Link]]'', Skeeve has his dragon Gleep burn the consignment of comic books when he realizes they're fake. Justified because he doesn't want to let them be sold to gullible buyers, and is willing to catch flak for failing to protect the shipment.

* Done in the first book of [[The Sword of Truth]] series by Darken Rahl's bodyguard.

 

== [[Live Action Television]] ==

* On the ''[[CSI]]'' episode "Suckers", Nick accidentally damages a samurai sword from a collection of Japanese artifacts, but discovers that it's a forgery because of what the damage reveals. The whole team then disassembles the entire collection, as it's all fake and taking it apart may provide evidence to explain the scam.

* Nate does this on ''[[Leverage]]'' in "The Rashomon Job". A bejeweled dagger is being displayed in a museum, and at the end of a series of crazy events, Nate ends up with the dagger, confronts the curator with it... and breaks it, knowing it's really a fake (the real one {{spoiler|was sold by the curator}}).

 

== [[Western Animation]] ==

* Subverted in ''[[The Proud Family]]''. When one of Penny's relatives comes to visit, she gives Suga Mama some diamonds. Suga Mama initially thinks they are fake and tests it on a window. The window cracks upon her scratching the window with it, causing her to realize that they actually are diamonds.