Plot-Based Voice Cancellation: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

 

 

Almost universally, this becomes a point for a flashback later in the series, either once the characters (or audience) have learned the rest of the line, or once the conditions have been met for everyone to be clued in as to what happened. Clearing up the issue of what was said usually qualifies as [[The Reveal]].

 

Compare to: [[Plot Based Photograph Obfuscation]], [[Instant Mystery, Just Delete Scene]], [[Conveniently Interrupted Document]].

{{examples}}

== [[Anime]] and [[Manga]] ==

* ''[[Melody of Oblivion]]'', when Sayoko is talking to Bokka as the door to the maze closes, and (audience only) what the Melody says to Bokka in the final episode.

* Anime/film subversion: During {{spoiler|Ritsuko Akagi's death scene}} one of Gendo Ikari's lines in ''End of [[Neon Genesis Evangelion|Evangelion]]'' is muted, but for no obvious reason, and [[The Un-Reveal|we never find out what he was saying]].

** Especially annoying because the line looks to be very important. GENDO: The truth is * Dramatic Pause* (inaudible).

Ritsuko: You liar... }}

*** In this case, [[Hideaki Anno]] whispered the real line to Yuriko Yamaguchi (Ritsuko's VA) in order to get the appropriate reaction out of her. So both of them know what it is, but they ain't telling.

* As the image above shows, the manga version of ''[[Chrono Crusade]]'' uses a visual example, where the text in the text bubble is scribbled out. Interestingly, that frame is when Rosette remembers [[The Promise|the important promise being made]], with the audience themselves being left in the dark until Joshua (the boy in the image) remembers it himself.

** Like the [[Chrono Crusade|Chrono]] example, the psychological mystery manga "'''''Lying Mii-kun And Broken Maa-chan: Precious Lies'''''" by Iruma Hiruma features a very similar visual trick; {{spoiler|the boy known throughout the book as "Mii-kun" is revealed to be a substitute for the original Mii-kun, who was also the real serial killer, and the unknown ''third'' kidnapped child from 10 years ago. The real Mii-kun screams the fake's name at one point but the text is scribbled out. Later, a detective calls the fake by his real name, but it's X'd out. He then recalls his mother speaking a 4-letter word that's also X'd out, and finally when "Mii-kun" [[Unreliable Narrator|had a monologue about his feelings]] for Maa-chan, he says "I really xxxx you" deliberately making it ambiguous whether what he said was "love," "hate" or something else entirely. [[The Un-Reveal|We never find out what these omissions are]].}}

* In the doublet arc of ''[[Ah! My Goddess]]'', the only thing that can stop the demon's plan is for his doublet (Belldandy) to say his name. Every mention of {{spoiler|Welsper's}} name in flashback scenes is blotted out until Belldandy remembers it (It had been blocked from her memory. The whole point of the doublet system is that the people involved aren't supposed to know who their doublet is) and says it out loud.

* ''[[Madoka Magica]]'': Madoka's dream that opens episode one features Homura shouting something that we don't learn for nine episodes. {{spoiler|Homura realized that Kyubey was offering Madoka a [[Deal with the Devil|contract]] and was screaming for her not to accept it. Unfortunately, just as the viewer couldn't hear Homura, neither could Madoka.}}

* Used in their ending parody. ''[[Gintama|"Gin-san...I have no idea what you've just said..."]]''

 

== [[Comic Books]] ==

* The trope is played straight in the ''[[Sin City]]'' story "The Big Fat Kill," where a great deal of trouble could have been avoided if a passing helicopter had not obscured the line {{spoiler|"He's a cop!"}}

 

== [[Film]] ==

** Though we can see her name earlier in the story on her airplane ticket. Also many characters refer to her by her last name: {{spoiler|Kiddo}}, though until her full name is revealed, the viewer is not aware of it.

* In ''[[Batman (film)|Batman Forever]]'', Two-Face says he won't set off a bomb if Batman surrenders himself, dead or alive. Bruce Wayne (in attendance) yells, "Harvey! I'm Batman!" But by this point the shrieks of terror drown him out. Eventually, this leads to the Grayson family dying and kicking off Robin's [[Backstory]].

* About two-thirds of the way through ''[[North by Northwest]]'', the Professor explains the whole "George Kaplan" scenario to Thornhill at the airport, and his voice is drowned out by the roar of plane engines. This is actually a rather clever inversion of the trope, in that we the viewers already know about the stuff he's talking about, so making the conversation inaudible is sparing us from the redundancy.

* In "Suspiria" the heroine arrives at an exclusive ballet school in the midst of a storm. A student appearing outside her cab says something unintelligible. The student is killed shortly afterward. When the heroine finally realizes what she said it drives the plot toward its resolution.

 

== [[Literature]] ==

{{quote|"Uh . . . why does your partner keep saying ' 'ing' ', Mr Pin?"}}

** It's made even clearer later in the book that he really is simply pausing and saying 'ing':

{{quote|"She could use a simple word like “ungrateful” in a way that would require a dash and an “ing” in the mouth of Mr. Tulip."}}

 

* ''[[Babylon 5]]'' "You are {{spoiler|a child of Valen.}}"

* In the Korean adaptation of ''[[Hana Yori Dango]]'' (''[[Boys Before Flowers]]''), a passing plane drowns out what Jun Pyo says to Jan Di regarding their relationship.

** But that was actually a case of [[Unreliable Narrator]].

* ''That Mitchell and Webb Sound'' had a sketch involving a condition where a character makes a random sound instead of the key word in a sentence - making it very difficult to get their point across. Everyone in the sketch had it.

 

== [[Video Games]] ==

* In the very first of Roxas's dreams in ''[[Kingdom Hearts]] II'', two Organization members meet; only one is given vocal dialogue, while the other only gets the subtitles. Upon [[The Reveal]] where Roxas realizes that {{spoiler|the silent member is himself}}, the scene is shown again, this time longer and with both characters speaking.

** Not to mention the incredibly contrived intro plot where nobody could say the word {{spoiler|photo}}.

 

== [[Western Animation]] ==

* An episode of ''[[Rugrats]]'' also played this trope for laughs. After Angelica learned a dirty word from a TV idol named Ms. Carol she would always be silenced out by a cutaway.

{{quote|Angelica: She (Ms. Carol) thinks we're all little -- (CUT AWAY)}}

 

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Sound FX Tropes]]