Visual Novel Shot
This trope is an Anime/Manga exclusive (although it also shows up in animesque web comics).
In some scenes with couples, there will be a static background shot of a school facility (usually a hallway or yard) or any home/urban/park area, with a notorious vanishing point (generally centered), representing the protagonist's point of view. In the foreground there's a medium shot of almost always a female character with a shy or gentle expression. Similar to a standard Dating Sim or Visual Novel screen (as well as many Flash games). This shot is commonly used as a device to imply romantic involvement.
In Hollywood jargon, it's a widescreen eye-level medium-long shot or widescreen eye-level cowboy shot, depending on how much of the character is pictured.
Might or not have the menu options and decorative frames (in which case it's a parody).
Anime and Manga
- Commonly found in Kyoto Animation's anime adaptations of Key Visual Arts games, such as Kanon and Clannad.
- In Clannad, some of the jokes were conserved as Tomoya having a random Imagine Spot about what option would he choose if this where a visual novel, and it was shown on screen with an actual scene from another Key game Little Busters!
- Excel Saga has an entire episode framed around Il Pallazo playing a dating sim and Excel having to live through the choices he makes.
- The third choice is always "Put it in", not that he ever chooses it.
- Kimi ni Todoke: Our lovely Sawako shows how it's done in the picture.
- There's also a Dating Sim Shot with Saki in the Genshiken manga (and Madarame too).
- My Little Sister Can't Be This Cute has the male lead introduced to dating sims (against his will), after which he starts seeing menu options whenever he faces a decision. One scene has a shot of his father that matches this trope format.
- Love Hina: Specifically Motoko's introduction is very much shot using this type of framing.
- Seen in The World God Only Knows (of course)[context?]
- Student Council's Discretion: When the student council members were discussing Kurimu's bad grades, Sugisaki imagines himself playing the scene out in one of his games. He chooses to save and click the 'hug' option to start a sex scene.
- Kannagi, episode 11: Takako visualizes Jin's life with Nagi, Tsugumi and Zange as this.
Web Comics
- Megatokyo uses it in a panel to show what happens when Piro (the artist, not the character) manages to knock Largo out in creative disputes. In the reverse situation, the comic looks like a First-Person Shooter. (That was before Largo's actual departure)