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{{trope}}
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* ''[[
* All the time in ''[[Hiroshi Strange Love]]'', with Professor Iaizawa complaining about how his face is cut out, wondering when things got so serious, asking where the government got the "World Domination" style picture of him, proclaiming the coming sequel, talking about how he hopes they become an anime, etc.
* In the ''[[Black Cat (manga)|Black Cat]]'' manga, Sven does this literally when he bangs his head on the edge of the panel in surprise, cracking the page.
* ''[[Excel Saga]]''. It would probably be easier to mention all the scenes this trope wasn't in...!
* In ''[[Fushigi Yuugi]]'', when Miaka is told to remove her clothes as part of a test to see if she is worthy of receiving a magical relic, she strips down to her one-piece underclothes, then comments "This is the limit of what the [[Media Watchdogs|broadcast code]] allows."
* ''[[Mazinger Z]]:'' The original manga penned by [[Go Nagai]] broke the fourth wall several times. In one of the first episodes [[The Hero|Kouji]] gets forced to kill a [[Mook]] in self-defense and he suffers s [[Heroic BSOD]] thinking he is a murderer... until another character calms him down stating he was only defending himself and he is the main character and [[The Hero]], so he did no wrong. And in [https://web.archive.org/web/20131118002003/http://manga.animea.net/mazinger-z-chapter-3-page-61.html this page] Count Brocken complains Kouji [[Combat Pragmatist|fights dirty]] and yells the main character should not fight dirty and the fans will cry. Kouji was not impressed.
* The [[Non-Indicative First Episode]] of ''[[Suzumiya Haruhi|The Melancholy Of Haruhi Suzumiya]]'' doesn't even ''try'' to have a fourth wall -- there's a constant voiceover from an omniscient narrator from end to end who [[Lampshade Hanging|hangs lampshades]] on all of the [[Japanese Media Tropes]] (especially the [[Discredited Trope|discredited ones]]) that occur during their [[Show Within a Show|amateur film]].
** He even goes so far as ''yelling at the characters'' about things that bother him:
{{quote|"I swear if your face gets ''any'' closer to hers, somebody who's not even ''in'' this scene is going to come out there and kick your ''ass,'' dammit!!"}}
* ''[[Fullmetal Alchemist]]'' does this often.
** Throughout the manga, there are extra comics about the characters reactions and hopes about a popularity poll. This includes discussions about how much 'screen time' they've had in recent chapters and at one point Scar using alchemy to blow up the author when he reads that he has tied with her way low on the poll.
** And the side story where Ed and Mustang have a fight.
{{quote|"Hughes: We don't have many pages left, so let's get it going!"}}
** In volume 14, when Ed comes out of the shower naked and the girl's inside Al's armor, the guard comes in and says "Stop acting like
* While generally not appearing in the anime, the manga series for ''[[Tenchi Muyo!]]'' featured quite a few references to episodes of the OVA, as well as Aeka stopping a bit of it by screaming at Ryoko and Washu to, in the English translation, 'stop this Brecht crap!'; the two lackadaisically agree to return to the story.
* In episode 96 of ''[[Ranma ½
{{quote|"Speaking of which, what was the point of this episode again?"}}
** The manga had one moment where Mariko uses several moves reminiscient of young Goku in ''[[Dragon Ball]]'' (extending baton, standing on a "cloud" made of pompoms). Ranma demands to know which manga she thinks she's in.
* Jessie, James, and Meowth in ''[[Pokémon (anime)|Pokémon]]'' occasionally show awareness that they're cartoon villains. In ''[[Pokémon: The Movie 2000|Pokémon 2000]]'', they even proudly and dramatically declare their presence on the big screen, to which the annoyed Ash retorts, "I'll just catch this on video!" The Slowking from the same film also breaks the fourth wall by telling Team Rocket how people have been watching their sudden switch to heroism the entire film.
** [https://web.archive.org/web/20140108210135/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kni0YN76Ux0 I didn't know vikings still existed]
** The narrator who starts and ends every episode and sometimes announces unexpected plot twists.
** In the film ''[[Pokémon Ranger and The Temple of The Sea]]'', Team Rocket claimed they would steal diamonds and pearls. Meowth then says it is a [[Pokémon Diamond and Pearl|great name for a game]]!
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** In the first Mewtwo film, ''[[Pokémon: The First Movie|Pokémon the First Movie]]'' Jessie, James and Meowth had their memories of the events erased. In the second one, ''[[Pokémon: Mewtwo Returns]]'', James said he felt like he was in the sequel of a movie he missed.
** One Pikachu short trailer had Meloetta winking at the camera.
* ''[[Legendz]]'' deserves a special mention. [http://klarkkentthe3rd.deviantart.com/art/Legendz-vs-The-4th-Wall-Part-1-167837066 It is] [http://klarkkentthe3rd.deviantart.com/art/Legendz-vs-The-4th-Wall-Part-2-167837118 the only show] [http://klarkkentthe3rd.deviantart.com/art/Legendz-vs-The-4th-Wall-Part-3-167837179 that nukes] [http://klarkkentthe3rd.deviantart.com/art/Legendz-vs-The-4th-Wall-Part-4-167837226 the
* ''[[Lupin III]]'':
** An early episode has Lupin stepping off of a plane and saying "Title!", followed by the episode's name appearing.
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** This is even more prevalent in the final episode of the game, where Rika ([[It's a Long Story|maybe]]) directly speaks to the player, saying that the task of getting the [[Golden Ending|Good End]] is [[Earn Your Happy Ending|monumentally hard]] and he must not be overcome by despair, because it's despair that kept them locked in the [[Groundhog Day Loop]] until then. Like in the anime, she explains that [[Screw Destiny|Fate can be defeated]] only if everyone believes, including you. And she even adds that if you give up and uninstall the game, they will stay trapped in the [[Downer Ending]]. [[Guilt Based Gaming|Forever]].
*** The sequel-of-sorts, ''[[Umineko no Naku Koro ni]]'', has Bernkastel (who may or may not be an incarnation of Rika's) occasionally addressing the readers directly as well.
* In the series ''[[Cafe Kichijouji De]]'' when Hifumi Minagawa walks in with pink hair during the colour pages and everyone asks "What's with your hair?" He replies "What do you mean? It's been like this the last two chapters, but no body noticed because the Manga is in black and white,"
** He goes on to say "The boss' hair is thinning too, but even he doesn't know because the artist only draws lines" to which Taro and Maki ask "Who's drawing lines?!"
* In one episode of ''[[Martian Successor Nadesico]]'', Izumi makes yet another [[Incredibly Lame Pun]]. This one, however, makes use of such an obscure, outdated word that some of the characters have to explain to the others what in the world she was talking about. The scene ends with Megumi looking directly into the "camera" and saying, "We've learned something today, haven't we?" The others then ask her who she's talking to, a question she completely ignores.
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* In the manga version of ''[[Kare Kano]]'', when Kazuma's band crashes the school festival and the narrator starts spouting a bunch of stock rock and roll manga cliches, Yukino appears with a very cynical look and says "When did this become a rock manga?"
* ''[[Keroro Gunsou]]'' has had episodes where the characters have conversations with the narrator. This has also happened in the manga.
* The [[Omake]] at the end of the most recent{{when}} [[Filler]] arc of ''[[Bleach]]'' is made entirely of this. It shows Ichigo teleporting back into the main story, at which point Nel asks him if the corporate guys said he could come back. Then Orihime shows up with the corresponding volume of the manga and tells him "go to this scene".
** It's actually a running gag. At the start of the next filler, Ulquiorra stops his fight with Ichigo and sits down to have a sip of tea. When Ichigo asks why, Ulquiorra tells him that the studio execs will be cutting to something different for a little while. Nel then appears and asks the audience to "just bear with us here." They also ran a similar omake at the end of the filler.
** And then later in the couple of episodes focusing on the Kakura Rizer team, Ishida pops up, and offers this gem, whilst explaining about various abilities.
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{{quote|"Idiot! If Kenpachi's zanpakto materialized, Soul society would be wiped from existence and the show would be over!"
"So the studio stepped in huh?"
"Bingo"
* ''[[The Idolmaster (anime)|THE iDOLM@STER]]'' - Subverted/Played with in a [[In-Universe]] example, with Haruka mentioning the script during the [[Show Within a Show|Are we live?]] show and with Ami and Mami commenting about the report during the Ramen segment with Takane.
* The last episode of ''[[Bastard!!]]'' has Arshes Nei asking Gara why he hasn't won the fight with the giant monster yet, prompting him to explain that "It's no fun to win while offscreen!" He then turns to the camera and says "OK folks. Watch this." before unleashing his most powerful attack.
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** Kids, never stand on moving cars.
*** or in the English dub, Kids, don't use formula 1 race cars to chase hedgehogs!
** Sonic pulls this often with [[Aside Glance
* Done several times in ''[[Slayers]]'', mostly in the first season of the anime. Near the end of that season, Lina lampshades her lack of
* Also done in ''[[Niji Iro Togarashi]]''. When Shichimi asks the landlord who his father is (considering that {{spoiler|The father had many wives, including Shichimi's mother, I doubt it's going to be a happy reunion}}), the landlord replies that he can't tell Shichimi who his father is ''yet'' because it's only the first chapter and that he should really respect the mangaka's wishes.
* The ''very'' end (as in the second-to-last line) of ''[[Full Metal Panic!]]? Fumoffu'' has a one of the Jindai high school students swearing revenge on [[Rage Against the Author|Shouji Gatou and Yasuhiro Takemoto]] for putting him through hell in the final episode.
** In the first episode's "[["On the Next..."|In the Next Episode]]" sequence in ''Fumoffu'', Sousuke informs the viewers that the next episode will be featuring the giant armed suits "Armed Slaves" before Kaname shoots that down because Fumoffu was going to be a high-school romantic comedy.
** The manga has frequent references to the fact that it's a comic (eg. "I said that three chapters ago!")
* The manga version of ''[[He Is My Master]]'' is made entirely of this trope; the [[Author Avatar
* ''[[Hayate the Combat Butler]]'' either does this constantly or [[No Fourth Wall|doesn't have one to begin with]].
* ''[[Gintama]]'' uses this a lot. Possibly the most triumphant example of this trope: Otae jumped out of the TV to kill the author because she was pissed off that [[Author Avatar|the gorilla]] was more popular with fans than her. The anime promptly [[Stylistic Suck|gets screwed up]] and stopped airing altogether, until the studio staff rebuilt a robotic replacement of the author.
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* Though the main series had none, ''[[Neon Genesis Evangelion]]'' had a few in the extras (you ran out of ink too, didn't you ya bastards!)
** ''End of Evangelion'' had a treat for those who went to see the premiere. Near the end of the movie there's a host of live action clips, including an empty theatre. Gainax, get this, shot footage of the same theatre where the film screened when it filled with [[Otaku]] and then spliced it in. Break them walls down.
* At one point in the recent third series of [[OVA
* In one episode of ''[[Noir (anime)|Noir]]'' Mirielle hums along with the soundtrack that's playing while she's cutting Kirika's hair.
* The [[Gag Dub]] of ''[[Ghost Stories]]'' positively ''mauls'' its fourth wall, breaking it more and more as the series goes on. Characters identify plot points, comment on how they're being animated (usually poorly), and wonder which movie they're ripping off for a given episode's plot (especially that they meet so many villains who look like Samara from [[The Ring]]). In one episode towards the end of the series they conflate Satsuki's father with his voice actor, Illich Guardiola, and call him "Illich" for the rest of the episode. Maybe it's safe to say this show [[No Fourth Wall|has no wall whatsoever]].
* In one episode of ''[[D.N.Angel]]'', the eyecatch typically used before and after commercials is farcically placed at major scene changes as well, prompting Riku and Risa to yell, "Enough already!" after half a dozen appearances.
* In an interesting variation, in ''[[Princess Tutu]]'', Princess Kraehe breaks the ''internal'' fourth wall at one point by speaking directly to Drosselmeyer. The latter is very put off by this.
** It's touched on in the last episode when Drosselmeyer wonders if he's in someone else's story.
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** In the opening narration of the [[Non-Serial Movie]] ''Crossroads in the Ancient Capital'', Heiji Hattori is talking to the camera about the series's backstory when his girlfriend Kazuha comes up and asks him who he's talking to. When Heiji says he's explaining things to the audience, Kazuha thinks he's just being silly.
* In ''[[Sketchbook]]'' Tanabe Ryou and Himuro Fuu seem to have this ability, but it is hard to tell, as their whole school life seems to be a comedy stage to them, and they might just be speaking to an imaginary audience.
* In Part 3 of ''[[
* In ''[[Katekyo Hitman Reborn]]'', as Belphegor is describing the fights between himself and his brother, Flan remarks to the viewers concerning knife throwing 'It's dangerous, so good little kids shouldn't try it at home.' This is then lampshaded when Bel then says 'Who are you talking to?!"
* The whole "Lucky Channel" segment of ''[[Lucky Star]]'' anime (no, the manga does not have this) implies that the series is just a TV show produced by fictional TV channel Lucky Channel. During these segments, the 2
* In the 8th chapter of the ''[[Dragon Ball]]'' manga, Akira Toriyama used an unusual (for manga) way of breaking the fourth wall. Son Goku sends Yamcha into the air with his punch, but Yamcha bounces off the frame's border back to the ground.
** In later chapters there are a few instances, where different characters refers to the fact that it's a manga, such as discussions of acceptableness of dirty jokes in the manga for children.
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* ''[[Dororo]]'' does this several times. Author [[Osamu Tezuka]] getting crushed by a rain of rocks summoned by a demon while at his drawing board. Later, when a mysterious voice speaks to him, Dororo asks the reader if it was him/her. And when Dororo is embarrassed, he asks the writer to stop showing this part.
* Also happens in other works of Tezuka; he appears in a Special of ''[[Black Jack]]'' as a stressed-out manga artist drawing at a table in a bar. Pinoko rushes in and causes him to spill coffee all over his hard work, much to his dismay. And in another instance in ''[[Black Jack]]'' manga, a character falls and hits the panels of the manga page
* ''[[Yakitate!! Japan]]'' has an [[Incredibly Lame Pun]] based on Kenchin and Chinchin (Chicken and Penis) respectively. When the Judge of the contest goes to get his [[Unusual Euphemism|Chicken]] out, one person says [[Translation Convention|"Don't get your dick out! We'll be canceled for sure!]]
* The English broadcast of ''Cat Ninja Legend Teyandee'' - ''[[Samurai Pizza Cats]]'' - constantly involved the narrator conversing with the cast and commenting on the Japanese attributes such as the written language and sight gags, and made complaints to the writers and producers regarding strange plots.
* ''[[
* [[Keet|Shuichi]] from the ''[[Gravitation]]'' manga does it in the final volume, stating, that [[Tall, Dark and Snarky|Yuki's]] behaviour doesn't make any sense at all since there was no single hint in the previous 11 volumes.
* In an episode of ''[[Axis Powers Hetalia]]'', Japan comments on the normally slow Italy's sudden burst of speed when he sees England:
{{quote|'''Japan:''' They say that Italian tanks can advance 60 kilometers a week on the battlefield, but after spotting English troops, they can retreat 60 kilometers in a single day.}}
** Prussia complains in one episode that he should be a main character, going so far as to insult the staff making the anime.
** And many more times in the [[Gag Dub|dub]]. For instance, Italy telling the viewers that they should feel Germany's firm butt.
{{quote|'''France''':''(commenting on America's drawings)'' Those are [[Off-Model|even worse than the animation!]]}}
** "It's bad enough I have jerk Britain laughing at me without suffering these little animated insert thingies!"
** Iceland breaks the fourth wall when he introduces himself at the beginning of [[The Movie]]. During the Hetaween 2011 event, he also tells the audience to stop staring at him.
* In the 3rd episode of ''[[Rosario
** Then the announcer (a bat) appears in the screen saying ''"Who are you talking to?"''. Strange, in that the bat constantly appears to be talking to the audience.
*** Kurumu has broken several more walls after that episode, actually. Since she is a succubus, and succubi have control over reality, it would make sense that she's the only one (other than the bat and maybe her mother) who [[Fridge Brilliance|knows]] that her world is just an anime.
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{{quote|'''Ryuuka''': Why is this place full of so many lame traps, anyway?
'''Ikuyo Suzuki''': It's as if the producers wanted to show us how unimaginative they are! }}
* In Episode 6 of the ''[[Durarara!!]]'' anime when Kadota Kyohei explains why they're rescuing Kaztano.
{{quote|'''Erika''': Who are you talking to?}}
* An episode of the English dub of ''[[Sailor Moon]]'' altered a line of dialog where Sailor Moon was looking straight at the camera to have her ask the audience to tell her where Luna went. The original script had her worrying to herself.
* ''[[Highschool of the Dead]]'' sometimes pokes through the fourth wall, saying that what's happening now would make a great manga. Of course at one point Saya tells Takashi "We get it, you're the main character."
* In ''[[Neko-de Gomen!
* In the final chapter of ''[[Helen ESP]]'' Helen asks Victor if he thinks they're in a story, and Helen says she'd like to meet their readers. Cue dreaming... {{spoiler|Hello! How do you do? You're the person who's been reading my story, aren't you? My name is Takahara Helen.}}
* ''[[Obake no Q-Taro]]'' managed to combine this with [[Deus Ex Machina]] in its [[Grand Finale]]. The heroes are captured and all hope seems to be lost when they are suddenly rescued by Perman. They ask who he is, and he declares himself to be the star of the show. Q-Taro then angrily informs Perman that his show starts ''next'' week, and he's arrived a week too early. Sure enough, ''Perman'' debuted the following week in ''Obake no Q-Taro'''s former time slot.
* A minor fourth wall-breaking moment happens in [[One Piece]] : in the Laboon arc, Crocus loves to make dramatic glares at people. The third time he does that, the Straw Hats get pissed and tell him to stop doing that, causing him to answer : "Haven't you ever heard of a runnning gag ?".
** Luffy breaks the fourth wall during a scene in the filler G-8 Arc. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDu-R9SriPA See it for yourself].
** Brook breaks it during his explanation of why he lacks a shadow.
{{quote|Brook: "I'll tell you everything now... It has been a long time since I began drifting on this sea... But let me say, my being a skeleton and not having a shadow are completely different things. To be continued in the next chapter."
Sanji: [[To Be Continued Right Now|TELL US EVERYTHING NOW!]] }}
* Happens often in ''[[Ouran High School Host Club]]''. Usually by [[Camp Straight|Tamaki]] who once declares he's [[The Hero]] of the story and the rest of the host club are homosexual [[Supporting Protagonist|Supporting Protagonists]] (they are not amused). He also asks Mori if he's upset he hasn't gotten an [[Day in The Limelight|episode dedicated to him]] yet.
{{quote|'''Tamaki:''' This anime is a school love comedy to begin with!
'''Haruhi'''(while discussing that Honey has type AB blood, the same as Kyoya, and therefore has an evil split personality): Oh, those of you watching who are type AB, don't get upset. }}
* [[Adventures of Mini-Goddess
* ''[[Daily Lives of High School Boys]]'' often uses this trope for comedic effect:
** As early as the intro before the opening in the ''first'' episode: even if the anime is a [[Square Enix]]-[[Sunrise (company)|Sunrise]] collaboration, it would ''not'' add mecha or RPG elements to a [[Slice of Life]] series.
** Intro of episode 3: The main trio recognized the anime aired in [[Winter 2012 Anime|winter]]. They also recognized by starting the story in Summer instead of Spring (when the Japanese school year starts), it misses many cliches of [[High School]] anime--but this is a [[Slice of Life]] show anyway.
** The [[Distaff Counterpart|Distaff Counterparts]] of the three main boys wondered why those boring boys could have their own anime.
* In one episode of ''[[Kirby: Right Back at Ya!]]'', during one point, Meta Knight breaks the fourth wall.
{{quote|Meta Knight: Oh! It is Fire Dedede, our hero! (turns to camera) ... I would never say that...}}
* In ''[[Robotech]]'', the usually formal narrator breaks the fourth wall only twice. The first time is in Wedding Bells, when he humorously comments about Max's nervousness regarding his upcoming date with Mirya: "After all, (laughs), what do you expect from a girl you only met that same morning?". In Season's greetings, he ends the episode by saying "Merry Christmas to all, and to all a safe night."
* ''[[Haruhi-chan
* Once the ''[[K-On!]]'' girls get into college, the manga's fourth wall becomes a bit flimsy.
** During the telling of Akira's backstory, Ritsu points at the previous panel and asks who that person is. Twice.
** Then, when Yui is acting out of character, this exchange takes place:
{{quote|'''Ritsu''' ''(checking Yui's head for lumps)'': If this were a manga, you'd have hit your head, which caused you to change personalities...
'''Mio''': This is a manga.}}
{{tropesubpagefooter}}
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